Scaling a startup is an exhilarating journey filled with challenges, uncertainties, and pivotal decisions. For founders and executives, this path can often feel isolating, with unique hurdles that few outside the entrepreneurial sphere truly understand.
That’s why peer groups based on roles (e.g., Founder/CEO, CTO/Product, Sales/Marketing, and HR/Finance/Operations) are one of the key pillars of the C100 Growth program. They provide a transformative platform for support, development, and impactful connections among leaders.
Why C100 Growth Offers Peer Groups
Personal and Professional Growth
Through our extensive experience running scale-up programs, we’ve found that founders and executives can learn from the experiences and wisdom of peers who have navigated similar paths, accelerating professional and personal development. These groups help give scale-up leaders a way to avoid pitfalls and seize opportunities they might otherwise miss.
Sharing Best and Worst Practices
Founders and executives who actively participate in peer groups tell us that they can learn from collective successes and failures to make informed decisions. By openly discussing what has and hasn’t worked, members can refine their strategies and approaches and feel more confident in making better decisions quickly.
Networking Among Tech Entrepreneurs
Peer groups help their members expand circles with influential contacts who can open doors to new opportunities. The relationships formed in these groups often extend beyond the meetings, leading to collaborations, investments, and long-lasting professional connections.
Holistic Support
One of the things that peer group participants appreciate most is the opportunity to address not just business challenges but also personal and family dynamics that affect their ability to lead. These groups recognize that a leader’s personal life significantly impacts his or her professional performance, and by taking a more holistic approach, peer group members can improve their work-life balance and their personal and family relationships.
Real-World Perspectives: Peer Group Case Studies
The Entrepreneur’s Sanctuary
The Scale-Up Founder’s Network
The Sales Leader’s Collaborative
Peer groups are a cornerstone of the C100 Growth Program because they provide a unique blend of support, learning, and growth opportunities. The commitment of members is paramount to their success, fostering an environment of trust, continuity, and meaningful exchange.
For scale-up leaders looking to navigate the complexities of growth, we’ve learned that these groups are not just beneficial—they’re essential.
Scaling a startup requires more than a great product. It demands a solid strategy, a deep understanding of customers, and alignment across teams.
Last month, C100 hosted a product-focused workshop for its C100 Growth Program companies in Palo Alto, California, where Canada’s leading scale-stage tech founders and executives gathered to learn from Silicon Valley experts. The workshop included sessions covering AI, product strategy, monetization, product management best practices, and customer-driven development. Speakers shared critical lessons to help founders and product leaders design and build products that drive meaningful value for their customers.
Ann Crady Weiss answering questions about the challenges of growing a company from 0 to over $100M in revenue in less than 8 years.
Embrace the Age of AI and Transformative Technology
The workshop started with a discussion on the transformational impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on business. Transformers, the technology behind models like GPT, are driving innovation and reshaping entire industries by enabling a wide range of applications. This century will be known as the century of AI, and startups are encouraged to explore how AI can enhance their products and impact their markets. In today’s business landscape, understanding and leveraging AI is quickly becoming a necessity rather than an option.
Craft a Compelling Product and Monetization Strategy
Effective product strategies provide focus and help companies make decisions that support long-term success. Fast-growing companies shouldn’t try to innovate on all fronts. That’s a sure way to overextend your staff and risk running out of money. Instead, they should focus only on areas where innovation and uniqueness truly matter to their target customers.
Great products are necessary but not sufficient for a company’s ultimate success. Effective commercialization begins with understanding and growing the value products provide target customers. However, it also requires collaboration across teams, particularly between product and go-to-market (GTM) teams.
Avoid Common Pitfalls in Product Development
Five common “product traps” frequently hinder company growth:
The “Blue Button” Trap: Over-prioritizing specific customer requests may detract from the overall vision.
Deal-Driven Roadmap Trap: Altering the product roadmap based solely on new deals, leading to misalignment.
The “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” Trap: Spreading resources too thin by trying to tackle multiple initiatives.
New Logos vs. Customer Retention Trap: Focusing too heavily on acquiring new customers instead of retaining current ones.
Cross-Functional Alignment Trap: Lacking a unified approach across teams, which can create silos and slow down decision-making.
A strong product mindset—defined by a commitment to creating meaningful customer value—is essential. By understanding the value products bring to customers, founders can avoid common pitfalls and keep their products aligned with company goals and customer needs.
