Event category: Plenary

Products can be copied… brands can’t. In this pulse-check on marketing 2025 and beyond, we unpack how AI-driven content streams, trust signals, and dark social loops are rewriting valuation math… and reveal practical plays founders can use right now to make brand equity their biggest leverage.  

What You Will Learn:

• Why strong branding can boost your valuation
• How to build trust in an AI-driven marketing world
• Leveraging “dark social” and content ecosystems
• Metrics that matter most to buyers and investor

What if the best way to get acquired is to stop trying so hard? In this provocative session, one of Canada’s legendary entrepreneurs shares why chasing an exit can be counterproductive-and how building a company with purpose, staying focused on long-term value, and ignoring acquisition hype can actually lead to the best outcomes, including acquisition. Drawing from his experience leading one of Canada’s largest tech exits, this ecosystem giant offers founders a refreshingly contrarian take on what really matters when it comes to building for the long run.

What You Will Learn:

• Why building for value beats building for exit
• How mission-driven growth attracts better buyers
• Real examples of organic exits done right
• Tips for resisting exit hype and staying focused

Founders today know one thing for sure: the “one-size-fits-all” exit doesn’t exist anymore. The smartest leaders are building their companies with optionality in mind, keeping the doors open to strategic sales- without getting boxed into one path too soon.

In this candid conversation, hear from legal and M&A experts and an exited founder where they’ll unpack the tactical decisions that can help preserve your exit options – from the way you structure your cap table and shareholder agreements to how you position for global buyers or the public markets.

Whether you’re aiming for a high-value acquisition, or just want to keep your options wide open, this session gives you the insider playbook to stay in control.

What You Will Learn:

• • Tactics for keeping multiple exit paths open

• • How to structure your company with flexibility

• • Pitfalls that lock you into one exit route

• • Strategic decisions that boost global appeal and IPO readiness

The venture capital landscape is shifting, and alongside market changes a tsunami of AI integration, including solutions to help VCs make better, faster, and smarter decisions. This session dives into how AI is being used and what you should know in the battle of brain vs bots.

What You Will Learn:

• How VCs are using AI in investment decisions
• What AI tools are impacting the venture landscape
• Risks and rewards of AI-led capital allocation
• What founders should know about fundraising in this new VC world

Exits aren’t one-size-fits-all anymore. To stay ahead in today’s tech M&A market means understanding how valuations, deal structures, and timing are evolving- and how optionality gives you leverage. With AI upending industries, market uncertainty everywhere, and buyers shifting their playbooks, this session cuts through the noise with a real-world outlook for 2026. Walk away with the trends, insights, and strategies to help your next deal- whether you’re selling, buying, or advising.

What You Will Learn:

• Key M&A trends for 2026 and beyond
• How deal structures are changing
• When and how optionality gives founders negotiating power
• How AI and global conditions are impacting buyer behaviour