Premier Ranj Pillai and officials from the Department of Economic Development attended the 2024 Collision Conference in Toronto to support the Yukon’s startup community and to engage with leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship from across Canada. This aligns with the Government of Yukon’s goal to support Yukon startups attract investment as outlined in “Innovation Yukon: Bringing Northern Ingenuity to the World”.
The Collision Conference is one of the biggest tech conferences in the world and attracts over 40,000 attendees. Five Yukon tech startups were accepted to the Startup programs at Collision, providing them the opportunity to showcase their business ventures and interact with peers, investors and potential collaborators in their sectors.
The Premier met with Yukon founders Ben Sanders (Hyper), Rohan Garg (Hirescope), Debbie Peters (the Pitch), John Jensen (Alpha EL) and Chirag Jadhwani (PeerSupport) to discuss their business aspirations, challenges and growth opportunities. These founders highlighted the support they have received in the Yukon’s innovation community from partners such as Yukonstruct, Yukon University’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Mitacs and Tech Yukon.
The Yukon is home to many entrepreneurs and a strong, well-connected innovation ecosystem. Sharing all the great work that Yukoners are doing with the rest of the world is an important part of garnering interest and attracting investment. By participating in Collision, we ensure that our top startups receive the attention they have earned and can capitalize on new opportunities. Our government is proud to support and enable innovative practises that support our territory to build a resilient and diversified economy for future generations.
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The Startup program at Collision highlights early-stage startups with potential, connecting them with people and companies in the innovation industry.
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In 2023 the Government of Yukon published its Innovation Strategy, outlining actions to support the territory’s innovation community and technology startups.
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This delegation also met with the National Angel Capital Organization to discuss private capital formation for jurisdictions similar to the Yukon. Key takeaways from this visit include the importance of mentorship in investing and the potential for investment opportunities in relatively small communities.
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7624
laura.seeley@yukon.ca
Damian Topps
Communications, Economic Development
867-667-5378
damian.topps@yukon.ca