OCTOBER 21, 2025 • MaRS CENTRE • TORONTO

Mastering The Art Of Tech Acquisitions & Exits

TechExit.io is the go-to event for technology industry players who want to understand the ins and outs of selling and buying technology companies.

Where Canada’s Tech Entrepreneurs Network, Learn & Make Deals Happen

What is TechExit.io?

TechExit.io is where startup & scale-up founders, and corporate innovators come to master the strategies, signals, and secrets behind buying and selling tech companies. Whether you’re planning your first exit, eyeing your next acquisition, or building with buyout in mind—this is the roadmap to scale smart and exit strong.

What You Can Expect

In today’s fast-paced tech landscape, every founder should start with the end in mind.

At TechExit.io, we decode how to:

Build acquisition-ready companies from Day One
Spot the signs of readiness—both operational and strategic
Structure clean, compelling exits for maximum valuation
Navigate investor dynamics, deal timelines, and due diligence
Understand the psychology behind buyers and sellers

Find Out More

OCTOBER 21, 2025 • MaRS CENTRE • TORONTO

2025 Speakers Just Announced

Get ready to hear from this year’s lineup of tech founders, investors, and dealmakers who are driving real results in today’s M&A landscape. These are the voices shaping the future of tech and they’re live on stage at TechExit 2025.

View All 2025 Speakers

Allen Lau

Co-Founder

Wattpad (Acquired by Naver Corp. for $754M CAD)

Amar Varma

Co-Founder & CEO

Mantle

Farhan Thawar

VP & Head of Engineering

Shopify (Co-Founder Helpful.com- Acquired by Shopify)

Jeremy Shaki

Co-Founder & CEO

Lighthouse Labs (Acquired by Uvaro)

Sarah Daniele

CEO & Co-Founder

Mydoma Studio (Acquired by Studio Designer)

Kevin Kliman

Co-Founder & CEO

Humi (Acquired by Employment Hero for over $100M CAD)

Kazi Ahmed

Co-Founder & CEO

Carbon6 (Acquired by SPS Commerce for $305M CAD)

Julia Kassam

Executive Advisor

2025 Conference Chair

A Message From Our Chair

If you’re a Builder, TechExit.io is your opportunity to connect with like-minded Builders shaping the world. We will explore the subtle and not-so-subtle nuances of building and how they pertain to acquisition, and share lessons on how to acquire. This is where resources, knowledge, and the network you’ll need to succeed will be.

–Amar

View 2025 Speakers

Amar Varma

Co-Founder & CEO

Mantle

This Year’s Focus: Optionality is King

Since 2017, TechExit.io has been the essential event for tech entrepreneurs and dealmakers to master the art of exits.

In 2025, the game is changing; AI, secondaries, and optionality are reshaping the landscape. This year, it’s not just about preparing for a single deal, it’s about staying ready for anything.

Learn how to keep every door open, maximize every move, and shape your company’s future on your terms.

Join us for tactical case studies, proven frameworks, and real-world insights from those who’ve done it.

Hear from Our TechExit.io Alumni

TechExit.io is such an awesome event.

Laurie Schultz

Chair of the Board of Directors, Benevity (Former President & CEO of Galvanize – Acquired by Diligent Corporation for $1 Billion)

The value at TechExit.io is hearing on the ground stories from founders who have sold their companies and being surrounded by a network of people who know the upsides and downsides of selling a company.

Jack Newton

CEO & Founder, Clio (Acquired Lawyaw, Calendarrules & Lexicata)

What I like about this event is the experience of sharing behind-the-scene stories that you wouldn’t be able to Google or read in the news. People are sharing their stories very authentically and transparently.

Allen Lau

Co-Founder & CEO, Wattpad (Acquired by Naver)

All of the stakeholders are under one roof and this is a great opportunity to meet everybody – advisors, investors, people on both buying & selling sides, and to learn from their experience.

Tarique Al-Ansari

CEO, Paystone

OCTOBER 21, 2025 • MaRS CENTRE • TORONTO

Early Bird Sale!

Save up to $350 when you bring 2+!

Sale ends September 25 – get your tickets now!

