Four months since the North American acceleration programme by TBDC launched, we are reflecting on the first strides within our cohort and the concrete foundation of our partnership with the Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC). This isn’t just a look back at November. It’s the first milestone in our broader North American roadmap.
The Sprint Week launch was a logical consequence of our long-standing commitment to global growth. In November 2025, 8 startups from our portfolio joined TBDC and us in Toronto for an intensive week focused on building solid connections through a strategic entry node to the North American market. As a leading non-profit incubator, TBDC was originally founded as a joint initiative with the Ontario government and serves as a critical bridge between private innovation and Canadian public-sector support.
The Sprint Week Through Founder’s Lens
Through tailored masterclasses and curated introductions, the Programme not only sharpened GTM strategies, but most importantly prepared the founders for the complexity of US-Canada markets. It was the pragmatic approach that brought real merit, as shared by the founders themselves. Asude Altıntaş, the Co-Founder and CEO of Twin Science, reflects: “The team organised direct meetings with real schools and stakeholders rather than just networking sessions. That gave us concrete market feedback instead of hypothetical discussions. I think this was the main distinguishing power of this programme.
While the vision centered around creating an entirely new range of gateways to North America, the practical criterion was delivering tangible and lasting value to the full cohort of 20+ participating startups. And the first strides for our founders are already underway.
“We are currently following up on two pilot opportunities with schools in Toronto as a direct result of the programme. While they are still in progress, we are optimistic that these pilots can convert into commercial partnerships. Beyond that, the market insights we gained have already helped refine our North America strategy,” concludes Asude Altıntaş.
Cohort at a glance:
- Twin Science
- Better Medicine
- eAgronom
- Kardi AI
- Madmonq
- FluoSphera
- Youni
- Antiverse
Beyond the Cohort: The Cross-Border Partnership
The success of Sprint Week is scalable, reflecting our flexible approach to the international growth of our portfolio. Through our collaboration with TBDC, we built a joint operational bridge between Europe and North America.
“The Sprint Week demonstrated how closely aligned we are in our approach: focused, hands-on, outcome-driven. Together, we open practical pathways for their portfolio startups to enter and scale in North America, while expanding our relationships with high-quality European investors. We look forward to welcoming many more Soulmates Ventures portfolio startups to the North American market in the years ahead,” – as shared by the TBDC team.
With the backbone of this operational bridge, our founders have local advocates who understand the challenges and specifics of North American markets. This step was the first link in a larger trans-Atlantic network. Now we’re ready to advance – and deepen – our crossborder collaboration as well as our infrastructure in North America. Special thank you to Vikram Khurana and the entire TBDC team for their trust and shared dedication. November was the catalyst. The long-run integration can now begin.
