What we’re about
The Startup Traction & Funding Network brings together aspiring and experienced tech entrepreneurs to discuss, meet, and collaborate to build great new startups, and to push the local startup ecosystem forward.
This group hosts numerous free events throughout the year where you can learn the best practices of starting a company from people who have been there and done that. You’ll have the opportunity to meet local founders and investors, exchange ideas with experts, get feedback on your idea, participate in startup workshops, and more.
Typical startup event topics include:
• Refining your startup idea
• Startup legal basics
• How to pitch your startup
• How to launch a global company
• How to raise funding for your startup
• And much more!
Join the group to be invited to our next event!
For information about the investors, incubators, and tech events available, see our list of Startup Resources (https://fi.co/startup_resources). Interested in perfecting your pitch? Read our Pitch Deck Guide (https://fi.co/pitch_deck) and download templates.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- How to Build a Product-Driven Go-to-Market StrategyLink visible for attendees
Join us to learn how to build a resilient, product-centered Go-to-Market (GTM) strategy that drives lasting impact. Go beyond traditional marketing with a framework that integrates engineering, design, and product leadership, embedding a product mindset into every step. Key topics include transforming product goals into user actions, designing for adoption and retention, leveraging data-driven insights, and aligning teams for scalable growth. Ideal for founders, product managers, designers, and engineers seeking a data-driven GTM strategy that builds products ready to lead in their markets.
❯ What You'll Learn:
- Apply a product-first mindset to every step of your GTM plan.
- Turn product goals into actions users love.
- Align your team for a scalable, growth-ready strategy.
❯ Featured Experts:
- Moshe Mikanovsky - Moshe Mikanovsky is a seasoned product management leader with a rich background in B2B enterprise software, initially starting in engineering. He currently serves as a product leader at RootQuotient Technologies and teaches at the Schulich School of Business at York University, dedicating his expertise to nurturing the next generation of product professionals.
❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights. Ensure your participation by RSVPing at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/18276 to receive the Zoom URL.
- Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Jacob JacksonLink visible for attendees
Do you want to ask questions to startup investors about fundraising in a friendly, judgment-free environment? Are you looking to raise funding in the future, and want to learn what investors look for and how they evaluate potential investments? Then join us for this live, interactive Q&A event featuring Jacob Jackson, Angel Investor & Deep Tech Seed Investor at Julian Capital. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your network and ask in-depth questions - Register now!. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your network and ask in-depth questions.
❯ What You'll Learn:
- Key metrics and pre-requisites for raising funding.
- How to make yourself more attractive to investors.
- The best ways to source different funding resources such as Angel investors, Venture Capitalists, grants and loans.
❯ Featured Speaker:
- Jacob Jackson - Angel Investor & Deep tech seed investor at Julian Capital - A seasoned deep tech seed investor at Julian Capital, focused on pre-seed and seed-stage startups. Since 2020, he has made 15 angel investments in Climate Tech and B2B SaaS, with successes like Capbase (acquired by Deel) and Ecocart ($15M Series A). He is also involved with DeepChecks.VC, a platform supporting deep tech ventures.
About the FI Venture Network
The FI Venture Network is an exclusive network of investors actively funding pre-seed and seed-stage startups before anyone else. Learn more by visiting the FI Venture Network page.❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights. Ensure your participation by RSVPing at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/17502 to receive the Zoom URL.
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert FeedbackLink visible for attendees
To launch a great startup, it is critical to get feedback on your ideas from entrepreneurs who have been there and done that. On this live online event, we will gather several startup experts ready to provide feedback for aspiring entrepreneurs. The event will start by providing guidelines to create a compelling elevator pitch, and then attendees will have the opportunity to share your pitch with other entrepreneurs, advisors, and investors at virtual tables for instant feedback. Even if you don't want to share your pitch, you can still join to hear other startup ideas and witness how the experts review a pitch.
❯ What You'll Learn:
- How to give a concise, yet compelling, elevator pitch
- What investors are looking for in a startup pitch
- Specific advice and feedback on your pitch and startup ideas
❯ To get the most out of this Pitch for Feedback event:
- Come ready for live video networking.
- Prepare by starting with your one-sentence pitch. See how it's done using our Madlibs format.
- Fill out our Elevator Pitch Worksheet.
❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights. Ensure your participation by RSVPing at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/17498 to receive the Zoom URL.
- What is the DNA of an Entrepreneur? Insights from 15 Years of ResearchLink visible for attendees
The greatest variable in the success or failure of a startup is the Founder, especially at the earliest stages. Join us at our live online event to discover what makes a successful entrepreneur. We will be sharing insights from 15 years of startup research that lead to startup success. Do not miss this chance to learn how to develop these traits and hear stories of entrepreneurial achievements.
❯ What You'll Learn:
- What defines a successful entrepreneur?
- Insights from FI's Entrepreneur DNA Assessment, including the 9 Entrepreneur Profiles.
- How do you evaluate your potential as a startup founder?
- Specific steps to improve your Founder selection process.
❯ Featured Expert:
- Jonathan Greechan - CEO & Co-Founder at Founder Institute - Since 2009, Jonathan has grown and scaled the world's largest pre-seed accelerator to chapters in over 200 cities and 100 countries, producing over 6800 portfolio companies with an estimated value of $35BN. He also serves as an Advisor to Oxford Entrepreneurs (Oxford University), Horasis, and the USC Incubator (University of Southern California). Previously, Jonathan was a Partner of TheFunded.com, the first website for founders to rate and review venture capitalists, and an Executive Producer of the Founder Showcase, a leading Silicon Valley startup conference that hosted speakers like Elon Musk. Jonathan’s writing has been featured in Fortune, TechCrunch, and Entrepreneur Magazine, and he has spoken at startup conferences on four continents.
❯❯ This live, interactive online event promises valuable insights. Ensure your participation by RSVPing at https://fi.co/startupwebinar/17572 to receive the Zoom URL.