Build a Customer-Centric Culture to Deepen Customer Understanding
Several speakers emphasized fostering a customer-centric culture to guide product development. Companies should try to build a deep understanding of their target customer needs based on gathering feedback with a clear purpose. Avoid the “garbage in, garbage out” trap by ensuring how and why your company is gathering customer intelligence. Developing a strong product means staying close to customers, identifying their needs, and maintaining team alignment.
Create Effective Processes and Foster Team Alignment
Scaling is not just about driving growth. It’s about fostering a culture where teams feel empowered to make decisions that align with the company’s mission. Frameworks for building high-performing teams highlighted the value of cross-functional alignment, a theme echoed by the speakers. By aligning product, GTM, and other critical functions, companies can create a unified culture that drives long-term success.
C100’s Growth product workshop sessions on AI, product and monetization strategies, customer understanding, and team alignment will provide founders and executives with the tools they need to drive product excellence. By aligning their teams, fostering a customer-focused culture, and building products that deliver value, C100 Growth Program companies will be better positioned to thrive in competitive markets and bring Canadian innovation to the global stage.
Here are the key takeaways for founders and executives navigating the scaling process.
Hire for What You Need, Not What Looks Good on Paper
One of the most common mistakes growing companies make is hiring the wrong executives. Founders often focus on impressive resumes with big-name brands without delving into what candidates accomplished in their previous roles, and what role they played in driving that company’s success. Rohan Mahimker highlighted how his team initially fell into this trap, hiring based on pedigree rather than fit. The lesson? Scrutinize not just the company’s achievements but also how a candidate’s specific competencies and role in driving those achievements align with your company’s current objectives and stage of growth.
Evolve as a Leader
Scaling a company requires founders to evolve alongside their business. Chris Bryson detailed this progression:
Startup Phase: The founder is the driving force, deeply involved in every facet of the business.
Growth Phase: The “awkward teenage years” where the founder begins to delegate, albeit reluctantly, and introduces processes.
Scale-Up Phase: The founder becomes an evangelist and coach, empowering teams and distributing ownership among functional leaders.
Sloan Gaon echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that leaders must transition from working in the business to working on the business. This shift allows CEOs to focus on big-picture strategies like sales, profitability, and market expansion.
Maintain a High-Performance Culture
As companies expand, preserving the original high-performance culture becomes challenging. Mike Wessinger shared how his company lost its cultural essence amidst rapid growth and financial success. The realization prompted a deliberate effort to reorient the company back to its foundational values. Rebecca Kacaba discussed strategies she employed at Dealmaker to maintain a strong culture, stressing that culture and leadership are like products needing constant updates.
Joanna Griffiths highlighted the importance of fostering a culture of good listeners. Effective communication ensures that new team members assimilate seamlessly, keeping the company’s ethos intact.
The Power of Communication and Transparency
Transparent communication is vital for aligning teams and driving success. Sloan Gaon emphasized that when everyone knows exactly what they should be doing, the organization operates more efficiently. Open dialogues help in setting clear goals and expectations, which is crucial during periods of rapid growth.
Learn from Others to Avoid Common Pitfalls
A recurring theme among the speakers was the value of learning from others’ challenges to avoid costly missteps. In the current business environment, founders have the advantage of hindsight from previous growth cycles. By absorbing these lessons, they can approach scaling with a “position of sobriety,” instead of the frenzy of past hype cycles.
Dan Park illustrated this by sharing how he navigated his company through difficult periods by focusing on survival and stripping away non-essential activities. By turning off certain marketing programs, he could identify what truly contributed to the business, allowing for more strategic resource allocation.
Focus on Product-Market Fit and Agility
Allen Lau discussed the challenges his company faced in finding product-market fit and effective monetization strategies. The key was persistent iteration and refinement. Once they identified what worked, they doubled down on those strategies. This agile approach ensures that the company remains responsive to market needs and positions itself for sustainable growth.
Conclusion
Scaling a company is not just about increasing numbers; it’s about evolving leadership, maintaining culture, and strategic hiring. Founders must be willing to adapt their roles, foster transparent communication, and learn from the experiences of others. Culture and leadership require continuous effort to stay relevant and effective.
By internalizing these lessons from Canada’s tech titans, startup and scale-up founders can more effectively navigate the complexities of growth, avoid common pitfalls, and steer their companies toward long-term success.
Since its inception in 2010, the C100 Fellows Program has catalyzed a transformative shift in the Canadian tech landscape. It has nurtured over 325 founders whose ventures, such as Applyboard, Wealthsimple and Jane are now at the forefront of innovation.
