Your First Step into North America: Canada for Startups

​Thinking about expanding your startup to North America? Join PortXL and TBDC on 10 February (3:00 - 4:30 PM CET) for a practical session on grants, tax credits, and R&D support that can help accelerate international growth.

​Canada, especially Ontario, offers a stable and innovation-friendly environment with strong public support for R&D. Many startups choose it as a cost-effective first base for North American expansion: a smart way to test demand, hire talent, and win early customers and partners before scaling further.

​What you’ll learn

• ​Why Canada can be a practical route into the North American market

• ​Which types of grants and tax credits innovative startups often explore, and what they typically require

• ​How to assess fit and eligibility (and when it’s not worth the effort)

• ​How to prepare for a smoother application process: timelines, documentation, and common pitfalls

• ​How TBDC supports international founders using Toronto as a launchpad into North America

​Who should attend?
Startups in Amsterdam (and across the Netherlands) exploring:

• ​North American market entry

• ​R&D growth and hiring plans

• ​Non-dilutive funding and innovation incentives

• ​Partnerships and pilot opportunities

​Agenda: February 10th, 3 pm - 4:30 pm CET 
- Meet TBDC 
- Why Canada 
- Unlocking funding for innovative startups - with Jon Irwin
- Q&A 

​About TBDC
TBDC has empowered over 9,000 startups to launch, scale, and grow in Toronto, offering mentorship, strategy, workspace, and connections to funding and partners globally.

​About PortXL
PortXL connects maritime startups from across the globe with industrial and government players clustered around the Rotterdam Port business ecosystem. Facilitating projects to tackle global challenges such as decarbonization, energy transition, human capital, security & resilience. 

​About Jon Irwin
Jon Irwin is a seasoned mentor with TBDC. As an expert in government funding and incentives, he helps startups unlock grants, tax credits, and innovation support critical to scaling in North America.