You belong here.

A home for AI builders, mentors, investors, and changemakers who believe technology should work for everyone.

A living, breathing ecosystem.

The NovaForge community is the living, breathing ecosystem we’re building around the venture lab. It includes founders at every stage, mentors who have been there before, investors looking for the next breakthrough, corporate partners solving real problems, and professionals who simply believe in building a more inclusive AI economy.

You don’t need to be in a cohort to belong. Our community is open to anyone who shares our values: openness, inclusion, accountability, and collaboration.

Who Is In the Community

AI Founders
Building early-stage companies in the program or alumni network

Mentors
Experienced operators and domain experts offering guidance and networks

Investors
Angels, VCs, and family offices looking for vetted early-stage AI deals

Corporate Partners
Enterprises co-designing AI pilots with our startups

Students & Researchers
The next generation of builders learning at the edge of AI

Ecosystem Builders
Policy makers, venture-lab operators, and economic developers

Office146 Members
Co-working and office tenants who are part of our physical community

How We Gather

Open to founders and the broader community.

2x / year

Demo Days

Founder pitches for investors and corporate partners.

Monthly

AI Fireside Chats

Expert conversations on AI and building.

Bi-weekly

Founder Roundtables

Closed-door peer sessions.

Weekly

Mentor Office Hours

1:1 drop-ins with domain experts.

Monthly

Workshop Series

Hands-on skill-building sessions.

Monthly

Community Mixers

Casual networking. No agenda.

Quarterly

Global Briefings

Market access and corridor updates.

Ad hoc

Partner Showcases

Corporate and investor spotlights.

Show up. Build. Belong.

AI should reflect the people it affects. We prioritize newcomers, women, racialized and Indigenous founders — no prior startup experience required.

Community FAQ

The NovaForge community is open to anyone interested in AI and entrepreneurship — founders, developers, designers, operators, investors, and students are all welcome. There is no gatekeeping, and you don’t need to be building a company to be a valued member.

Community membership is $600 per year and gives you access to monthly events, the member network, and ongoing programming. You can also attend events before committing to a membership — NovaForge events are open to anyone who wants to show up.

Community members get access to 12 or more events per year, the monthly NovaForge Dispatch newsletter, and a place in an active network of AI builders and supporters across the Greater Toronto Area. It’s designed to be the connective tissue between everyone who cares about building in AI.

No. Events are open to anyone — you don’t need a membership or a startup to walk in the door. NovaForge intentionally avoids gatekeeping because diverse rooms with developers, investors, operators, and founders together are what produce the best conversations and connections.

Events vary in format — some are demo nights, some are panel discussions, some are workshops, and some are themed gatherings around specific communities within tech. They typically attract 60 to 80 or more people and are designed to be substantive rather than just another networking cocktail hour.

Between January and May 2026, NovaForge hosted six events: Emerging Entrepreneurs in January, Behind Autonomous AI in February, Rough Cuts: AI Demos Vol. 1 in March, Women in AI: The Builder’s Playbook in April, and two events in May — one focused on startup resilience and one on capital without dilution featuring Deloitte, InvestHK, HKTDC, and others. The May 26 event drew 83 attendees.

The NovaForge Dispatch is a free monthly newsletter that covers events, founder stories, opportunities, and news from the Toronto AI ecosystem. It goes out to the full NovaForge community and is a good way to stay connected even if you can’t make every event.

NovaForge events are built around a specific theme or topic and include speakers, demos, or structured conversations — not just open-bar mingling. The focus is on learning and genuine connection, and the curation of attendees means the room is full of people who actually build things, fund things, or know things worth knowing.

As of early 2026, the NovaForge community has grown to over 500 members and continues to expand with each event and new cohort of founders joining the lab.

Absolutely. Students interested in AI, entrepreneurship, or technology are welcome at events and as community members. NovaForge sees early exposure to the startup world as a meaningful part of building the next generation of Canadian AI talent.

NovaForge runs 12 or more events per year — roughly one per month. These range from intimate workshops to large multi-partner gatherings, and the calendar is shared through the newsletter and social channels.