The Fellows Program has been a driving force in the Canadian tech landscape, providing mentorship, Silicon Valley resources, and meaningful connections to over 325 founders. Augmented in its 15th year with deeper mentorship and a second 48Hrs, the program continues its tradition of identifying and supporting early-stage companies that showcase ingenuity, technological advancement, and a commitment to social impact.
This year’s cohort of 26 startups – the largest ever – is characterized by its diversity, spanning B2B SaaS, deep tech, health tech, fintech, legal tech, and beyond.
These founders, selected from a pool of hundreds of nominees, have the potential to shape the future of the Canadian tech ecosystem.
Ad Auris is the Canva for audio generation – enabling marketing teams to automatically transform and distribute their written content into immersive audio experiences.
CruxOCM was born to close the loop in heavy industrial control rooms to deliver tools to control room operators that have a meaningful impact on heavy industrial operations. Through its trademarked technology RIPA (robotic industrial process automation),
CruxOCM is future-proofing oil and gas control room operations to run efficiently and safely.
📍 Toronto, ON
Avinash Chidambaram (CEO), Brent Carrara (CTO), Ali Irshad (Head of Revenue)
Cybrid enables the next generation of fintech that allows any user or business to pay anyone else anywhere in the world across fiat and crypto rails in a fully regulatory-compliant manner. Currently, payments are often deliberately chosen across multiple rails and are often not optimized for the user, or the merchant for speed or cost. Allows fintech partners to deliver rail-agnostic experiences optimized over the best delivery path, including using on-chain crypto transactions to deliver anywhere in the world.
Cybrid has built a platform for fintech to seamlessly orchestrate and build these experiences without complex integrations or the need for a compliance team to manage the product.
📍 Toronto, ON
Endor Health is an integrated pharmacy and virtual care app for people living with diabetes. We’re on a mission to radically improve diabetes care for Canadians by simplifying an individual’s access to care, medication, medical devices, funding and healthcare data.
📍 Guelph, ON
Jessie Vaid (CEO), Sachin Bhalla (CMO), Gavin Heer (CTO)
GoVeyance is a digital conveyancing solution that provides an unparalleled experience for legal professionals. With a focus on practical innovation and customer service, we understand the pain points and challenges that lawyers, notaries, and conveyancers face, and made it our mission to address them head-on.
📍 Whitehorse, YN
Kento Health aims to revolutionize cardiac care worldwide, leveraging cutting-edge digital solutions to provide accessible, personalized treatment. Our vision is to eliminate barriers to cardiac rehabilitation, reduce heart disease mortality, and enhance the quality of life for millions by seamlessly integrating advanced technology into patient care.
📍 Victoria, BC
Numr’s mission is to transform customer experience management by leveraging AI-driven insights to predict customer behavior, enhancing satisfaction, and driving measurable financial outcomes for businesses.
Optimotive builds mobile robotic platforms that enable automation in extreme environments, such as construction, mining, and oil & gas.
📍 Toronto, ON
Tomas Ronis (CEO), Erin Chan (CPO), Julio Fujimaki (CTO)
Rhenti streamlines marketing automation and leasing capabilities into one powerful platform. Built for residential rental owner-operators and property managers.
Rootd is “anxiety and panic attack relief in your pocket”. The award-winning, and scientifically-validated app blends stigma-breaking design, on-demand accessibility, and therapist-approved lessons and exercises (including a panic button, deep breathing, and more) – all alongside a caring blue monster companion – to help users during all stages of managing panic attacks and anxiety and provide relief from the debilitating effects of panic attacks and anxiety.
📍 Kitchener, ON
Noah Palansky (CEO), Avi Stoller (CSO), Jordan Davis (CTO)
Taiv makes screens in businesses more interesting and valuable for patrons, business owners, and advertisers. Our proprietary technology gives us atypically low CAC, high margin, and the ability to sell ads at premium locations that have never before been possible to monetize. We are building the most valuable out-of-home ad network to ever exist.
📍 Saskatoon, SK
TeamLinkt’s mission is to make sports management easier and more efficient by providing teams and organizations with powerful AI-driven tools that automate communication, scheduling, and administrative tasks.
📍 Montreal, PQ
Our mission is to scale personalized coaching in education, using AI and human expertise to replace the traditional classroom model and help students succeed in school and their careers.
Zown bridges the gap between first-time home sellers and buyers, transforming the Canadian homeownership landscape for young individuals.
Congratulations to this year’s cohort – we look forward to our incredible journey ahead.
