On June 27, NYC-based Empire Startups is bringing its FinTech Conference to Toronto.
Hosted at The Great Hall music venue on Queen West, the Empire FinTech Conference promises to connect US and Canadian entrepreneurs, investors, and top FinTech startups, and will feature demos from rising FinTech companies. Speakers include Wealthsimple CEO Mike Katchen, Real Ventures partner Janet Bannister, and Wave CEO Kirk Simpson. International visitors making the flight to the city include TransferWise, Credit Karma, and ff Venture Capital.
Empire Startups, which has a mission to bridge the gap between leaders within FinTech communities, has hosted eight conferences in New York and San Francisco. When the time came to choose the next city, the organization saw a great opportunity in one of Canada’s top FinTech hubs.
“Toronto has long been known as a financial capital, but more recently we’ve seen exciting developments in the tech and startup scene.” – Stephanie MacConnell
“Toronto has long been known as a financial capital, but more recently we’ve seen exciting developments in the tech and startup scene,” said Stephanie MacConnell, Program Director at Empire Startups. “Incredibly innovative technologists and business leaders call Canada home. The companies coming out of Toronto, Vancouver, Waterloo, and Montreal are innovating within the FinTech sector at a rapid pace, and we want to amplify this on the world stage while providing a venue to cultivate valuable relationships and fresh ideas in real time at the event.”
“Many decision-makers in financial services know their companies need to evolve, but might not yet have a game plan to build crucial relationships with emerging FinTech companies to find solutions,” said MacConnell. “The Empire Startups FinTech Conference equips these leaders with the tools they need, while fostering the growth of new startups and entrepreneurs looking to break into the space.”
Alex Kolicich, founding Partner at 8VC in San Francisco and graduate of the University of Waterloo and the University of Toronto, will join a panel discussing challenges and opportunities facing the Canadian FinTech ecosystem. “The technical talent in the Waterloo-Toronto corridor is world class, and investors and entrepreneurs are beginning to take note as demand for these skills, especially in FinTech, continues to rise,” Kolicich said. “This year’s event in Toronto presents an opportunity for local entrepreneurs and talent to learn from and connect with their peers from outside the region to bolster recruiting power and build stronger companies.”
BetaKit readers can take 10% off tickets to the conference using code BETAKIT10.
BetaKit is an official media partner of Empire Startups’ Toronto FinTech conference
Image via Unsplash