TiEQuest Summit 2025: Building in Canada for the World
TiEQuest Summit is where the boldest founders, sharpest investors, and most innovative industry leaders collide.
From unfiltered VC insights to game-changing startup pitches, this event is the stage for those shaping what’s next in tech and entrepreneurship. Whether you’re here to learn, invest, or compete, expect big ideas, real talk, and a high-stakes pitch competition.
At TiE Toronto’s annual conference, we shine a spotlight on the bold entrepreneurs who are creating world-class companies from coast to coast — and scaling them to global markets.
Agenda
This year's theme is: Building in Canada for the world. This year’s theme, “Building in Canada for the World,” is a rallying cry for founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders who believe in the power of Canadian ingenuity, diversity, and resilience to solve global challenges.
9:00am - 9:30am- Registration Opens
9:30am - 9:45am- Opening Remarks
9:45am - 10:30pm- Opening Keynote: BIG Canadian Ideas
10:30pm - 11:15pm- Thinking Global From Day One
11:15am - 12:00pm- Building Global AI Applications : Foundational Layers & App Layers
12:00pm - 1:00pm- Lunch & Networking
1:00pm - 1:45pm- VCs Investing In Canada
1:45pm - 2:30pm- Immigrant Founders Building In Canada For The World
2:30pm - 3:15pm- International keynote to be announced
3:15pm - 3:45pm- TiEQuest MedTech Finals
3:45pm - 4:15pm- TiEQuest Regular Track Finals
4:15pm - 4:45pm- Awards & Prizes
4:45pm - 5:00pm- Closing Remarks
Featured Speakers
Our VC's Investing in Canada panel will be hosted by, Michael Hyatt – Entrepreneur, Investor, and Scale-Up Strategist
Michael Hyatt is a serial entrepreneur, celebrated investor, and trusted voice in Canada’s tech ecosystem. Best known as the co-founder of BlueCat—acquired for over $700M—Michael has built, scaled, and exited multiple companies and now helps others do the same.
A Dragon on The Next Gen Den and a frequent advisor to top startups and scaleups, Michael brings sharp insight into what it takes to grow a business, lead through uncertainty, and think like an owner. He’s also a founding partner at the Hyatt Family Office, backing ambitious entrepreneurs across North America.
Whether you're just getting started or scaling your second venture, Michael’s perspective is a masterclass in focus, grit, and long-term thinking.
Matt is the Founder and Managing Partner at Golden Ventures, Matt has focused on startups his entire career. He has been engaged in all aspects of building and guiding disruptive companies from their very early stages.
In 2011 Matt started Golden Ventures, one of the earliest micro venture capital funds, with the goal of supporting early stage founders in their journey of realizing their vision and potential. Many funds later, Matt brings the same excitement when meeting founders building transformative technology companies. Matt previously led deals at BlackBerry Partners Fund and Brightspark Ventures. Matt cut his entrepreneurial teeth as a co-founder of Tira Wireless, a mobile games publisher and content deployment technology and services provider. Tira became a recognized industry leader in both mobile games publishing and content deployment. Matt is trained as a lawyer, specializing in business technology, financial services and M&A at Osler, one of Canada’s premier law firms. He has an LLB / MBA from the University of Ottawa, and a BA in Economics from York University.
Neil Cawse is the CEO and Founder of Geotab, a global leader in connected vehicle technology and data analytics. His passion for innovation, AI, IoT, and sustainability has driven Geotab’s exponential growth, reaching millions of subscriptions across 150+ countries. Under his leadership, Geotab empowers businesses with insights to enhance safety, efficiency, and environmental impact. Neil’s entrepreneurial vision and commitment to technology continue to shape the future of fleet management and connected mobility, positioning Geotab at the forefront of digital transformation in transportation.
Mallorie Brodie is the CEO and Founder of Bridgit, a construction technology company transforming how contractors manage projects and resources. Bridgit has raised over $43 million from investors including Camber Creek, Storm Ventures, and BDC Capital.
Avlok Kohli the CEO of AngelList, he is also the creator and founder of Fastbite, a lightening fast food delivery service. Because of Mr. Kohli’s leadership and Fastbite’s incredible value to customers, Square (led by Jack Dorsey, Founder / CEO of Twitter) acquired Fastbite a few months since launch and has since integrated it into Square's own delivery product as "Fastbite by Caviar". Avlok Kohli also plays an active role in other rapidly growing technology companies as an angel investor, advisor, and founder.
Ron Benegbi is the Founder & CEO of Uplinq Financial Technologies, a global platform improving credit access for small business owners. A serial entrepreneur, Ron has launched five startups, led multiple successful exits, and helped scale Canada’s fastest-growing tech company in 2016 from 0 to $100M in five years. Inspired by his immigrant roots, he founded Uplinq to address the barriers small businesses face in securing affordable capital. Ron is a recognized fintech thought leader, featured in podcasts and industry publications, known for his candid perspective on the challenges and opportunities in entrepreneurship.
Joanna Griffiths is the Founder and President of Knix and Kt by Knix, leading brands in intimate apparel and activewear. She pioneered the leakproof underwear category, transforming the lives of millions globally. In 2022, Joanna made history with the largest publicly disclosed sale of a private Canadian company by a solo female founder when Essity acquired 80% of Knix. She holds an MBA from INSEAD, multiple patents, and serves on the board of TIFF. Her accolades include EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® and Glossy’s 2024 Founder of the Year. She’s also the author of Life After Birth and Some Periods.
Benjamin Bergen is the President of the Council of Canadian Innovators, a national, non-partisan business council for the 21st century economy, led by over 150 CEOs of Canada’s fastest growing homegrown technology scale-ups. CCI is focused on optimizing the growth of Canada’s innovation-based sector, and Benjamin leads the execution of its ambitious economic development agenda.
Thank you to our amazing partners:
If you would like to know more about our partners, please visit:
Tie Toronto
ICICI Bank Canada
Baylis MedTech
City of Toronto
Angel Investors Ontario
RBC
Capital World
Tangentia Ventures
BDO
Bond Consulting
We are officially part of Toronto Tech Week 2025, a weeklong citywide collection of events to connect and celebrate the builders. June 23 → June 27, 2025 | torontotechweek.com.