i3 - March/April 2017 - 39

By Justin Siraj

Policy

T EC H H U B

Toronto

 A

s the largest and
most diverse city in
Canada, Toronto
is a true global tech
hub known as a culture creator
and for its world-class innovators. In North America, Toronto
is the fourth-largest city, trailing behind only New York,
Los Angeles and Chicago.
With a never-ending pool
of resources, Toronto is starting to blossom as one of the
leading cities in the technology
industry due to its local government, city culture, supportive
community and engineeringfocused universities.

Local Support
Toronto has many local policies and
programs that help foster and grow
technology and innovation. "Together,
Canada, the Province of Ontario and
the City of Toronto enable a flourishing
entrepreneurial community in the city:
Universal healthcare, R&D grants,
immigration and cultural diversity
as well as a strong commitment of

society to make the world better," says
Michael Schwanzer, CEO and founder,
ZEITDICE INC. "Toronto is home
to the MaRS Discovery District, one
of the world's largest urban innovation
hubs. MaRS cultivates high-impact
ventures and equips innovators. It's like
a one-stop-shop to learn about entrepreneurship, get advice and chat at the
many meetups happening every week."

Sticking Together
One of the most important characteristics of a tech hub is competition, but
also to help out one another for the
sake of the industry. Toronto has that
camaraderie. "This is actually something
that is particularly special about Toronto.
Because we're still a relatively small
community, we definitely stick together
and have each other's backs," says Drew
Shark, CEO of Matter and Form. "I've
noticed the difference of this vibe in my

visits to California, where things are
much more competitive and cutthroat
whereas here in Toronto, it's mutually
beneficial for all of us to succeed."

Education
The University of Toronto and
York University are two of the top
engineering-focused schools in the
immediate Toronto area. Both universities create leaders, develop critical
thinkers and help produce catalysts for
the Toronto entrepreneur and startup
scene. "The universities in the area
provide excellent talent to help startups
grow here. There are great programs
to help, like the Creative Destruction
Lab (CDL) at Rotman School of
Management," says Schwanzer. "The
CDL helps innovators transition from
science projects to high-growth companies. We had a great experience going
through the CDL program." ■

The Final Word
Michael Schwanzer, CEO/
Founder, ZEITDICE INC.
"ZEITDICE invented a time-lapse
camera that does not run out of
battery or memory (patent pending),
to enable people to capture stories
that take days, weeks, months or even
years to unfold. I am proud to call
Toronto my home now. All of us here
are working hard every day to make
things better for everyone and I hope
one day I will get to give back to this
wonderful community that has given
me so much support."
C TA . t e c h / i 3

Drew Shark, CEO,
Matter and Form
"Matter and Form is all about 3D
photography. We make the tools for
people to be able to create and share
in 3D. It was hard to deny the pull
of Silicon Valley. But at the same time,
the Toronto scene was growing up
around us and it was really exciting to
be a part of that boom. It's also been
important for us from the start to remain
a fully Canadian company. We are
pretty pumped to have Bevel launch as
a 100 percent Canadian product."
MARCH/APRIL 2017

39
http://shop.zeitdice.com http://www.creativedestructionlab.com http://www.creativedestructionlab.com http://matterandform.net http://cta.tech/I3
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