While Toronto often takes the spotlight, Mississauga is quietly emerging as a hub where startups grow and scale. Just a 30-minute drive from the city, its entrepreneurial ecosystem is thriving, supported by four startup accelerators, including IDEA Mississauga, which is helping local founders transform bold ideas into successful, high-impact ventures. Local startups such as DIA Labs, a medical device R&D company developing affordable, point-of-care testing technologies, highlight the city’s growing strength in health tech innovation. Mississauga is also home to major tech companies such as Microsoft Canada, SOTI, founded locally and a leader in mobile and IoT management, and IMAX Corporation, reinforcing its reputation as a hub for innovation and technology.
In partnership with IDEA Mississauga and Square One Shopping Centre, a one-day marketplace brought together some of the city’s most promising entrepreneurs and brands tackling real-world problems with creativity, technology, and community-driven solutions.
“The first-ever Sourced in Sauga provided an incredible opportunity for several of Mississauga’s small businesses to showcase their products in the heart of Ontario’s largest Shopping Centre,” said Donna Heslin, Manager of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Economic Development, IDEA Mississauga. “We’re grateful to the team at Square One for allowing us this wonderful opportunity, and proud that IDEA Mississauga could spotlight the tools, programs, and guidance available to help anyone in our city ready to start or grow their business.”
Square One was buzzing as the event gave startups the chance to showcase their products and services. Here are six standout ventures shaping the future:
6. Abimbola
Abimbola is an eco-friendly menstrual care brand offering safe, affordable, and waste-free solutions that empower menstruators everywhere. Sustainability and dignity are at the heart of this rising venture.
5. Sola
Sola is a health-focused food startup making hydration and snacking fun with freeze-dried fruit drink powders and crunchy fruit mixes. With real ingredients and simple prep, Sola is redefining healthy habits
4. Happy Cramps
Happy Cramps is a period-positive wellness company that delivers fast-acting, natural pain relief patches. No pills, no heat, just innovative science designed to improve everyday quality of life..
3. IndusSpace
IndusSpace is a social enterprise dedicated to making STEM accessible, especially for girls and underrepresented youth. By connecting space exploration with real-world applications, IndusSpace is helping inspire Canada’s next generation of innovators.
2. Morphace Skin Tech
Morphace is a science-first skincare company using sensor technology to measure skin hydration, barrier health, and inflammation. The result is data-driven skincare that eliminates trial and error for good.
1. Karla
Karla is a personal finance assistant redefining the way consumers and small businesses think about money. With AI at its core, Karla’s promise is bold but timely: “AI won’t take your job, it will take your debt.”
For the complete list of 16 businesses, check it out here. Sourced in Sauga is more than a shopping event, it is a showcase of how local startups are scaling bold ideas into thriving businesses. Each of these ventures has been supported through IDEA Mississauga’s programs, demonstrating the impact of community-driven innovation in building a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem.
As Mississauga’s startup scene gains momentum, these ventures aren’t just on the rise. They are shaping the future of everyday life, work, and community.
