Startup Grind Toronto & Startup Ecosystem Canada Founder & Investor Mixer

We’re kicking off 2026 the only way we know how - by bringing Toronto’s brightest founders, investors, and builders into one room. No fluff, just high-value connections and a first look at the year ahead.

Whether you’re in the middle of a raise, building your MVP, or looking for your next co-founder, this mixer is designed to bridge the gap between "the idea" and "the venture."

What to expect:

Founder & Investor Mingling: We’re cutting through the noise. This is a space for raw ideas and real conversations with people who are actually moving the needle.

Find Your Next Partner: Looking for a co-founder, a first hire, or just someone to talk shop with? This is where Toronto’s builders gather to swap stories and support.

The Perks: Your ticket includes food (vegetarian and non-vegetarian options) and one drink to get the conversation started.

Come celebrate, connect and collaborate. Let’s build something together.

Agenda

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Moderators

Ankur Sethi - Winner Capital (Founder and General Partner)

Ankur Sethi is the Founder and General Partner of Winner Capital, a Toronto-based early-stage venture fund backing the next generation of North American consumer technology companies. He has over 17 years of experience as a consumer tech operator, having built and scaled three companies from inception to $100M+ in revenue, with one reaching a valuation above $2B.
His investment the…

Daria Tilikanova - Winner Capital (Startup Coach and Mentor)

Daria Tilikanova is a business and startup coach who helps founders and service-based entrepreneurs build scalable businesses with clear strategy, strong positioning, and predictable revenue systems.
Originally from Russia, she founded and sold two education companies before moving to Canada, where she shifted into full-time mentoring for early-stage and growing foun…

Hosted By

Ankur Sethi, Director

Ankur Sethi is a seasoned entrepreneur and venture capitalist with over 17 years of experience building and scaling consumer businesses across technology, finance, and healthcare. He has led ventures from inception to over $350 million in annual revenue and $2 billion in valuation, combining operational excellence with a deep understanding of evolving consumer behavior.

Daria Tilikanova, Co-Director

Daria Tilikanova is a business and startup coach who helps founders and service-based entrepreneurs build scalable businesses with clear strategy, strong positioning, and predictable revenue systems.

Originally from Russia, she founded and sold two education companies before moving to Canada, where she shifted into full-time mentoring for early-stage and growing founders.

Daria has worked with 200+ entrepreneurs across tech, education, wellness, and agency-based businesses, guiding them from first clients to stable growth and team building. Alongside her private practice, she is a Venture Fellow at Winner Capital, supporting startup evaluation and founder readiness for investment.

Her coaching combines business structure, mindset work, and execution clarity - helping entrepreneurs grow without burnout or chaos.

Lydia Emanuel,

Diana Subbotkina,

Shabs Badshah,

Sukanta Goswami,

Inquisitive entrepreneur connecting and collaborating with earlystage ventures by investing time and energy in bringing new ideas and concepts to the market.

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Partners

Winner Capital (https://winner.capital)
Winner Capital is an early stage to growth stage syndicate fund investing across North America

Startup Ecosystem Canada (https://www.startupecosystem.ca/)

TBDC (https://tbdc.com/)

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Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind.

Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-toronto-presents-startup-grind-toronto-amp-startup-ecosystem-canada-founder-amp-investor-mixer/.