In mid-May, 11 representatives of the Toronto capital market, including the Canadian Securities Exchange, one of Canada's main stock exchanges, visited the Czech Republic. The Consulate General in Toronto, in cooperation with the CzechInvest foreign office in Toronto, prepared a three-day program for the Canadian delegation focused on presenting the potential of the Central European region and specific opportunities for strengthening mutual trade relations.
Following up on the trip by the Minister of Finance
The mission partly followed up on the autumn trip of Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura to Canada in 2024. Canadian representatives had the opportunity to meet with the Prague Stock Exchange, discuss the Czech investment environment at a seminar organized in cooperation with the Association for Foreign Investors (AFI), and attend the Czech Semicon Days event.
In cooperation with the CVCA, CzechInvest organized a networking event with venture capital investors and the startup community, which was attended by over 35 Czech participants from banks, investors, and startups. Participants learned about the Czech startup and venture capital ecosystem and established contacts with its key representatives. The Czech side also gained information about the Canadian capital environment, including opportunities for listing companies in Canada through the Canadian Securities Exchange.
“Toronto is the second largest financial center in North America and one of the ten most important financial centers in the world. The Canadian market has a more conservative approach, but in the current situation it offers an interesting alternative for expansion into the North American market,” says Karolína Konicarová, director of the Canadian office of the CzechInvest agency.
Presentation of Czech innovation sectors
The delegation met with selected Czech representatives from the aerospace, artificial intelligence, and digital innovation sectors, including Czech unicorn Mews. Special attention was paid to the HealthTech sector, which was presented by representatives of Prague BioTech, i&i Prague, and i&i Biotech. Both established companies such as Enantis and Sotio and start-ups and spin-offs supported by CzechInvest's Technology Incubation projects were presented. It was the HealthTech sector that aroused considerable interest among Canadian investors.
“It was crucial to present investors and financiers with as comprehensive a picture as possible of the Czech economy and investment opportunities, while highlighting the sectors and topics in which the Czech Republic truly excels,” said Karolína Konicarová, director of the CzechInvest office in Canada, commenting on the mission.
Foundation for long-term cooperation
The mission was the delegation's first introduction to the Czech innovation ecosystem and laid the foundations for building longer-term relationships. The aim is to create opportunities for innovative Czech companies with ambitions to expand into the North American market.