We see it every day in our news feeds – Canada is ripe for innovation and growth. The federal government announced it will double the budget dedicated to Innovative Solutions Canada, a program helping Canadian startups get off the ground, to $100 million. We have innovation hubs in cities from coast to coast, with four Canadian cities holding places in the Top 20 strongest startup ecosystems globally (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Waterloo).
The support for Canadian startups has never been stronger. They’re being encouraged to disrupt and incented to grow. But they’re also being coached to sell, most often to companies in other countries. And that’s where we get it wrong. To have an innovation economy, we need to encourage our entrepreneurs to scale up, not to sell out. To grow and not to exit.
Image: Carl Rodriguez, founder and CEO, SOTICourtesy SOTI
