News
October 4, 2024
TechPlace Celebrates 7th Year at Sold Out Open House, Unveils 2023 Annual Report
Yesterday, TechPlace hosted its 7th Annual Open House, bringing together over 200 attendees from across the GTHA tech ecosystem. The sold-out event showcased the region’s vibrant entrepreneurial community, with a focus on innovation, collaboration, and the growth of technology companies. A key highlight of the evening was the unveiling of Burlington Economic Development’s 2023 Annual Report.
Since opening its doors in 2017, TechPlace has become a hub and regional destination for startups and scale-ups, offering a thriving environment that empowers growth through various membership options and the Soft-Landing program. Each year, the event serves as a platform to celebrate the region’s growing tech ecosystem while offering insights into its continued progress. It provides an opportunity for attendees to not only learn about the latest achievements in the sector but also to collaborate and share ideas, further fueling innovation and growth.
Key Highlights of the Event:
Remarks by MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos: MPP Effie Triantafilopoulos, Member of Provincial Parliament for Oakville North—Burlington, delivered remarks emphasizing the importance of government support in driving the growth of the tech sector. She reinforced Ontario’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the Halton region.
Mayor’s Greetings: Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward brought greetings from the City virtually, highlighting the critical role of innovation and technology in driving the city’s economic growth. Her message underscored the city’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs and fostering a vibrant, sustainable economy through innovation. We were also pleased to welcome Kelvin Galbraith, City Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Business and Red Tape Reduction to also bring greetings. Councillor Galbraith emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship in driving job creation and growth in Burlington.
Unveiling the 2023 Annual Report: Anita Cassidy, Executive Director of Burlington Economic Development, presented a year in review, and unveiled the 2023 Annual Report. The report detailed key projects and successes over the past year, emphasizing the impact of strategic partnerships, business growth, and new investments in the community.
Interactive Networking Opportunity: The event fostered valuable networking opportunities, where startups, investors, established companies, and thought leaders were able to connect, exchange ideas, and build valuable connections. These connections are essential for driving collaboration and advancing innovation in the region.
Exhibitor Showcase: Attendees explored an exhibitor showcase featuring just a few of the companies that have benefited from the resources and support provided by TechPlace and Innovation Factory.
The 7th Annual Open House was a celebration of innovation and the tech community’s achievements, and an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate another year of collaboration, partnership and growth.
For more details, you can access the Burlington Economic Development 2023 Annual Report here.
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About TechPlace
An initiative led by Burlington Economic Development, TechPlace is Burlington’s one stop destination for new and growing technology companies. The 8,600 square foot space is home to Innovation Factory, Halton’s Regional Innovation Centre and Angel One Investor Network, a member-based angel group that has invested more than $25 million in early-stage companies. TechPlace provides space and place, resources, and programming to local and international startups through its LaunchPad and Soft-Landing programs, partnerships, hot desking areas, meeting rooms and event spaces.
About Burlington Economic Development
Burlington Economic Development (Burlington EcDev) is an agency of the City of Burlington that works to attract high-value companies to Burlington, support the expansion of existing businesses, and encourage the start-up and growth of new companies. The team works across all industries and sectors to deliver personalized support to businesses and collaborates with partners across the private and public sectors to maintain Burlington’s robust and diverse economy.