BDO Canada Expands Pitch Competition Across the Country

January 29, 2019

One of the world’s most well-known accounting and advisory companies has announced plans to support more Canadian entrepreneurs than ever before.

BDO Canada has unveiled five total tour dates for their annual tech pitch events, expanding upon their four locations from 2018. Last year, BDO Canada held events in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Halifax, and this year the accounting giant will add Montreal to the roster. The events will be spread out across February, March, and April, and applications are open now. See below for a list of dates and deadlines.

“Canadian innovation doesn’t live in any one city, in any one province,” said Peter Matutat, leader of BDO Canada’s Technology Life Science practice. “We all recognize the value of large innovation hubs. That being said, past VC Pitch Day events also featured fantastic ideas from cities and towns across the country. As a national firm with strong local roots, we couldn’t be more thrilled.”

This is BDO Canada’s fourth edition of the annual VC Pitch Day. The goal is to connect Canadian entrepreneurs with leading venture firms, creating an opportunity to invest in the next big technology startup. The companies selected to participate will also receive feedback throughout the closed-door pitch session. The VC firms participating this year include some of the largest names in Canada such as BDC Capital Ventures, OMERS Ventures, Brightspark Ventures, Whitecap Venture Partners and the New Brunswick Innovation Foundation.

Beyond the pitch day itself, BDO Canada will also be hosting several networking events designed to bring investors and established entrepreneurs together along with the pitching startups, creating an ecosystem driven by mentorship and honest observation.

BDO Canada chooses to host events like these because they know how difficult it can be for early-stage startups to connect with funding options, which is proven by the nearly 200 companies that applied for the 2018 VC Pitch Day. In total, between eight and 12 companies will be selected per city.

“Canada’s tech scene has certainly raised the bar in recent years,” said Matthew Harrison, a partner with BDO’s National Startups and Emerging Technology Leader. “We’re seeing home-grown tech companies bring bold, disruptive ideas to market in a wide range of industries. I’m excited to see what VC Pitch Day 2019 has in store.”

Check out the dates and deadlines for this year’s events, and head here to apply:

Vancouver