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Nrth

@nrth.ca

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Formerly Elevate. Navigate what’s next.
Connecting builders, leaders & ideas shaping the future.
Home of Nrth Festival ↓

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Elevate is becoming Nrth. ✨

Since 2017, we’ve built a platform to bring Canada’s founders, investors, business leaders and innovators together.

But the challenge has changed.

Canada doesn’t have an innovation problem. It has a navigation problem.

That’s why we’re becoming Nrth — a year-round platform built to help founders and business leaders navigate what’s next through the right insights, connections and opportunities.

The Festival remains at the heart of what we do, now as Nrth Festival — with more coming throughout the year.

Same community. Bigger platform. Greater year-round impact.

Welcome to Nrth. 💙

Explore what’s next at nrth.ca by @nrth.ca

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25 days ago

The best learnings stay with you long after the festival ends 💭

They challenge us to think differently, ask better questions, and put what we've learned into action.

#NrthFestival #TechCommunity #IdeasThatInspire by @nrth.ca

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3 days ago

We kicked off Nrth Festival with the announcement of our rebrand, a fireside chat with sports legend Kyle Lowry, and a look into the future of search and user privacy 🚀

Three days full of momentum from morning to night. From building a career in digital transformation to Canada’s digital sovereignty, it was informative and engaging 🎤💫

Developers rolled up their sleeves at a hands-on Crash Course on scaling AI with enterprise guardrails, founders traded hard-won lessons at Roundtables, and hundreds of Meeting Exchange chats connected founders and investors face to face. Between sessions, the Startup Lounge and Networking Lounge kept the conversations going, and the evenings wrapped with drinks and good company 🍹

Three days, one incredible community, and a first chapter we’re so proud of 💙

Thank you for joining us at the very first #NrthFestival! by @nrth.ca

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8 days ago

Welcome to our 11th cohort of the eCommerce North Tech Accelerator, powered by @moneris!
Over the next three months, these 8 Canadian retail tech leaders will accelerate their growth and power the future of eCommerce with support from @moneris and Nrth.

👋 Meet cohort 11:
@talkluna_ai - an AI-powered 24/7 answering service for small businesses that handles and qualifies leads,books appointments, and captures revenue.

@ezsave.ca - a local commerce intelligence platform helping merchants acquire customers, launch prepaid offers, drive repeat purchases and optimize growth.

Guava - an AI-powered rewards, loyalty and engagement platform for businesses and consumers.

@aerrand.app - aerrand sends a verified Aerrander to inspect your item, confirm it matches the listing, and deliver it directly to you.

@prouess.ai - Your set-it-and-forget content to commerce partner. It transforms your videos, podcasts, and posts into an AI-powered magazine geared for commerce.

@datacove.ai - Builds fraud prevention infrastructure for banks, fintechs, and digital platforms

Fenel - A moment-sharing platform for communities. Share moments, find your people, and grow your worlds together.

Pocket Travel Platform Inc. (PTP) - The AI-native operating system for travel commerce - turning travel content creators, digital nomads, and backpackers into full-stack mobile travel agencies.

#CommerceTech #TechAccelerator #CanadianTech by @nrth.ca

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16 days ago

"MapQuest is old." - MapQuest GM Doug Berger @nrth.ca

Listen to the full conversation on this week's NEW episode of The AmberMac Show podcast to learn more about HOMES, the mnemonic acronym for the Great Lakes, and why MapQuest isn't gonna change the name of Lake Ontario 💯. by @nrth.ca

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17 days ago

And with that.. day 2 of #NrthFestival2026 has come to a close! 🎊

From 1:1 investor meetings and founder roundtables to packed stages and conversations across Nrth Festival, thousands of founders, investors and leaders came together to connect, share ideas and create new opportunities.

⭐️ A few highlights from yesterday:
• Theo Richardson (@figma) explored how agentic coding is changing how we decide which products are worth building.
• Eva Wong (@myborrowell) shared practical insights on what it takes to lead in the world of product design, development, and management.
• Jacie deHoop (@thegistca) shared how she built a media company reaching over 40 million fans to level the playing field for women in sports. taken in Meridian Hall by @nrth.ca

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22 days ago

Scenes from Nrth 2026 📸

This week brought together what DMZ does best: big conversations, founder spotlights and global connections.

