This document describes the Toronto FinTech landscape, approaching the analysis from a FinTech, regulatory, Investment and talent standpoint.
This document serves as a snapshot of the key pillars of a FinTech ecosystem in a country and provides a good overall view of the state of FinTech at a glance.
Key findings:
- As a FinTech hub, Toronto benefits from the abundant talent pool in financial services as well as technology.
- Major Canadian banks have connected with FinTechs through opening their API or through strategic investment.
- Toronto is the second largest financial center in North America after New York and eighth largest in the world. Major Canadian banks are headquartered in Toronto. Meanwhile, the Canadian tech startup scene is vibrant with famous SaaS companies such as Freshbooks, HootSuite and Shopify which are showcasing growth and emerging as next billion dollar companies. The availability of financial as well as tech talent, added together with the regulator’s initiative to grow the ecosystem, are helping the development of FinTech in Canada.
- As of May 2018, there are more than 140 fintech startups located in the Toronto region.
Canadian banks have taken various initiatives to connect with FinTechs. In March 2018, the Royal Bank of Canada launched its Application Programming Interface (API) developer portal.
- The RBC Developers portal will allow eligible, external software developers, industry innovators and clients to access select RBC APIs.
In June 2018, TD Bank bought Toronto-based artificial intelligence startup Layer 6, with the aim to transform itself in the industry shift from mobile-first to AI-first customer experiences.
- The Financial Innovation & Technology Association of Canada (FINACAN) was established with an objective to develop, support and promote FinTech ecosystem in Canada. It has 23 global alliance and 4,500 connections comprising FinTechs, investors and service firms.
- In February 2015, MaRS Discovery District (MaRS) launched the MaRS Financial Technology Cluster (MaRS FinTech) to provide a centralized hub to drive FinTech collaboration and innovation both domestically and internationally. MaRS FinTech is parked under MaRS’ Finance & Commerce sector and led by a FinTech director.
- Financial regulators in Canada, Ontario and Toronto have launched several dedicated initiatives to support FinTechs. In October 2016, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), which administers and enforces securities law in the province of Ontario, introduced the OSC Launchpad to provide regulatory guidance to new FinTech businesses.
-The initiative is staffed with representatives of regulator’s branches, including the Compliance & Registrant Regulation, Corporate Finance, Derivatives, Investment Funds & Structured Products, Market Regulation and Strategy & Operations.
