Overview
About this event
Tech Builders 2026 is a startup conference in Toronto that brings together founders, investors and operators for practical conversations and real connections. The conference focuses on early-stage startups, investor connections and practical insights for founders building in today's market.
Organised by Global Startups, the event is designed to balance content, capital access and real connection across a single full day of programming at CBC's Glenn Gould Studio at 250 Front Street West in downtown Toronto. The venue sits in the heart of the city's media and tech corridor, a few blocks from the waterfront.
The 2026 edition adds a pre-conference day on June 15 with two optional Startup Ecosystem Tours, giving attendees a curated look at Toronto and Waterloo's innovation infrastructure the day before the main conference begins.
What Usually Happens at Tech Builders?
The day is designed to balance content, capital access and real connection. The morning opens with Investor Speed Networking and 1:1 coach meetings, creating early, high-value conversations between founders, investors and ecosystem experts. The main stage features TED-style talks and an immersive live keynote podcast-style session. The afternoon shifts into focused interaction and opportunity, including a one-hour Pre-Seed Summit and a startup pitch competition.
When Is Tech Builders 2026 Taking Place?
Tech Builders 2026 takes place on Tuesday June 16, 2026, at Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front Street West, Toronto, from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM ET. An optional pre-conference Startup Ecosystem Tour runs on June 15, 2026. Register at the official Eventbrite page.
Tech Builders 2026: Latest Updates
6 topicsTech Builders 2026 is the 12th edition of the Global Startups Conference and the first to take place during the FIFA World Cup in Canada. Here is everything confirmed from the official Global Startups event page (globalstartups.tech/conference) and the Eventbrite listing.
Keynote: Live Podcast with Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo
The 2026 keynote is a live podcast-style conversation featuring Matt Cohen, Founder and Managing Partner of Ripple Ventures and host of the number one Canadian Startup Podcast, and John Ruffolo, Founder and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity. The two will explore how investors, innovators and policymakers are building the new digital economy together.
TED-Style Talks Confirmed
Confirmed TED-style speakers include Warren Ali (Director of Industry Development at Vector Institute), Christine Song (Founder of 5 to 9 Society), Ali Abou Daya (CEO of Transactix) and Vitalii Dodonov (Co-Founder of Stan).
Pre-Seed Summit Speakers Confirmed
The Pre-Seed Summit speaker lineup includes Mandhir (Manny) Kalia (Managing Director at OneEleven), Alejandro Vivanco (Venture Partner at GSA Ventures), Pedro Serrador (Board Member at Maple Leaf Angels) and Albert Lin (Partner and Chief Investment Officer at Northview Law).
Startup Ecosystem Tours on June 15
Two optional pre-conference tours run on June 15, 2026. The Toronto Startup Ecosystem Tour visits Ontario Centre of Innovation, OneEleven, City Hall, MaRS and Vector Institute. The Waterloo Startup Ecosystem Tour includes transport from Toronto and lunch. Both are ticketed separately from the main conference via Startup Ecosystem Tours registration.
CN Tower Cocktail Networking
A CN Tower cocktail networking event is available as an add-on for select pass types, offering one drink and light food at one of Toronto's most iconic venues following the main conference day.
Confirmed Sponsors
Confirmed sponsors and partners include City of Toronto (StartupHere Toronto) and Dentons.
Main Topics at Tech Builders 2026
4 topicsThe programme is built around three practical pillars: how pre-seed founders access capital in Canada, how New Canadian builders are shaping the digital economy, and what the next wave of technology looks like across AI, fintech and enterprise software. Sessions are designed for practitioners, not audiences, with the emphasis on actionable insight and direct access to decision makers.
Building the New Digital Economy
The headline theme of Tech Builders 2026 frames the digital economy not as a finished structure but as something under active construction. Keynote speakers Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo open this conversation at the leadership level, while TED-style talks from founders and operators bring it down to the ground floor of what it actually takes to build, fund and scale a technology company in Canada in 2026.
Pre-Seed Investment Landscape in Canada
The Pre-Seed Summit offers insights into pre-seed investment trends in Canada and globally, with speakers from OneEleven, GSA Ventures, Maple Leaf Angels and Northview Law covering what investors are looking for, what founders need to know before raising and how the pre-seed landscape has shifted in the current market.
New Canadian Founders and Global Builders
Tech Builders 2026 places particular emphasis on innovation led by New Canadian founders and global builders, using the FIFA World Cup as a backdrop and a moment to showcase Canada's growing diversity as a tech nation.
Startup Pitching and Early-Stage Access
A startup pitch competition runs in the afternoon programme, giving early-stage companies a platform in front of investors and ecosystem leaders. A limited number of exhibitor tables are also available on the conference floor for startups to showcase their products and services.
Event Experiences
7 topicsTech Builders 2026 runs across a single full day at Glenn Gould Studio, structured to move between different formats and audience sizes throughout the day. Morning programming prioritises direct access to investors and coaches. Afternoon programming shifts to curated content, pitching and focused networking. Each pass type unlocks a different combination of experiences.
Investor Speed Networking
Investor Speed Networking provides full conference access plus curated startup to investor speed networking. An MVP is required to participate. Includes on-site networking, lunch, coffee and limited 1:1 coaching. The CN Tower Cocktail is excluded from this pass type.
Pre-Seed Summit
The Pre-Seed Summit is a one-hour focused session for aspiring investors, angels, VCs and family offices. It includes full conference access, the Pre-Seed Summit itself, curated networking, optional matching and the CN Tower cocktail.
