City of Toronto Partners with WeWork to Provide International Workspaces to Entrepreneurs

On June 21, 2018, the City of Toronto and its partners in the innovation community launched the Toronto Startup Passport through their partnership with WeWork. WeWork provides working spaces in 388 office locations in 70 cities. Reflecting the vision he has for the city, Mayor John Tory says “Toronto has a thriving entrepreneurial community and for these businesses to compete at an international scale, we need to provide them with the right infrastructure to succeed.”

According to a Daily Hive article, the Toronto Startup Passport includes:

• Access to workspace once a month at any of WeWork’s locations
• Ability to book and pay for workspace on an as-needed basis after the first complimentary booking
• Access to the WeWork Member Network App, which connects to more than 250,000 members worldwide
• Access to programming within WeWork spaces, including panels and events, and the ability to host events as a way to drive awareness in international markets
• Business services and lifestyle perks available only to WeWork members

Currently, WeWork already has two locations in Toronto, with two more set to open. Shopify, RBC and Techstars are amongst the companies located in these locations. Any startups associated with the MaRS Discovery District, the DMZ at Ryerson University, the University of Toronto Entrepreneurship and York University can have access to the passport.

Dave McLaughlin, Northeast General Manager for WeWork, explains that “there is certainly opportunity for Toronto entrepreneurs to do a lot of business internationally, but it’s hard because you need a way to plug into local networks and you need a space where you can meet these prospective partners.”

This partnership adds to the thriving startup scene in Toronto. It provides leverage for any startup intending to create international partnership or expand their services internationally. Growth and expansion already comes with financial, legal and human resource considerations. The passport alleviates the need for office locations when working in other cities or countries.