TORONTO SHOWED UP BIG
For the second time, CodeLaunch landed in Canada, and once again, the legendary El Mocambo was packed. More than 300 startup ecosystem builders, investors, developers, and curious tech lovers filled the historic venue, ready for a night that promised a different kind of pitch event, and absolutely delivered.
From the moment doors opened, the space buzzed with energy. Six startup booths greeted attendees alongside an open bar, Chef Mark McEwan’s signature bites, Improving debuted our brand new live voting app that turned everyone into a “Launch King” with 50,000 virtual Launch Bucks to invest in their favorite pitch.
And that was before the show even started.
the six finalists competing at codelaunch canada 2025
This year’s Canada cohort brought a sharp mix of industries, business models, and perspectives. Each founder is building toward a unique vision, each team worked side-by-side coding for 48 hours to be ready for the wildest night of Toronto Tech Week Wednesday, June 25. This was real product acceleration, led by senior software pros from our parent company, Improving.
Huge shoutout to every finalist and their dev teams for a show-stopping night:
StockLens – Toronto, ON
This platform is changing how people learn to invest, offering interactive tools that make the stock market more accessible for everyday users. They’ll team up with Devcelerate, an Improving squad known for bringing fintech ideas to life in high-pressure environments.
“CodeLaunch Canada 2025 is providing the crucial feedback and momentum needed to turn our innovative stock analysis solution into a reality.” — Clint Deygoo, Founder
Ratotecki Inc. – Toronto, ON
Focused on modernizing the energy sector, Ratotecki uses AI to streamline substation engineering for utilities. They’ll work with Rocket Stack, an Improving dev team skilled in building systems with precision and scale in mind.
“CodeLaunch Canada 2025 is a launchpad for our startup—giving us the visibility, validation, and momentum to showcase our innovation and take our vision to the global stage alongside founders who share our drive to shape the future.” — Valdimiro Cussei, Founder
On Time Bride – Oshawa, ON
On Time Bride is an all-in-one wedding planning platform that focuses on execution over discovery, providing real-time support and project management tools for brides, planners, and vendors as they navigate the wedding planning process. Teaming up with Monoids, an Improving crew experienced in designing agile task-flow systems.
“On Time Bride is at the beginning of our journey, and CodeLaunch Canada 2025 has given us the opportunity to accelerate our growth, reach our goals, and gain traction faster than we ever dreamed possible.” — Karen Jackson, Founder
Kavodax – Oshawa, ON
A blockchain startup is building tech to make quantum computing as accessible as today’s classical systems. Their work also enhances blockchain infrastructure, making it resilient, secure, and capable of bringing anything and everything on-chain. During the CodeLaunch hackathon, they worked with Improving team VanSquad.
“CodeLaunch is a launchpad where innovation meets execution from day one. The progress we made within CodeLaunch was unbelievably precious “ —Gharsa Amin, Founder
Golden Connections – North York, ON
This platform uses curated prompts and digital tools to foster meaningful interactions between elders and youth, helping bridge generational gaps through tech. During the hackathon, they worked with Top Guns, an Improving team known for thoughtful UX and interface design.
“CodeLaunch didn’t just support Golden Connections—it lit a fire under it. It gave us the pressure, play, and push we needed to turn vision into traction.” — Viona Chang, Founder
Electric Sheep Studios – Mississauga, ON
Developing an AI-powered party game set to launch in 2025, this Canadian team is rethinking how artificial intelligence can bring people together through play. They teamed up with codenucks, an Improving dev team ready to bring their vision to life.
“Participating in CodeLaunch has provided our startup with invaluable free resources, networking opportunities, and a significant boost in confidence—all within an intimate accelerator experience made possible by the passion and accessibility of Jason and his team.” — Jonathan Lau, Founder
let the competition begin...
The pitch battles kicked off with face-to-face finalist matchups:
- Kavodax vs Ratotecki
- Golden Connections vs Electric Sheep Studios
- StockLens vs On Time Bride
Each founder had four minutes to pitch their startup and show the audience what they accelerated just hours earlier in partnership with senior devs from Improving .
But before the finals began, the crowd witnessed something never seen in CodeLaunch history.
Jason W. Taylor, CodeLaunch founder and president, stepped on stage not to deliver a traditional keynote, but to debut a full-blown original rock song “We Code, You Launch” Part anthem, part speech, and entirely unexpected, the performance had the crowd chanting We Code You Launch, clapping, head-nodding, and fully locked in.
A rockstar keynote for a startup night that doesn’t follow the rules. Check out his song!
