Toronto’s Elevate Festival Revives Startup Open House on Oct. 9

The highly anticipated 2025 Elevate Festival is set to bring back the Startup Open House in Toronto on October 9. This signature event will take place from 15:00 to 19:00 at over 500 startup locations throughout the city, offering a unique opportunity for the public to engage with innovative companies. Remote-oriented startups will also participate from the MaRS Discovery District, showcasing their work to a broader audience.

The Startup Open House, which first launched in 2013, was conceived by Louis-Philippe Maurice, CEO of Busbud, and Gabriel Sundaram, COO of Mission. Their vision aimed to connect the startup community with potential recruits, investors, and like-minded innovators. By 2018, the initiative had expanded to seven cities, involving over 500 startups and attracting more than 10,000 participants.

Elevate acquired Startup Open House in 2019, recognizing the need for a dedicated team to support its growth. Although the event saw a temporary halt during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2023, it made a successful return in May 2024 in Montréal after being acquired by the nonprofit Montreal NewTech.

Key Participants and Industry Context

This year’s Toronto event will feature prominent organizations such as Clio, the DMZ, Loopio, Simple Ventures, Vector Institute, and Wattpad. The timing of the Startup Open House is crucial as the Canadian tech industry is currently navigating economic uncertainty. Startups face challenges such as layoffs, leadership changes, and difficulties in fundraising, primarily due to the ongoing trade tensions with the United States.

Lisa Zarzeczny, co-founder and CEO of Elevate Festival, expressed to BetaKit the pressing nature of the current climate for Canadian startups. She highlighted the importance of addressing urgent questions surrounding artificial intelligence, policy, and national sovereignty at this year’s event. Zarzeczny noted that there are encouraging signs of improved collaboration between public and private sectors, which could bolster the startup ecosystem.

She stated, “What’s encouraging is that there’s real momentum, with government and private initiatives pulling in the same direction.”

Community Impact and Future Prospects

The enthusiasm surrounding the Startup Open House is palpable among local leaders. Marie Chevrier Schwartz, CEO of TechTO, emphasized the collaborative spirit that Elevate and ElanTech are bringing to the event’s revival. “Startup Open House was one of my favourite ecosystem events before the pandemic,” she remarked. “It’s an opportunity for amazing companies to open their doors and for promising talent to discover amazing companies to work at or partner with.”

Zarzeczny echoed this sentiment, describing the event as transcending traditional networking forums. “It’s about walking into a startup’s space and seeing [innovation] come to life,” she stated.

With the return of the Startup Open House, Toronto aims to rejuvenate its startup ecosystem and foster connections that could lead to future growth and innovation. The event promises to not only showcase the latest in technology and entrepreneurship but also to facilitate vital interactions that could shape the future landscape of the Canadian tech industry.

BetaKit serves as a media partner for the Elevate Festival, highlighting the significance of this event in the broader context of Canada’s entrepreneurial landscape.