And to those who applied but were not selected – please keep trying, we’d love to see you again for next year’s cohort!
The new C100 Growth Program is structured to help propel Canada’s most promising scale-stage technology companies into global market leaders.
The program offers comprehensive support to companies through customized mentoring for leadership teams, role-based peer groups, in-person workshops, and access to an extensive network of experienced growth experts, top executives, service providers, and investors.
The 12 companies in the cohort exemplify the best of tech innovation that Canada has to offer. The cohort comprises pioneers in B2B SaaS, fintech, health tech, cleantech, and AI.
On average, these cohort companies are on track to generate annual revenues of $20M US in 2024, with many expected to surpass $30M US.
7Gen is a leading provider of electric vehicle (EV) and charging infrastructure solutions, specializing in medium and heavy-duty fleets across North America. The company strives to make EV adoption seamless and cost-effective with its EV-as-a-service offering, which includes comprehensive electrification support services, financing, and software. By simplifying the transition to zero-emission fleets, 7Gen helps fleet managers overcome the upfront knowledge and capital barriers, making EVs a clear alternative to traditional internal combustion engines.
📍 Toronto, ON
Powered by data, Arteria AI is trusted by the world’s largest financial institutions to transform client document processes at enterprise scale – working smarter and faster to maximize revenue, reduce risk, and save time and cost. Arteria AI’s documentation infrastructure removes the need for legacy manual processes by structuring data during the documentation lifecycle to speed up decision-making processes for all stakeholders with a highly intuitive front-end. In 2023, Arteria was recognized by CB Insights in the AI 100 rankings and by Gartner as one of three “Cool Vendors in Applying Generative AI to Banking”.
ContactMonkey is an internal email software that integrates seamlessly with Outlook or Gmail to deliver engaging, high-impact employee emails in minutes. Its user-friendly software empowers internal communicators to efficiently connect with employees through an intuitive email builder and precise analytics—eliminating endless hours of content creation and the need for server migrations, manual list updates, or the challenges of a steep learning curve.
Beyond saving hours in content creation and providing valuable insights into employee engagement through click maps, real-time surveys, feedback, and comprehensive email metrics like open rates, click-through rates, locations, and more.
e-Zinc has developed a breakthrough electrochemical technology for storing energy in zinc metal. This affordable, flexible, and long-duration energy storage solution will help enable the world’s energy markets to be fully powered by renewable energy, enabling a zero-carbon energy future.
📍 Toronto, ON
Humi is the leading employment platform for Canadian businesses. Running a business is more than just paperwork and tasks, and Humi makes it easy to care for businesses and those who bring them to life. Humi is the best choice for supporting Canadian businesses in being better employers with a unified payroll, HR, benefits, and SR&ED solution.
Founded in 2019, MY01 envisions a world where every disease is quantifiable, enabling precise, personalized care for all patients. Specializing in managing compartment syndrome, MY01’s tools provide proactive monitoring and actionable insights through a connected care team that benefits patients, providers, and payers. MY01 is commercial in the USA, Europe and Canada, setting new standards in healthcare.
Phoenix is an online, off-camera telehealth platform for men that handles everything from diagnosis to seamless delivery of medication.
📍 Toronto, ON
Rebelstork is on a mission to make Parenting Lighter™, providing premium value for parents and creating a more sustainable world for the next generation. Founded in 2020, Rebelstork is the largest returns recommerce marketplace for baby gear in North America. Female-founded and a certified B-Corporation, Rebelstork was created to empower parents, brands, and retailers to safely and easily participate in the circular economy. Each item is quality-checked, and their proprietary technology ensures
the largest assortment of open-box and overstock baby gear is diverted away from landfills and into customers’ homes at a fraction of the retail price.
Relay is an online banking platform and money management platform that puts business owners in complete control of their cash flow. Relay makes it easy to understand precisely what you’re earning, spending and saving so you can make the smartest decisions for your business.
📍 Toronto, ON
RetiSpec is a Toronto-based medical AI company that aims to enable widespread early and accurate detection of neurodegenerative disease markers through a simple eye exam. When applied to non-invasive retinal images, Retispec’s AI solutions can provide real-time results at the point of care. RetiSpec’s first clinically validated AI is intended to predict amyloid burden to aid in the evaluation of individuals for Alzheimer’s disease. RetiSpec’s AI solutions are currently available for Research Use Only.
Stan is an All-in-One Creator Store that helps creators monetize their knowledge by selling their own courses, memberships, eBooks, webinars and other digital products.
