PitchBook blog

   

“We have a mission to support international business expansion into the Toronto Region. Many companies don’t realize that we represent not just the city, but the Greater Toronto Area. That’s 24 municipalities and about seven million people, representing a diversity of options and talent for businesses.” –Michael Keoshkerian, Senior Advisor, Investment Attraction Toronto Global

Toronto Global is based in one of the most innovative and dynamic metropolitan areas in the world, connecting international businesses with everything the region has to offer. Home to a broad and deep pool of talent rich with STEM expertise, many newcomers to Canada get their start here.

 

Accelerating growth in a high-growth region

The team at Toronto Global has big goals to help attract the right businesses and contribute to the economic development of the region. Michael Keoshkerian, a Senior Advisor in Investor Attraction at the firm, explains, “We want to bring in more newcomers to Canada than at any other point in our history as a country. So over three years, the target is 1.5 million new people. In a country of 38 million that’s ambitious! But where do the bulk of those newcomers land? It’s within the Toronto Region.” Despite the ambitious goals for current and future growth, the region is already home to a large and deep pool of good, talented people. In the context of Toronto Global’s mission, Keoshkerian explains that they help all kinds of companies—and here, they can find the right types of people for their businesses. “Whether it’s a software company, a factory, or a sales office, these companies are looking for good people and they’ll find those people here,” says Keoshkerian. High growth in the region is a healthy indicator of economic activity and shows that companies coming into the area can make good use of the local employee base.

“It’s a dual story of the country; welcoming people from all over the world, but also allowing companies to set up a base here and tap into our large talent pool."

—Michael Keoshkerian, Toronto Global

Daniel Hengeveld, Vice President of Investment Attraction at Toronto Global, elaborates on the region’s unique technical strengths. “The Toronto Region is home to the largest talent pool in terms of STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math], which is in huge demand right now for any one of the innovation spaces. We have a really unique base of talent that companies can hire from,” Hengeveld explains. Not only is this pool beneficial for companies today, but also for building the emerging spaces and verticals of tomorrow. Hengeveld says that because of the resources and talent, “There’s going to be substantial growth in innovative new sectors like mobility and EVs, or ESG and sustainability.”

Keoshkerian further highlights this story of growth, saying, “It’s a dual story of the country; welcoming people from all over the world, but also from an economic development perspective, it’s allowing companies to set up a base here and tap into our large talent pool.” To do that, there are a number of programs created to help newly arriving families get established, including access to healthcare and visas for family members.

“PitchBook has been a fantastic tool for connecting. PitchBook’s reports, information on deal flow, even the newsletter—all those data points combined allow us to reach out with very personalized pitches."

—Michael Keoshkerian, Toronto Global

Improving outreach efforts with detailed information

Developing relationships with people is at the core of what they do, so Toronto Global understands the importance of connecting with the right person at the right time. Keoshkerian explains, “That’s something that a lot of folks on our team like to do; reach out and identify the correct person, which PitchBook does very well.”

To start conversations and reach out to the right people, the Toronto Global team looks to PitchBook. Comprehensive information on the latest developments and trends in the world’s capital markets enables the team to make more informed decisions and more personalized pitches. Keoshkerian says, “PitchBook has been a fantastic tool for connecting. With helpful research and reports, information on deal flow, even the newsletter—all those data points combined allow us to reach out with very personalized pitches.”

Challenged by restrictions brought on by COVID-19, outreach efforts haven’t been quite the same. That’s where it helps to have accurate, timely information for improved outreach. Hengeveld remarks, “Building that personal touch is possible through all the data PitchBook provides, despite challenges from COVID. I think we’ve actually had one of the best years in terms of reaching out cold and having really personal conversations and developing those relationships—all through email.”

Another unique benefit that PitchBook provides the team at Toronto Global is the ability to benchmark markets around the world, including the United States. Hengeveld says, “When I’m doing research on different markets, I can find out: ‘What’s the deal flow there? What sectors are popular? How do these areas compare to the Toronto Region?’ This is actually incredibly unique, and it gives me a really good idea of how to best deploy resources.”

Further, PitchBook’s information on vertical and investment activity can provide critical market context and help identify the right targets. According to Hengeveld, that’s a big differentiator; “What makes PitchBook stand out in my mind is the ability to create specific target lists by vertical or theme. Having the ability to drill down into very specific subsectors makes all the difference. That’s something no other data source can compare to.”

"What makes PitchBook stand out in my mind is the ability to create specific target lists by vertical or theme. Having the ability to drill down into very specific subsectors makes all the difference. That’s something no other data source can compare to."

—Daniel Hengeveld, Toronto Global

Want to see how PitchBook can help your firm? Request a free trial.