Techstars Taps Real Ventures to Establish Permanent Presence in Toronto

Techstars, a worldwide network of accelerator programs for entrepreneurs succeed, is working with Real Ventures, a finalist for Venture Capital of the Year at tonight’s Canadian Startup Awards, to bring Techstars to Canada. With the establishment of Techstars Toronto, Canada will have a permanent node in the the global Techstars network.

“The Toronto-Waterloo-Kitchener startup market is full of innovation, mentors and capital,” says David Brown, cofounder of Techstars and a Canadian native himself. “These are the exact ingredients for a successful accelerator program.”

Real Ventures first visited Colorado, the home of Techstars, in 2009.

“Since then we have invested in Techstars graduating companies and co-invested alongside Techstars Ventures into other companies,” explained John Stokes, General Partner at Real Ventures and cofounder of Montreal’s FounderFuel accelerator program. “But establishing Techstars Toronto presents an amazing opportunity to work more closely together.”

Since its inception in 2006, Techstars has operated more than 100 accelerator sessions across 18 cities and now has more than 1,000 companies in its portfolio.

“Real Ventures is a strong partner given its substantial seed investing activities and its accelerator program experience as the founder and driving force behind the Montreal based, FounderFuel Accelerator,” added Brown.

“Techstars has proven itself as an organization that not only helps propel startups to success but is also a major contributor to vibrant startup ecosystems around the world,” noted Janet Bannister, one of Real Ventures’ Toronto-based General Partners. “We are confident that Techstars Toronto will contribute significantly to the blossoming Canadian startup ecosystem.”

Application and program details for Techstars Toronto will be announced later this year.

Real Ventures, iNovia Capital, Relay Ventures are Finalists in Canadian Startup Awards