📍 Thunder Bay, ON
Uride is on a mission to bring safe, affordable, and reliable transportation to the billion people living in underserved communities. Founded in 2017 in Thunder Bay, a city with no ridesharing and hour-long wait times for cabs, Uride is focused on connecting people in underserved communities with rides anytime they need them. Uride currently provides millions of rides per year in smaller communities across Canada and just launched its first international market in Parral, Mexico.
Congratulations to this year’s cohort – we look forward to our incredible journey ahead.
And to those who applied but were not selected – please keep trying, we’d love to see you again for next year’s cohort!
Toronto, Canada, and San Francisco, CA — September 4, 2024 — C100, now in its 15th year, is proud to announce the 2024 cohorts for its new Growth Program and its re-energized Fellows Program. These programs are designed to help Canadian technology companies accelerate growth by connecting them with the expertise, networks, and resources of C100’s Silicon Valley, Toronto, and Global Membership.
“The strong applicant pool, including our selected Growth and Fellows cohorts, are a testament to the breadth and depth of Canadian tech innovation and long-term potential, ” said Michael Buhr, Executive Director of C100. “C100’s programs offer unparalleled experiences in helping Canada’s highest potential companies scale to be industry leaders. The applicants were so exceptional this year that we expanded both cohorts beyond what we initially anticipated. We simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to support these outstanding founders, CEOs, and their companies.”
C100 Growth Program: Helping Companies Bend their Growth Curve
The Growth Program is designed to support rapidly scaling Canadian companies with $10M+ in annual revenue. The 12 companies in the cohort exemplify the best of innovation that Canada has to offer, with more than half of the leaders serial entrepreneurs. The cohort comprises pioneers in B2B SaaS, fintech, health tech, cleantech, and AI.
On average, these cohort companies will generate annual revenues of $20M US in 2024, with many expected to surpass $30M US.
“Canadian talent punches above its weight, but we need more successful companies to fuel our ecosystem, ” says Shelby Austin, Co-Founder and CEO of Arteria AI, one of C100 Growth Cohort companies. “The more that scale, the higher the value for Canada. By joining the C100 Growth Program, we’re excited to learn from the leading thinkers within the C100 community, engage with peer companies, and benefit from the impactful mentorship that will help us scale and contribute to Canada’s growing tech landscape.”
C100 Fellows Program: 15 Years of Nurturing the Next Generation of Innovators
Now in its 15th year, the re-energized C100 Fellows Program (with 1:1 mentoring and an additional “48Hrs in the Valley” event) continues its tradition of identifying and supporting early-stage companies that showcase ingenuity, technological advancement, and a commitment to social impact. This year’s cohort of 26 startups – the largest ever – is characterized by its diversity, spanning B2B SaaS, deep tech, health tech, fintech, legal tech, and beyond.
“We’re eager to build our company alongside other ambitious founders building from Canada, ” says Eli Moore, Co-Founder and CEO of Endor Health, one of the C100 Fellows Cohort companies. “Our goal is to create a product with global reach, but we want to do that right here in Canada. We believe C100 is incredibly well positioned to support us in achieving this vision, helping us scale our ambition globally while staying rooted in the Canadian tech community.”
The 26 companies represent a cumulative $100M+ US in funding from notable investors such as Pioneer Fund, YC, Garage Capital, Version One, Inovia, BDC, Microsoft M12 fund, Radical Ventures and more, with almost 40% of the companies founded by serial entrepreneurs.
Supporting Canadian Innovation
C100’s Growth and Fellows Programs are central to C100s mission of empowering Canadian entrepreneurs to build domestic and international category leaders. As part of this mission, C100 is dedicated to nurturing innovation, fostering strategic partnerships, and providing access to the resources needed to scale Canadian businesses on the global stage.
As C100 continues to deepen its impact in supporting Canadian entrepreneurs, these programs mark a significant milestone in the organization’s goal to accelerate the growth of over 100 Canadian technology companies past $100M US and at least 10 of those past $1B US in revenue by 2030.
About C100
C100 is a global network of founders, operators, and investors dedicated to supporting Canada’s highest potential entrepreneurial tech leaders and companies. Established in 2009, C100’s mission is to help Canadian-based tech entrepreneurs build and scale impactful global businesses by connecting them with the expertise, networks, and resources of its Silicon Valley and globally-based veteran membership.
