# Toronto Business Development Centre

> Toronto Business Development Centre is a publicly backed, equity-free nonprofit incubator that helps local entrepreneurs build business fundamentals and helps international scaleups find customers, partners, operators, and investors in North America. Founded in 1990, it has evolved from self-employment training into a two-way market-entry platform connecting Ontario with global founder networks.

- **Founded:** 1990
- **Headquarters:** Toronto, Canada
- **Founders:** City of Toronto (Public co-founder), Province of Ontario (Public co-founder and founding supporter)
- **Team size:** 11-50 employees listed on LinkedIn; third-party contact data supplied for this profile estimates 87.
- **Products:** Horizon, Pivot, GoEU, Land & Expand, Business Inc.
- **Notable:** Toronto's first business incubator, established in 1990., Reports supporting 10,000-plus founders from more than 70 countries., Named Canadian Incubator of the Year in 2003 and Canada's Incubator of the Year by CABI in 2010.

## Products & services

- **Horizon** — A modular market-expansion program for European technology scaleups entering North America, including market scouting, a five-day Sprint Week, tailored meetings, and follow-on support.
- **Pivot** — Targeted matchmaking and market-model refinement for high-potential non-EU global startups entering North America.
- **GoEU** — Export-readiness assessments, tailored advisory services, and direct European market expertise for Ontario businesses diversifying beyond the United States.
- **Land & Expand** — A government-funded soft-landing program for newcomer entrepreneurs, with tailored mentors, workshops, networking, and post-program workspace and support for eligible participants.
- **Business Inc.** — An eight-week fundamentals program for Torontonians covering market research, marketing, operations, finance, and sales with advisors and peer support.
- **Preparing for Self-Employment** — Guided sessions for Torontonians assessing whether self-employment is a realistic next step.
- **Explore Skilled Trades** — Hands-on training and career preparation for in-demand skilled-trades work in Ontario.
- **Explore Trucking Careers** — Training and employment pathway support for people entering Ontario's trucking industry.

## Achievements

- Toronto's first business incubator, established in 1990.
- Reports supporting 10,000-plus founders from more than 70 countries.
- Named Canadian Incubator of the Year in 2003 and Canada's Incubator of the Year by CABI in 2010.
- Received Ontario recognition for economic contribution in 2009.
- Connected more than 600 founders from India, Central and Eastern Europe, Europe, and Southeast Asia in 2022.
- Secured nearly C$3.3 million in federal support for 100 newcomer entrepreneurs in 2023.
- Launched Horizon and Pivot for international scaleups in 2023.
- Undertook a C$5 million GoEU export-diversification project in 2026.
- TBDC states that it is the only Canadian accelerator accredited by the European Innovation Council.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — TBDC listed upcoming Horizon and Pivot application reviews and Sprint Weeks for September and November 2026.
- **2026-07** — The federal and Ontario governments announced the C$5 million GoEU project to help Ontario companies expand into European markets.
- **2026-06** — TBDC expanded Horizon outreach to Greek startups, including companies in defence and dual-use technology.
- **2026-05** — Three Horizon companies described customer discovery and market-positioning gains from TBDC's Canadian market-entry program.

## Links

- Website: https://tbdc.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/toronto-business-development-centre/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/thetbdc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnEQXEqu7XLw37Slf2tmVyw
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torontobdc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Torontobusinessdevelopmentcentre/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/toronto-business-development-centre
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-23