Kyle Lowry (@kyle_lowry7) and @asnobar opened things up with a fireside on his road to the 2019 NBA championship, and how he's backing founders through North Twenty Ventures.

We also launched the Sovereign Growth Stage with @bdc_ca – diving into economic sovereignty, what Canada needs to build at home and the role entrepreneurs play in getting us there. Sami Kibria of flexgrid.cloud made the case for sovereign AI infrastructure and Jonathan Krupski repped 3D BioFibR, fresh off securing @dmzventures' first-ever Dual-Use and Sovereign Tech Investment Prize.

Meanwhile, back at DMZ, we welcomed two international delegations to Toronto – startups from Italy and Costa Rica.

A lot packed into one week, and an exciting look at what Canadian founders are building. Until next time, Nrth. 🇨🇦 taken in Toronto, Ontario by @nrth.ca

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23 days ago

Day 1 of #NrthFestival2026 has come to a close! 🙌

What a day to remember! Yesterday we launched our newly designed crash courses, held 5 special networking events after hours, and hosted 18 interactive roundtables led by industry experts.

Highlights from the stage included:

• Hanna Zaidi (@Wealthsimple) sat down to discuss how real-time payments, open banking, and the building of a homegrown stablecoin will impact Canadians and small businesses.

• Adam Collins (@Reddit) explored why people still turn to communities to validate decisions, understand trade-offs, and find trusted perspectives even in the age of AI.

• Lauren Pleydell-Pearce (@pwc_canada) and Jodi Kovitz (@tangerinebank) uncovered emerging trends shaping the future of entrepreneurship and how leaders can work together to support Canadian businesses. taken in Meridian Hall by @nrth.ca

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23 days ago

That’s a wrap on Opening Night, presented by @td_canada! 🎉

In addition to our big announcement that Elevate is evolving to Nrth, we kicked off Opening Night with a pitch showcase and conversations exploring the trends and breakthroughs that will shape our future.

Highlights from the stage included:
- Toronto Raptors legend and six-time NBA All-Star, @kyle_lowry7 (North Twenty Ventures) was in the house!

Kyle spoke about his career, connection to Toronto, and how to cultivate a winner’s mindset.

- Beah Burger-Lenehan (@duckduckgo) gave us a glimpse at the future of search and user privacy and dived into the importance of building products for consumers.

- The creative lead behind Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, @julshim (Yellow Studio) gave us an inside look into his creative process.

Opening Night showed us what’s possible when innovation meets collaboration, and Day 1 promises even more. by @nrth.ca

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24 days ago

We’re introducing a new content track at Elevate Festival 2026!

The Sovereign Growth Stage (powered by @dmzhq and @bdc_ca) digs into what it will take for Canada to build, scale, and retain the technologies and capabilities that matter most, from AI and cybersecurity to defence and advanced manufacturing.

Join the conversation on Canadian technology sovereignty at Elevate Festival this week (Sept. 22-24).

Get your pass today at the link in bio!

#ElevateFest2026 by @nrth.ca

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a month ago

Staying In Control When Agents Check Out: Trust, Transparency and The Future of Buying, Presented by @moneris

Are AI agents about to change the way we shop?
We think so.

Hear from Moneris' Bruce Nanton and @visa's Adeel Safdar as they dig into the rise of agentic commerce, where AI agents discover products, make decisions, and complete transactions on behalf of consumers. As the rules of commerce shift, trust, transparency, and control are becoming the defining advantages in an AI-driven marketplace. A must-attend session for anyone building what's next in customer experience.

Don't miss this session on Thursday!
Secure your spot at the link in bio

#ElevateFest2026 by @nrth.ca

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a month ago

We're celebrating Opening Night, Presented by @td_canada!

AI’s economic promise will not be realized through technology alone.

TD's Rizwan Khalfan joins @cohere_ai's Francois Chadwick to explore what organizations need to make disciplined investment choices and combine trust, speed and scale with the talent, partnerships and practical capabilities that turn innovation into measurable productivity, durable value and sustainable returns.

Don't miss Opening Night tomorrow!
Secure your spot at https://elevatefestival.ca/tickets/

#ElevateFest2026 by @nrth.ca

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a month ago