C100 offers programs for early and growth-stage founders and leadership teams. These programs provide access to a global network of experienced builders and operators, offering insights on scaling and leadership. This member-based approach ensures that Canadian tech entrepreneurs, regardless of stage, have the resources and guidance to grow and succeed globally.
C100’s membership encompasses over 500 C-suite executives, CEOs, and founders of influential technology companies. Founders in our membership have built companies collectively valued at over $100B US, and our GP-level investor members represent leading investment firms with a combined AUM of $80B US. Since its inception in 2010, C100’s early-stage fellowship companies have collectively raised over $5B US in venture funding and created over $15B US in market value.
San Francisco, CA and Toronto, ON – April 5, 2024 – C100 is proud to announce Dax Dasilva, the visionary founder and CEO of Lightspeed, as the recipient of this year’s “Icon of Canadian Entrepreneurship” (ICE) Award. This prestigious accolade recognizes Canadian entrepreneurs who have significantly contributed to the technology sector and the Canadian entrepreneurial community.
Chris Arsenault, partner at Inovia Capital and early investor in Lightspeed, presented Dax with the award last night at C100’s annual Growth Summit in San Francisco.
Under Dasilva’s visionary leadership, Lightspeed evolved from its early beginnings into a global commerce software leader. His strategic priorities have propelled the company and ensured the company’s sustainability and profitability through judicious cost management and operational efficiencies. Dasilva’s initiatives reflect Lightspeed’s commitment to innovation and fiscal responsibility, further solidifying its position in the tech industry.
Beyond his corporate achievements, Dasilva is celebrated for his commitment to social responsibility and sustainability under his non-profit environmental alliance, Age of Union. His dedication to diversity and inclusion within the tech community and his efforts to foster a connected, community-focused tech ecosystem resonate with the core values of the C100, making him an outstanding choice for this year’s ICE Award.
Commenting on Dasilva’s recognition, Michael Buhr, Executive Director of the C100, said, “Dax represents the pinnacle of Canadian entrepreneurship. His strategic foresight in steering Lightspeed through periods of challenges and immense growth while ensuring the company adapts for long-term profitability is admirable. His unwavering commitment to innovation and a profound dedication to a better world sets a benchmark for leaders everywhere.”
Past recipients of the ICE Award, such as Tobi Lütke of Shopify, Stewart Butterfield of Slack, and Michelle Zatlyn of Cloudflare, underscore the award’s significance in highlighting leaders who have impacted the technology landscape.
“I am deeply honoured to receive the prestigious Icon of Canadian Entrepreneurship (ICE) Award from C100,” says Dax Dasilva. “This recognition symbolizes Lightspeed’s unwavering commitment to empowering retail and hospitality merchants worldwide with innovative commerce solutions. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the vibrant Canadian technology community and to be recognized among visionary leaders who have shaped our nation’s tech landscape.”
Dasilva’s recent strategic moves, including cost management initiatives at Lightspeed, have been met with positive reception from stakeholders. They illustrate a path forward that prioritizes growth and profitability.
The C100 continues to champion Canadian entrepreneurs like Dasilva, who are making a global impact through technological innovation, leadership, and a commitment to community values. With the recent launch of the new Growth Program, C100 aims to propel high-potential, scale-stage Canadian companies like Lightspeed into category-defining leadership.
About C100:
C100 is an unparalleled global network of founders, operators, and investors dedicated to supporting Canada’s highest potential entrepreneurial tech leaders and companies. Established in 2009, C100’s mission is to help Canadian-based tech entrepreneurs build and scale impactful global businesses by connecting them with the expertise, networks, and resources of its Silicon Valley and globally-based veteran membership.
C100 offers programs for early- and growth-stage founders and leadership with access to a global network of seasoned builders and operators, offering insights on scaling, risk management, and accelerated execution. This unique member approach ensures that Canadian tech entrepreneurs, regardless of stage, have the resources and guidance to grow and thrive globally. To learn more, visit C100.org.
San Francisco, CA and Toronto, ON – March 27, 2024 – In an innovative move to help stake Canada’s position on the global technology stage, C100 today unveiled their Growth Program, a new core initiative structured to help discover, grow, and propel the nation’s most promising scale-stage technology companies into global market leaders. This new program will provide selected companies and their leadership unprecedented access to the C100 network – which includes Silicon Valley and global members, offering invaluable veteran expertise, experience, and connections.
The C100 Growth Program is tailored to confront the challenges facing rapidly expanding Canadian tech businesses, including the scarcity of later-stage, risk-tolerant capital, a lack of experienced senior talent capable of navigating global markets, and insufficient personalized mentoring for CEOs and executives from seasoned industry veterans.
