Mississauga is one of Canada’s rapidly growing cities. While Toronto often takes the spotlight for startups, let’s not overlook those in the suburbs. The city has been actively fostering its startup community to support small businesses, which is a key driver of economic growth in the region.
Located right at Square One Shopping Centre, Idea Mississauga is recognized as one of the Top 100 Incubators in Canada. Led by Donna Heslin, this innovation hub and workspace is playing a crucial role in boosting Mississauga’s startups. Among the ventures incubated by the program is MangoVisa, an online immigration platform connecting international students with lawyers. Kushi Kaur, the Founder & CEO of MangoVisa, has been relentlessly assisting international students through this innovative platform.
This year’s annual celebration at Idea Mississauga featured several local startups, providing an opportunity for the general public to discover small businesses in the city. Finding creative avenues to attract founders and talent will be the key to economic growth. Mississauga has significant potential to unleash a new generation of entrepreneurs with its proximity to the airport, downtown, and regions like Waterloo.
Offering startup funding incentives, fostering a robust ecosystem, and providing opportunities for entrepreneurs will be crucial in attracting upcoming companies to the city. This begins with cultivating the local founders’ community and establishing talent partnerships with institutions like Sheridan College and the University of Toronto Mississauga, allowing local startups to access talent from an early stage. Within an ecosystem, capital is a key ingredient that needs to be addressed. How can ecosystem players fund these venture with transactions? Sometimes, all it takes is one success story to elevate the entire ecosystem.
Whether you’re building or growing a business in Mississauga, exploring the complete guide to the ecosystem can be invaluable for accessing help and resources.
If you’re building a startup in Mississauga, we’d love to hear your stories.
