University of Toronto: A Thriving Startup and VC Ecosystem

At the University of Toronto, the startup and venture capital ecosystem is booming. From cutting-edge startups to innovative venture capital firms, the university provides a fertile ground for today’s entrepreneurs and investors. U of T is home to numerous success stories, from early-stage startups to successful exits.

Startup Stories

The University of Toronto has produced a number of high-profile startups. Notable successes include:

• Deep Genomics, a leader in artificial intelligence-based genetic diagnostics, raised $45 million in Series B funding in 2019.
• Ritual, a food ordering platform, raised $53 million in Series C funding in 2019.
• Thalmic Labs, a wearable technology company, was acquired by Intel in 2019 for a reported $360 million.
• Shopify, a popular ecommerce platform, went public in 2015 and is now valued at over $60 billion.

Venture Capital Firms

The University of Toronto also hosts a number of notable venture capital firms. Notable VC firms include:

• Version One Ventures, founded by U of T alumni, has invested in over 100 companies and raised over $400 million in capital.
• iNovia Capital, founded in 2007, has invested in over 160 companies and raised over $1 billion in capital.
• Real Ventures, founded in 2006, has invested in over 150 companies and raised over $400 million in capital.
• OMERS Ventures, founded in 2011, has invested in over 200 companies and raised over $1 billion in capital.

Related Initiatives

The University of Toronto has a number of initiatives aimed at fostering the startup and venture capital ecosystems. These include:

• The Rotman School of Management has established the Creative Destruction Lab, a seed-stage accelerator program that helps technology companies scale up.
• The University of Toronto Entrepreneurship Hatchery, a student-run accelerator, provides mentorship, funding, and resources to help early-stage startups.
• The Impact Centre, a research and entrepreneurship hub, offers resources and programming to students, entrepreneurs, and investors.
• The University of Toronto's entrepreneurship hub, the DMZ, provides space and resources for startups to launch and scale up.

Notable People

The University of Toronto has produced a number of notable founders and investors. Notable people include:

• Gabe Batstone, co-founder of Shopify and General Partner at Version One Ventures