Building on the continuity and learnings of 15 years of Fellows programming (C100’s successful early-stage founder program) and leaning into the veteran scale expertise of an exceptional membership – many based outside of Canada, predominantly in Silicon Valley – the Growth Program signals an expansion of C100’s mission to support Canadian-based founders, CEOs and executives at all stages of the entrepreneurial journey.
Like the C100 Fellows Program, the 12-month-long Growth Program offers a comprehensive suite of support mechanisms, including in-person and virtual workshops, customized mentoring for entire leadership teams, role-specific peer groups, and an extensive network of service providers, funders, and experienced entrepreneurs. This holistic approach ensures that participating companies receive the guidance and resources necessary to navigate their growth trajectories successfully.
“The leap from a promising young startup to a revenue-generating, global business is fraught with complex challenges,” says C100 Charter Member and Executive Director Michael Buhr. “Our new Growth Program will provide leadership teams access to the vast, deep, global experience of the C100 membership, offering them unique, critical expertise and resources needed to navigate the significant transformational stages they face. There is no other Canadian program with direct access to the depth and breadth of expertise available in the veteran C100 membership and their networks.”
With the Growth Program, C100 addresses the immediate needs of Canada’s highest potential tech companies. It creates significant opportunities for Canadian technology leadership, igniting an era of unparalleled growth and establishing global dominance in the tech industry.
Applications for the new Growth Program and the C100 Fellows Program will be open from April through June, with the selection process in July and August, culminating in the Growth Program’s official launch in September.
C100 is committed to helping accelerate Canadian tech industry growth with an ambitious goal to support more than 100 technology and tech-enabled companies in achieving revenues over $100 million (CDN) and to propel some to surpass the $1 billion (CDN) mark by 2030.
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About C100:
C100 is an unparalleled global network of founders, operators, and investors dedicated to supporting Canada’s highest potential entrepreneurial tech leaders and companies. Established in 2009, C100’s mission is to help Canadian-based tech entrepreneurs build and scale impactful global businesses by connecting them with the expertise, networks, and resources of its Silicon Valley and globally-based veteran membership.
C100 offers programs for early- and growth-stage founders and leadership with access to a global network of seasoned builders and operators, offering insights on scaling, risk management, and accelerated execution. This unique member approach ensures that Canadian tech entrepreneurs, regardless of stage, have the resources and guidance to grow and thrive globally. To learn more, visit C100.org.
San Francisco, CA – February 5, 2024 – C100, the preeminent global community of exceptional Canadian builders, operators and investors supporting Canada’s most promising tech founders, is proud to announce the appointment of Michael Buhr as its new Executive Director, effective January 29, 2024.
Michael is based in the Bay Area and brings over three decades of expertise in the technology sector. He has served in leadership roles at industry giants like Apple, Adobe, and eBay and is an entrepreneur himself, founding and serving as CEO of several early-stage companies. A member of C100 since 2012, Michael is passionate about supporting, inspiring, and connecting Canada’s most promising entrepreneurial leaders.
Since its inception in 2009, C100 has fostered the growth of the Canadian tech ecosystem. By bridging the gap between Canada’s innovative founders and the wealth of Canadian tech resources in Silicon Valley, C100 has facilitated access to essential funding, strategic partnerships, mentorship, and global market insights. The organization’s impact is evident in the tenfold increase in investments in venture-backed Canadian companies and the growth of incubators, accelerators, and start-up programs in Canada over the past 15 years.
Michael will lead all aspects of the C100 in its next phase of evolution, building on the expertise and passion of the first 15 years to expand the incredible breadth of support to later-stage founders building category-defining impact companies in Canada.
“From the very beginning, when I got involved over a decade ago, C100’s mission to support, inspire, and connect the most promising Canadian entrepreneurial tech leaders strongly resonated with me, and I am now honoured to lead this exceptional and passionate community,” says Michael Buhr, Executive Director, C100. “I strongly believe in supporting founders, both early and growth stage, by accessing the vast exceptional C100 global network of builders, operators, and investors with unique perspectives on technology, business, scale, and execution.”
With a firm belief in the power of C100’s global community, Michael is committed to harnessing the community to provide the tools, resources, and mentorship necessary for scaling founders to navigate the challenges of rapid growth and market leadership.