THE LIGHTING ROUND: Women Taking Center Stage at Codelaunch Canada 2025
For the first time in CodeLaunch history, all three lightning-round competitors were women-led startups. A huge moment, and one we’re proud to celebrate. The crowd leaned forward as each lighting round finalist stepped into the spotlight with confidence for the last 30 seconds of their final pitch to the audience:
And the CodeLaunch Canada 2025 Championship Goes to... Kavodax Blockchain Startup from Oshawa
In a powerful display of grit and technical ambition, Kavodax took home the championship belt, building tech that makes quantum computing as accessible as today’s systems—and reshaping blockchain infrastructure to be inclusive, secure, and ready for scale.
During the 48-hour professional hackathon, founder Gharsa Amin worked closely with professional coder team VanSquad, an Improving team led by Kazim Mir. Together, they accelerated and polished MVP that’s now available on the market.
“CodeLaunch has changed our lives forever. I’m so grateful for this opportunity—it’s a huge win, but also a big responsibility as we head to the World Championship in Dallas this November,” said Amin. “As a woman founder in blockchain, building something inclusive and community-first, I’m confident we’re going to crush it. This is just the beginning.”
CodeLaunch Canada 2025 was an unforgettable journey! We teamed up with the innovative startup Kavodax to help turn their idea into a polished MVP and winning pitch, watching it all come together was incredibly rewarding. The hackathon pushed us to think creatively, collaborate deeply, and grow as a team. As team captain of VanSquad, I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished and made Vancouver proud. Huge thanks to Ryan Syed and Mitchell Gale for joining me on this adventure — your talent and energy made all the difference. Big thanks to Improving for creating a space where purpose-driven innovation thrives!” Kazim Mir, VanSquad Team Captain – Improving Vancouver
The judges named Gharsa “the most fundable founder” of the night, honoring her unstoppable drive and clarity of vision. Kavodax now enters the next phase of their startup journey with full momentum: launching, scaling, and driving real impact for small and medium-sized businesses.
Behind the lights, the music, and the crowd energy was a panel of sharp minds who came to ask the hard questions.
Dr. Sarah Saska, co-founder of Feminuity and longtime champion of inclusive innovation, didn’t just show up to watch—she arrived ready with insight for every startup on that stage.
“So impressed by the calibre of founders at CodeLaunch. Thoughtful, intentional, and future-focused,” said Saska. “The fact that the three finalists were all women tackling such distinct, meaningful challenges did not go unnoticed.”
Alongside her, Patrick McGuire, CRO at ThinkFISH and a multi-time founder himself, brought a laser focus to traction, market fit, and investor readiness. He offered strategy, guidance, and follow-up to every team post-show.
And of course, the night wouldn’t have had the same energy without Rajiv Nathan, or as we all know him RajNATION, The Startup Hypeman, who performed a full-on concert before the competition kicked off.
But he wasn’t just there for the bars, he is also CodeLaunch Canada 2025 new emcee, connecting, and cheering as only a real founder ally can.
“I’m so proud of Gharsa and Kavodax. In winning both the judges and the crowd vote, she proved that when a strong product meets a powerful message delivered with heart, entire arenas want to see you succeed,” said RajNATION. “Can’t wait to see her on the world stage in Dallas this November.”
GRATEFUL TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY PARTNERS
We wouldn’t be able to accelerate startups the way we do without the in-kind sponsors and partners who pour into this event year after year.
ThinkFISH supported every finalist with a 6-month investor relations campaign (2x the value), exposure to their 87,000+ investor network, and direct sessions with their team.
Scale LLP provided $2,500 in legal services to Kavodax, giving them the foundation they need to scale with confidence.
And Ollon, who previously sponsored a dev team at our 2024 event, returned this year to award 40 hours of development support to Toronto-based semifinalist SECND. We’re deeply grateful for their continued belief in the CodeLaunch vision.
To the local ecosystem players, founders, and friends who cheered us on—thank you. Toronto continues to show up for innovation, and we’re proud to be a part of Toronto Tech Week, pushing the boundary of what pitch competitions can be.
View the CodeLaunch Canada 2025 Photo Gallery.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR CODELAUNCH
CodeLaunch is headed back to Guadalajara, Mexico next for our startup competition open to startups across LATAM, then all roads lead to the World Championship in Dallas this November.
Important deadlines:
🏁 US startup applications close on July 7.
🏁 LATAM startup applications are open through August 17.
Apply for free and accelerate your startup without losing equity with CodeLaunch!
Massive thanks to our parent company Improving, our PCL hackathon teams, sponsors, local partners, and the incredible Canadian startup ecosystem.
See you in August 2026.
