Sojourn Labs, OTI Lumionics, Orchard
2014 in review: our 5 biggest entrepreneurship stories
First-of-their-kind product launches and more than 40 new companies this year alone
Published: December 18, 2014
This was the year it all started coming together.
The University of Toronto’s entrepreneurship statistics were already solid. ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ regularly topped international rankings for numbers of companies started; its researchers and alumni were boosting economies in Canada and beyond with university-developed businesses grounded in innovative tech, chemistry, medicine and more.
But this year enabled ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ to bring together, into one thriving ecosystem, the many entrepreneurial efforts previously operating in separate faculties, departments and centres.
The result is a more coordinated and more powerful spirit driving ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s startups and entrepreneurship supports, accelerators, courses and programs. That means young entrepreneurs at ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ will have more ways to connect and they’ll be able to more quickly and effectively develop their businesses.
It also means that all things ‘entrepreneurship’ at ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ are finally featured in one comprehensive web space.
At the same time, the rising stars of ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s startup scene continued to shine more brightly as they scored major investments, rolled out first-of-their-kind products and added members to their teams. Alumni startup Orchard was named ; serial entrepreneur and director of the Impact Centre accelerator, Cynthia Goh, was as one of Canada's most influential risk takers; and Bionym as it nabbed funding, inked a partnership with Royal Bank and began to ship its biometric wristbands. But that's just the start.
Here are just a few of our favourite stories from ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s growing startup community in 2014.
One entrepreneurship ecosystem at ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ
With a new director heading up the University of Toronto’s central entrepreneurship hub, a major funding boost from the provincial government and major international resources coming to ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ, the unification of startup interests at ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ was a big win for the university’s entrepreneurs.
With a new director heading up the University of Toronto’s central entrepreneurship hub, a major funding boost from the provincial government and major international resources coming to ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ, the unification of startup interests at ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ was a big win for the university’s entrepreneurs.
41 new companies
The university’s four featured accelerators graduated dozens of companies in 2014 – and some are already nabbing headlines in global media.
The university’s four featured accelerators graduated dozens of companies in 2014 – and some are already nabbing headlines in global media.
³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ entrepreneurs in the community
Entrepreneurs are only as strong as their network when it comes to building teams, getting feedback, securing funding and gaining ground in the marketplace. This year, ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s entrepreneurs took part in major community events, launched new community spaces, invited Toronto to get hands-on with innovations… and even helped the community connect with nearby flu shots by talking to them in their own language.
Entrepreneurs are only as strong as their network when it comes to building teams, getting feedback, securing funding and gaining ground in the marketplace. This year, ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ’s entrepreneurs took part in major community events, launched new community spaces, invited Toronto to get hands-on with innovations… and even helped the community connect with nearby flu shots by talking to them in their own language.
Wearables take the lead
Tech gadgets and ‘smart’ fashion items from ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ-developed companies and alumni thrived in 2014.
Tech gadgets and ‘smart’ fashion items from ³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ-developed companies and alumni thrived in 2014.
A year of firsts
³Ô¹Ï±¬ÁÏ startups continued to break new ground in 2014 with first-of-their-kind products and debuts.
