Who we work with

Direct support. Through the Innovation Office’s LaunchPad support program, we work directly with businesses developing innovative products, services, or applications at the intersection of technology and Ontario’s capital markets. This includes assisting businesses with time-limited registrations, exemptive relief, informal guidance on securities laws, and other tailored support where appropriate.

If you are an innovative business that would like our support, or to review your eligibility for support, please check out the LaunchPad support program and testing options or connect with us.

Championing growth together. Our mandate includes bolstering capital formation in Ontario by aiding, fostering, and where possible, testing innovative business models and methods such as crowdfunding, angel investment networks, and more.

If you’re an angel investor, venture capital (VC) firm, or related funder focused on innovative businesses in Ontario, please connect with us.

Growing our networks. The Innovation Office is establishing closer ties with incubators, accelerators, and other innovation centers in Ontario and beyond. We aim to better understand the needs of innovative businesses with the help of innovation centers, and to provide hubs and the businesses they serve with resources to understand securities laws.

If you’re an incubator, accelerator, or innovation center and would like to collaborate, please connect with us.

More help for businesses. Through our LaunchPad support program, we now offer a beta Innovation Office directory of legal, business, and other services in Ontario that are willing to offer support to innovative businesses.

If you have experience providing business, legal, or other services to innovative businesses and would like to participate in the directory, learn more or apply today.

Domestic and global cooperation. We work closely with other regulators to strengthen partnerships and improve access to opportunities for businesses and investors on a domestic and international level.

The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is an umbrella organization of Canada’s provincial and territorial securities regulators. The CSA Regulatory Sandbox is an initiative designed to support businesses offering innovative products, services, and applications throughout Canada. It allows businesses to test their novel products, services, and applications throughout the Canadian capital markets.

An Ontario business seeking to test in other jurisdictions of Canada can follow these steps:

• Engage with us, as the principal regulator for Ontario-based businesses, and present your business model. We will analyze the business model, ask questions, and discuss potential flexible approaches that may be available (for example, limited-time exemptive relief).
• Apply to the LaunchPad support program. We will aid in preparing the application and will coordinate with CSA staff on the review of the application on an expedited basis.
• If the CSA agrees that the exemptive relief/approval should be granted, the business will be permitted to operate across Canada for a given period in the CSA Regulatory Sandbox, subject to appropriate limits and conditions.

The Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN) is an international network of financial regulators and other organizations that work together to help innovative financial services firms interact with regulators more efficiently. This includes a cross-border program for firms to test across more than one jurisdiction. The GFIN also aims to create a new framework for cooperation between financial services regulators on innovation topics, sharing different experiences and approaches.

We have been a GFIN participant since it was formally launched in January 2019 and we actively participate in the GFIN Cross Border Testing program.

International cooperation agreements

The OSC has signed agreements with certain international financial regulators to make it easier for Ontario-based innovators to attract and do business with investors around the globe:

• Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
• U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)