Common Questions
Clarity for a fragmented ecosystem.
Everything you need to understand how Founded in Canada works, who it’s for, and how to get value from it.
01
What is Founded in Canada?
Founded in Canada is the discovery and intelligence system for Canada’s innovation ecosystem, bringing together companies, investors, funding programs, and organizations into one structured platform where users can see what’s happening across the country, access relevant opportunities, and connect with the people, capital, and support that matter to them without navigating fragmented systems.
02
Why does it exist?
Canada’s innovation ecosystem isn’t broken, it’s fragmented, with opportunities, networks, and information spread across disconnected platforms and regions, making it difficult for founders, investors, and organizations to find what they need, so Founded in Canada exists to create a shared layer of visibility and connection that brings clarity, alignment, and accessibility to the entire ecosystem.
03
What problem does it solve?
Today, accessing funding, programs, and connections is manual and inconsistent, with users relying on scattered sources, limited networks, and time-consuming searches, so Founded in Canada replaces that process by surfacing relevant opportunities, insights, and connections automatically based on who you are and what you’re working on, all in one place.
04
Is this a marketplace?
No, Founded in Canada is not a traditional marketplace, it’s an intelligence layer that continuously organizes and surfaces relevant opportunities, people, and insights across the ecosystem, allowing users to discover and connect without relying solely on listings, ads, or manual searching.
01
What makes Founded in Canada different?
Founded in Canada shifts the experience from manual search to intelligent discovery, instead of relying on what you already know to look for, the platform continuously surfaces relevant opportunities, connections, and insights across funding, programs, partnerships, and talent based on who you are and what you’re working on.
02
What happens when I join?
When you join, you create a profile that represents you and your role in the ecosystem, and if needed, you can also create and manage organizations or ventures, from there the platform begins connecting you to the ecosystem by surfacing relevant opportunities, people, and programs tailored to you, your ventures, or your organizations.
03
What will I actually see on the platform?
You’ll see a personalized view of the ecosystem, where depending on your role, you’re presented with curated matches across funding, investors, programs, partnerships, talent, and events, along with structured profiles of companies and organizations, all designed to help you quickly understand what’s relevant and take action.
04
Do I need to search for things myself?
You can search if you want to, but the core experience is powered by Polaris, our AI intelligence system, which continuously surfaces what’s relevant to you automatically, so instead of starting from scratch, you’re consistently presented with opportunities and connections aligned with your profile, activity, and needs.
01
How does matching work?
Matching is powered by Polaris, our AI intelligence system, which analyzes your profile, activity, and ecosystem signals to identify what’s most relevant to you, instead of relying on simple filters or keywords, it continuously learns and surfaces opportunities, people, and insights aligned with your role, needs, and goals.
02
What can I be matched with?
You can be matched with a wide range of opportunities across the ecosystem, including investors, funding programs, grants, partnerships, advisors, talent, jobs, events, and ecosystem organizations, all surfaced based on what’s most relevant to you or your venture.
03
How do I improve my matches?
The more complete and accurate your profile is, the better your matches will be, as Polaris uses the information you provide, along with your activity on the platform, to continuously refine and improve the relevance of what’s surfaced to you over time.
04
Is this just based on what I search for?
No, matching is not limited to what you search for, Polaris operates continuously in the background, identifying relevant opportunities and connections even if you don’t explicitly look for them, so you’re not limited by what you already know to search for.
01
What is Polaris?
Polaris is the intelligence system behind Founded in Canada, designed to continuously understand and map the innovation ecosystem by tracking companies, funding, programs, partnerships, and activity across the country, then translating that into structured insights and relevant opportunities for each user in real time.
02
How is Polaris different from typical AI tools?
Unlike traditional AI tools that respond to prompts or static inputs, Polaris operates continuously in the background, analyzing evolving ecosystem data and user context to surface what matters without requiring users to ask for it, making it proactive rather than reactive.
03
What kind of intelligence does Polaris provide?
Polaris provides contextual intelligence across the ecosystem, including identifying relevant opportunities, highlighting emerging patterns, surfacing connections between people and organizations, and helping users understand where they should focus based on what’s actually happening in real time.
04
Does Polaris replace decision-making?
No, Polaris is designed to support decision-making, not replace it, by bringing clarity to what’s happening across the ecosystem and surfacing relevant options, it helps users make faster, more informed decisions without removing control or judgment.
01
How do you verify individuals and organizations?
Founded in Canada uses third-party verification partners alongside internal review processes to confirm the identity and legitimacy of individuals and organizations on the platform, ensuring that participants are real, credible, and aligned with the Canadian innovation ecosystem.
02
Why does verification matter?
Verification helps maintain a high-quality ecosystem by reducing noise, preventing duplicate or misleading profiles, and ensuring that users are connecting with real people, companies, and opportunities they can trust.
03
Is my data secure?
Yes, user data is protected and handled with care, with information used to improve the relevance of matches and insights while maintaining strict controls over how data is stored, accessed, and shared.
04
Who can see my information?
You control your visibility on the platform, with settings that allow you to manage what is shared and with whom, while certain data may be used by the system to generate relevant matches and insights without exposing sensitive information publicly.
01
What is the ecosystem within Founded in Canada?
The ecosystem within Founded in Canada is made up of founders, investors, ecosystem organizations, and government partners, all connected through a shared platform that brings visibility to what’s happening across the country and enables these groups to interact, collaborate, and access opportunities in a more structured and accessible way.
02
Why are these participants important?
Each participant plays a critical role in how innovation moves forward, founders build and scale companies, investors provide capital and guidance, ecosystem organizations deliver programs and support, and government partners enable funding and policy, and when these groups are connected and visible to each other, the entire system becomes more efficient and effective.
03
How do different groups participate in the platform?
Participants engage in different ways depending on their role, founders and builders access funding, programs, and connections, investors discover structured deal flow, ecosystem organizations share opportunities and support initiatives, and government partners surface public funding and programs, all within a system that connects them based on relevance.
04
How does the platform connect the ecosystem together?
Founded in Canada connects the ecosystem by continuously surfacing relevant opportunities, relationships, and insights across all participant types, allowing each group to operate with greater visibility into what others are doing and enabling more aligned, timely, and meaningful interactions.
01
How do I get started?
Getting started is simple, you create a profile, define your role in the ecosystem, and begin exploring the platform, from there, Founded in Canada starts surfacing relevant opportunities, connections, and insights based on who you are and what you’re looking for.
02
Is it free to join?
Yes, you can create a profile and access the platform to explore the ecosystem, with additional features and capabilities expanding as you build out your profile and engage more deeply with the system.
03
Do I need to apply?
Most users can join immediately, while certain roles or organizations may go through a review process to ensure quality and alignment within the ecosystem, helping maintain a high standard across the platform.
04
Can I create and manage multiple organizations or roles?
Yes, you can create and manage multiple ventures or organizations within your account, allowing you to operate across different roles in the ecosystem while keeping everything connected in one place.