Keynote Stage - Live Podcast
The keynote stage opens with a live podcast-style conversation between Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo, two of the most prominent voices in the Canadian venture ecosystem. The format is designed to feel closer to a real conversation than a panel, giving attendees a candid view of how the people allocating capital in Canada are actually thinking about the market right now.
TED-Style Talks
Four confirmed TED-style talks cover AI infrastructure, founder community building, B2B software and the creator economy through the lens of Canadian startup building. Speakers include leaders from Vector Institute, Transactix and Stan.
Startup Pitch Competition
The afternoon programme includes a startup pitch competition showcasing emerging tech companies in front of investors and ecosystem leaders on the main stage.
CN Tower Cocktail Networking
The CN Tower cocktail networking session runs after the main programme closes, with one drink and light food included. Available as part of the Pre-Seed Summit pass and the Conference and CN Tower pass type.
Startup Ecosystem Tours - June 15
Two optional pre-conference tours run on June 15. The Toronto tour visits Ontario Centre of Innovation, OneEleven, City Hall, MaRS and Vector Institute. The Waterloo tour includes transport from Toronto and lunch. Both are ticketed separately from the main conference via Eventbrite.
Why Tech Builders 2026 Matters
4 topicsTech Builders 2026 sits at an unusual intersection: a focused, single-day startup conference in one of North America's fastest-growing tech cities, timed to coincide with one of the biggest global events ever hosted in Canada. For founders and investors already in Toronto for the World Cup, it is the highest-signal event on the calendar that week.
For Pre-Seed Founders
The Pre-Seed Summit and Investor Speed Networking formats give early-stage founders structured, direct access to angels, VCs and family offices that is hard to replicate outside a dedicated event setting. The pitch competition adds a public platform for the strongest teams on the floor.
For Investors and Angels
The curated investor matchmaking system, combined with the Pre-Seed Summit speaker lineup from OneEleven, GSA Ventures and Maple Leaf Angels, makes this a high-efficiency event for anyone deploying capital into Canadian early-stage companies.
For Ecosystem Leaders and Operators
TED-style talks from practitioners at Vector Institute, Transactix and Stan give ecosystem builders a ground-level view of where AI, fintech and community-driven platforms are heading in the Canadian market.
For New Canadian Founders and Global Builders
The explicit focus on New Canadian founders and global builders makes Tech Builders one of the few startup conferences in Canada that treats diversity of origin as a feature of the ecosystem rather than a footnote.
Agenda
Times shown in Eastern Time (ET, UTC-4).
| Date | Programme | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, June 15 | Toronto Startup Ecosystem Tour (optional, ticketed separately): Ontario Centre of Innovation, OneEleven, City Hall, MaRS, Vector Institute | Toronto |
| Monday, June 15 | Waterloo Startup Ecosystem Tour (optional, ticketed separately): transport from Toronto included | Waterloo, ON |
| Tuesday, June 16 | 9:30 AM - Doors open; Investor Speed Networking; 1:1 Coach Meetings | Glenn Gould Studio |
| Tuesday, June 16 | Morning - Main stage; Live Keynote Podcast (Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo); TED-style talks | Glenn Gould Studio |
| Tuesday, June 16 | Afternoon - Pre-Seed Summit; Startup Pitch Competition; Exhibitor floor; Networking | Glenn Gould Studio |
| Tuesday, June 16 | Evening - CN Tower Cocktail Networking (selected passes only); One drink and light food | CN Tower, Toronto |
| Tuesday, June 16 | 3:00 PM - Conference closes | Glenn Gould Studio |
Registration and Access
All passes are available via Eventbrite. Pass types include Pre-Seed Summit, Investor Speed Networking, Conference and CN Tower, General Admission, and the optional Startup Ecosystem Tours on June 15.
| Pass Type | Includes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Seed Summit | Full conference, Pre-Seed Summit, curated networking, optional matching, CN Tower cocktail | For investors, angels, VCs, family offices |
| Investor Speed Networking | Full conference, curated startup-investor speed networking, lunch, coffee, 1:1 coaching | MVP required; CN Tower excluded |
| Conference and CN Tower | Full conference, CN Tower cocktail, one drink and light food | Pre-Seed Summit and Speed Networking excluded |
| General Admission | Talks, exhibition, networking, lunch and coffee | CN Tower, Pre-Seed Summit, Speed Networking excluded |
| Startup Ecosystem Tour Toronto | June 15 tour: Ontario Centre of Innovation, OneEleven, City Hall, MaRS, Vector Institute | Conference access excluded |
| Startup Ecosystem Tour Waterloo | June 15 tour with transport from Toronto and lunch | Conference access excluded |
What you'll take away
Walk in curious. Walk out with a playbook.
- How pre-seed founders access capital in Canada
- How New Canadian builders are shaping the digital economy
- What the next wave looks like across AI, fintech and enterprise software
Who should attend
Built for these humans
Want updates on Tech Builders 2026: Building the New Digital Economy?
Get our recap, key takeaways and analysis delivered to your inbox the moment the keynote ends.
Venue
Glenn Gould Studio - CBC
Easy transit access; cafés and hotels nearby. Detailed wayfinding ships with your registration confirmation.
Date & Time
Jun 16
Starts 9:30 AM EDT
Location
Toronto
Glenn Gould Studio - CBC, Canada
Format
In-person
On location only
Glenn Gould Studio - CBC
250 Front Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 3G5, Toronto, Canada
Speakers10
Engineers shipping the work, not theorizing about it
Every speaker is hands-on with a system in production. No theory tracks, no vendor pitches.
More events
Want the full AI & tech events calendar?
Conferences, summits, workshops, and live demos.Curated by Relve.
Filter by month, mode, and category.