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Explore The Latest Articles From TechExit NOW

From Written Off To $1B: 4 Lessons From Laurie Schultz at Galvanize

This article explores how Laurie Schultz transformed Galvanize from a legacy audit software firm into a modern, SaaS-driven unicorn through smart culture shifts, disciplined execution, and strategic patience. Discover the exact strategies Laurie used to build momentum, the mindset she relied on when navigating exits, and how those 4 lessons can equip today’s founders to build exit-readiness from Day One.

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After The Exit: How Founders Can Protect Wealth & Build Legacy

Building a company takes focus. Exiting one demands a different kind of discipline. The shift from founder to wealth steward is about building the structure to handle whatever comes next. Markets turn. Opportunities appear and sometimes, the five Ds (death, disability, divorce, dispute, and distress) force decisions on someone else’s timeline. The founders who stay ahead are the ones who plan for change long before it arrives.

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How AI Is Reshaping Tech M&A: 5 Shifts Founders & Acquirers Must Understand

The path to a successful exit looks different in 2025. In the age of AI, building a strong engineering team or a slick feature set isn’t always enough. Valuations are shaped by what surrounds your product, distribution, data, trust, and deals are structured with new metrics and risks in mind. These five shifts offer a real-time snapshot of how tech M&A is evolving and what builders and buyers alike will need to know to stay ahead.

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How Copperleaf Engineered A $1B Exit: 4 Steps Every Founder Can Learn From

Copperleaf’s path to a $1B exit wasn’t easy (or typical). Under Judi Hess, with support from early backers like Pender Ventures, the team turned tough markets, early setbacks, and complex customer challenges into a foundation for long-term growth. Their story offers practical, lived experiences and insights for founders on building a business that’s truly exit-ready. Here’s how they did it and what you can apply to your own journey.

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From Founder To $100M+ Exit: Greg Malpass’ 5 Rules For Getting Acquired

Greg Malpass didn’t set out to sell. He set out to solve customer problems and that mindset turned a solo consultancy into one of the largest Salesforce partners in the world, 1,100 employees, 1,800+ clients, and multiple product spinouts, culminating in a 2022 acquisition by Salesforce and a $100M+ exit for Traction Guest. Greg’s story is a case study of how exits aren’t events; they’re the result of continuous strategic choices. From customer-led growth to reclaiming product IP during acquisition, Greg built a company that was both resilient and highly acquirable.

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The Exit Is a Process, Not a Moment: How Clio Structured for Liquidity & Longevity

Most founders think about their exit as a final chapter, a moment of payoff, or transition. But what if it’s not a moment at all? At TechExit.io, Jack Newton shared how Clio redefined the concept of an exit by treating liquidity as a continuous strategy and not just a one-time event. What followed wasn’t just a record-breaking $1.2 billion CAD financing round but rather a masterclass in secondaries, partner selection, and long-range planning. If you’re building a SaaS company with ambitions beyond the next round, this is the blueprint.

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Think Like a Buyer: Four Real Exit Lessons from Two Founders Who Sold

In this article, we explore the firsthand experiences of two founders; Jason Leeson of Squirrel Systems (Acquired by Valoris Group) and Kris Hartvigsen of Dooly (Acquired by Mediafly), who each took very different paths when it came to selling their companies. Jason led the exit of a decades-old legacy business, while Kris navigated the sale of a high-growth AI startup in an everchanging tech market.

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Portrait Of A Leader: 5 Lessons Tech Founders Can Learn From Bill Hunter & Geordie Rose

It’s not just about having a world-changing product or a compelling pitch. The most effective founders develop something deeper: the ability to endure setbacks, make tough people-based decisions, and continue inspiring others when things don’t go as planned. Whether you’re prepping for an acquisition or have just raised a round, your mindset and leadership approach can shape your company’s trajectory and its ultimate exit. Here’s what we learned from two founders who’ve lived the full cycle.

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What Buyers Really Want: M&A Insights For Founders Looking To Sell

It’s not just about having strong financials or flashy growth metrics. The founders who land great outcomes know how to play the long game—building trust, staying top of mind, and aligning with a buyer’s bigger picture. They understand that timing, positioning, and preparation matter just as much as performance. Whether you’re actively exploring a sale or just starting to think about what an exit could look like, the steps you take now will shape the opportunities available to you later. These seasoned founders and acquirers have been through it—and they’re sharing exactly what you should focus on to make your company not just sellable, but sought-after.

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