Introducing Canada House, a soft landing office for MaRS startups in San Francisco

January 29, 2016

Introducing Canada House, a soft landing office for MaRS startups in San Francisco

You may have heard the news about Canada House, a free co-working space for later-stage startups that are currently working with MaRS, Communitech, Velocity or C100 Association, the space’s four founding partners.

Travelling entrepreneurs headed to Silicon Valley to connect with investors or customers can now access a home base where they can work, host meetings or simply check emails in between high-powered pitches. By establishing Canada House, MaRS hopes to help reduce the cost of doing business outside of Canada. It also hopes to optimize the impact of each trip to Silicon Valley by offering startup founders helpful orientation pointers about the region and by providing additional introductions and broader networking opportunities with peers and other Canadian expats currently in the region.

Canada House will also be used to maintain a regular brand presence for the Canadian tech ecosystem—by hosting networking events for key local influencers (investors, entrepreneurs and potential talent), Canadian expats and travelling founders, for example. It is hoped this will help raise the profile of Canadian innovators in the region.

The Canada House facility

Eligibility
  • Canada House’s facilities are available to startups that are actively working with MaRS Venture Services (or with Communitech, Velocity or C100 Association)
  • Canadian ventures must be in the growth stage: currently raising Series A funding and/or exporting their product
Access
  • One week advance notice of travel is required
  • Five days maximum on-location booking limit
  • A 48-hour cancellation notice is required
  • Availability of space is dependent on occupancy
Facility
  • Located at WeWork’s Mid-Market location at 995 Market Street in San Francisco
  • Features secure office space with hot desks that can be reserved
  • Offers an on-site Canada House coordinator for support
  • Includes access to WeWork’s amenities (conference rooms, lounge, kitchen, etc.)

How to apply

To apply, email the appropriate MaRS contact with “Canada House Access” in the subject line.