“Michael‘s appointment as Executive Director is a pivotal moment for C100 as we embark on our next chapter of empowering Canadian tech entrepreneurs,” says Janet Bannister, Co-Chair of C100 Board of Directors and Founder and Managing Partner of Staircase Ventures. “His remarkable tech industry track record and longstanding commitment to C100 makes him the ideal leader for our organization. With Michael at the helm, we are confident that C100 will continue its incredible legacy while expanding support to growth-stage founders and cementing Canada’s position as a global hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. We are thrilled to have Michael’s vision, expertise, and passion driving C100’s mission to connect and inspire the most promising Canadian tech leaders.”
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About C100:
C100 is an unparalleled global network of founders, operators, and investors dedicated to nurturing and empowering the brightest Canadian tech entrepreneurial leaders. Established in 2009 as a non-profit association, C100’s mission is to showcase exceptional leadership and harness extraordinary global talent, fostering a vibrant ecosystem for entrepreneurial success in Canada. As its mission evolves, C100 is expanding support to encompass growth-stage founders alongside early-stage innovators, providing these growth founders with access to a global network of seasoned builders and operators, offering insights on scaling, risk management, and accelerated execution. This inclusive approach ensures that Canadian tech entrepreneurs, regardless of stage, have the resources and guidance to thrive globally. To learn more, visit C100.org.
In September 2023, C100 hosted 48Hrs, its annual early-stage founder tentpole event, in San Francisco. This exclusive gathering brought together our 2023 Fellows – the brightest minds in the Canadian entrepreneurial ecosystem – and a network of seasoned builders, operators, and investors to inspire, support, and drive them. This event aimed to create an environment where Canada’s most daring founders could forge deep connections, gain valuable insights, and set the stage for their companies to become enduring, category-defining global successes.
48Hrs was a transformative experience for the Fellows, offering them a unique opportunity to engage with their founder peers and tap into the knowledge and expertise of the exceptional C100 network.
We asked some of the Fellows to reflect on their entrepreneurial journey and how the Fellows program and 48Hrs have provided ways to overcome their challenges:
One of our 2023 Fellows who attended is Terralynn Forsyth, Co-Founder of FutureFit AI, which uses AI to unlock the world’s pathways between talent and opportunity. She described her experience as “truly transformative” and highlighted the sense of empowerment she gained. She emphasized the importance of intentional connections with fellow founders, recognizing that insights from those slightly ahead on the journey are invaluable. Terralynn also touched on the significance of radical candour and the belief in the highest version of oneself as essential components of successful leadership.
She noted, “Self-belief isn’t just believing you can do the thing now. It’s about believing in the highest version of yourself today.” This insight underscores the personal and reflective aspect of entrepreneurship that often goes overlooked.
48Hrs provided a “high-value, protected space” for founders like Terralynn to connect away from the noise and distractions of the digital world. It allowed attendees to dive deep into discussions and forge genuine relationships with those at the forefront of innovation.
Julia Rivard Dexter, another Fellow and Founder of Shoelace Learning (which delivers personalized reading and comprehension instruction through video games kids love) expressed her gratitude for the fellowship and friendship she found among this group of Canadian founders who share a passion for building exceptional companies.
This sense of camaraderie is something we take very seriously at C100 and intentionally build an experience to cultivate at the conference. It reminds founders that they are not alone on their entrepreneurial journey.
Chenny Xia, Co-Founder of Gotcare, a health tech company on a mission to transform what types of health services can be provided in the home setting, echoed these sentiments, thanking the C100 community for curating such an incredible group of Canadian founders. She emphasized how this event has made venture-backed entrepreneurship a less lonely road.
“The most underrated quality of a successful startup founder is being determined, never losing sight of your “why,” says Connor Wilson, Founder and CEO of Pilot, the social trip planning tool. “Category-defining businesses aren’t just a set of numbers; they’re a story of people coming together to make a transformational difference in peoples’ lives for the better. 48Hrs reminds founders of this, bringing together a community of people committed to helping them make that impact, helping them to succeed through having been there before. That’s what makes it so special.”
48Hrs is a vital platform for Canada’s daring founders to come together, share their experiences, and form lasting connections. It’s where they can reflect on their entrepreneurial path, gain valuable insights, and find the support they need to overcome challenges and build exceptional, global companies. As the testimonials from attendees demonstrate, this event profoundly impacts the Fellows, filling them with inspiration, fellowship, and the belief that they can indeed move mountains on their entrepreneurial journey.
Thank you to the 2023 Fellows for coming and giving everything to make this an impactful experience. Thank you to C100 members and partners for your support of the Fellows!
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