Toronto Metropolitan University’s DMZ recently hosted an insider event at the university’s downtown headquarters where a portfolio of early-stage startups showcased their technology solutions across industries.
A total of eight participating startups presented their products at an invitation-only gathering of investors, corporate leaders and DMZ partners.
One of the aims of the showcase was to attract investment from DMZ Ventures’ newly launched enterprise fund.
The investment fund plans to make up to 10 investments a year with capital injections of up to $250,000, according to Abdullah Snover, executive director of DMZ and head of DMZ Ventures.
“What sets this fund apart is the close relationships we’ve built with venture companies through DMZ’s due diligence,” Snover asserts. “No other investor has a deeper understanding of startups than we do.”
Startups participating in the event included Cleanster, Flowjin, StructurePlus, HILO, Syzl, Creatubbles, Talin and financial technology company Leasey.AI.
Juan Leal, one of the entrepreneurs from Leasey.AI, received the largest investment of the night, securing $100,000 for his startup.
“We’re really grateful to DMZ for this opportunity,” said Leal. “They’ve believed in us from day one and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner to help us out.”
Vancouver-based Leasey.AI’s digital platform is designed to streamline and automate the leasing process for Canadian tenants and landlords.
With the new funding, Leal says his startup plans to continue evolving its product offering.
“We plan to use the funds to focus on product development and customer acquisition to continue evolving our product and differentiating it in the market,” the CEO said.
Two other startups, Flowjin and Talin, received $75,000 each.
“Every startup we back goes through a rigorous vetting process and is approved by DMZ, which is why we back winners, not just startups,” Snover said, explaining that DMZ’s portfolio is made up of “founders and ideas we truly believe in.”
Founded in 2020, Leasey is one of the Vancouver-born startups taking part in Collision this week.
