Helping founders
launch and scale in Canada

Your pathway to Canada, for experienced leaders

Based in Vancouver, British Columbia

Sparknorth Ventures helps experienced founders expand into Canada, supporting market entry, execution, and access to the right capital at the right stage.

What we do

We help experienced founders and growth companies enter and scale in Canada and North America, working with a small number of teams at a time to ensure real focus and depth.

Our work is hands on, founder level, and focused on execution, real traction, and long term outcomes, not advisory only. It combines structured planning, senior execution support, and market driven growth across Canada and the United States.

Our core activities
Everything we do is built around three core activities. Each one has a clear focus and outcome.

  • Outcome: clarity and a clear decision

    • Senior level, structured assessment

    • Founder and leadership readiness

    • Canada and North America market entry logic

    • Corporate, immigration, regulatory, and operational realities

    • Financial structure, growth funding considerations, and timing

    • IP, regulatory, and strategic constraints

    You leave with a clear, honest view of whether Canada is the right next step now, and what realistic next steps look like.

  • Outcome: access to the right people

    • Vetted Canadian advisors with hands on scaling experience

    • Corporate and industry partners open to pilots and early validation

    • Select investors and angel groups aligned with long term value creation

    • Trusted service and execution partners across legal, IP, grants, compliance, and go to market

    Introductions are targeted, senior, and aligned with your stage and execution priorities.

  • Outcome: execution and traction in market

    • Market entry planning and sequencing

    • Go to market strategy and execution support

    • Partner and customer introductions

    • Operational setup and scaling in Canada and North America

    • Growth planning aligned with real market progress

    Capital is never the starting point. When funding is needed, it is approached as part of the strategy, with the right investors, timing, and structure.

Who it’s for?

We work with experienced founders and companies preparing for serious expansion into Canada and North America.

  • We work with founders and companies who:

    • Have real operating history and founder level experience

    • Are beyond the idea stage, with a tested MVP or early revenue

    • Are serious about market entry and growth in Canada and the United States

    • Want senior level, strategic conversations rather than generic advice

    • Value clarity, trust, and long term execution over short term acceleration

    We most often work with technology driven companies where European innovation aligns well with Canadian and North American market needs, including areas such as smart buildings, urban infrastructure, climate and sustainability solutions, and applied AI. Strong teams outside these areas are also welcome when the fundamentals and ambition are right.

  • Sparknorth Ventures is not a fit for:

    • Idea stage startups

    • First time founders still learning the basics of company building

    • Teams without a validated product or early market traction

    • Companies looking for funding without execution readiness

    This selectivity is intentional. We work with fewer companies so we can go deeper, move faster, and deliver meaningful value to every founder we partner with.

  • We support founders through two distinct pathways, depending on where the company is on its North American journey.

    MVP Stream
    Early stage companies with a tested MVP, led by experienced founders, preparing for their first structured market entry into Canada.

    Scale Stream
    Companies with traction or revenue, ready to scale operations, partnerships, and growth across Canada and North America.

CleanTech

*

PropTech

*

Smart City

*

High-Tech

*

AI

*

CleanTech * PropTech * Smart City * High-Tech * AI *

Every startup receives a tailored, hands-on expansion plan designed around its technology, stage, and growth goals.

Why Canada?

Canada offers a unique combination of stability, talent, and access for companies entering North America.

  • Strong innovation and funding ecosystem

  • Clear and predictable regulatory frameworks

  • Strong alignment with European technology and sustainability priorities

  • Direct access to North American markets

  • A pragmatic and credible entry point to the United States

Canada also backs innovation with meaningful, non-dilutive support.

Public funding and incentives include:

  • More than CAD$12B annually dedicated to innovation, R&D, and commercialization

  • IRAP support covering a significant portion of eligible R&D salaries and subcontractor costs

  • SR&ED refundable tax credits that can materially improve early stage cash flow.

For many companies, Canada is the most practical and capital efficient starting point for building a North American presence.

In practice, this means:

  • Canadian ecosystems are increasingly open to European innovation.

  • Market demand is strong across multiple technology domains.

  • Talent, IP, and operational pathways are more accessible than ever.

Timing is critical over speed in market entry.

The Founders

Sparknorth Ventures is built on real experience, not theory.

Peter Szarvas

Peter is a serial tech founder with 20+ years of experience scaling companies across Europe and North America. Based in Vancouver, he connects European innovation with the Canadian and North American ecosystem.

Founder

Matt has 20+ years of experience in Canada’s startup and innovation ecosystem, with strong connections across government programs, investors, and operators, and deep knowledge of navigating the Canadian market.

Co-Founder

Matt Heiydt

Let’s talk

Every relationship starts with a simple hello