If you're building toward an exit, it’s easy to focus on growth, revenue, and headline numbers. But when buyers step in, they’re not just evaluating what you’ve built, they’re evaluating risk, durability and what could go wrong after they take over. At TechExit.io Vancouver, moderator Paige Addesi (Explora Partners) sat down with Randeep Janjua (BDC Capital), David Thomas (Terra Dygital), and Maryam Zargar (Miller Thomson LLP) to unpack what’s really driving deal outcomes today.

There’s a point in every company’s growth where the job fundamentally changes. At TechExit.io, moderator Mark Longo (Osler) sat down with Jack Newton (Clio) and Jeff Shiner (1Password) to talk about what it really looks like to lead through that transition, from early traction to global scale. Both have built category-defining companies from Canada. Both have navigated acquisitions, global expansion and the pressure that comes with operating at a completely different level.

Canadian tech used to be known for getting acquired. At TechExit.io Vancouver, Globe and Mail reporter Sean Silcoff pointed out how quickly that narrative has shifted. Fourteen years ago, limited capital and lower valuations left many startups vulnerable to foreign buyers. Today, a growing number of Canadian companies are reaching scale and using acquisitions to expand products, enter new markets and build stronger businesses. Joining Sean were Shelly Badhesha (RBCx), Jeff Duke (Vibanc) and Andrew McLeod (Certn) leaders who have helped drive this shift from targets to acquirers.

In March 2026, founders are thinking carefully about liquidity. Strategic buyers remain active, IPO windows are selective and deal structures require patience. Exit conversations are happening earlier and more often inside boardrooms. At TechExit.io Toronto, Allen Lau offered a perspective that feels increasingly relevant. Drawing from his experience building Wattpad and guiding it through a $754M CAD acquisition by Naver Corp., he spoke about exits from a position of long-term discipline rather than short-term ambition.

When founders think about valuation, they often picture a number tied to revenue or market comps but the number on the term sheet is only the surface. What actually influences valuation runs deeper and often starts long before a company enters a formal process. At TechExit.io Toronto, moderator Narbe Alexandrian (Define Capital) led a practical and clear-eyed conversation with Talia Abramowitz (Deloitte Ventures), Mitch Robinson (Sampford Advisors) and Frazer House (BLG). Together, they peeled back the layers on what shapes valuation in today’s deal environment, especially in a market full of economic noise, AI hype and increasingly cautious buyers.

Every founder wants optionality, whether it's more paths, more leverage or better outcomes. But here’s the reality: most companies don’t get options. They get boxed in by early decisions, rushed fundraising or market myopia. At TechExit.io Toronto, moderator Julia Kassam led a panel of seasoned insiders including Petar Zelic (Stifel), Rhiannon Davies (Sandpiper Ventures), and Shamil Hargovan (STS Capital Partners) who broke down exactly how exits really happen in today’s environment, and why founders need to stop treating M&A as a future event and start treating it like a long-range strategy.