Vikram Khurana (TBDC): “Canada is ready for Greek deeptech talent”

 

The Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC), one of Canada’s top business accelerators, “lands” in Athens, creating a new bridge of innovation between Greece and North America, through the initiative of startupper.gr which has invited the Chairman of the Toronto Business Development Centre, Vikram Khurana, to a special event to be held in Athens on October 20, 2025.

Through the Horizon program, TBDC helps European and now Greek startups expand into North America, gain access to investors, markets, and talent, with the aim of sustainable international growth. In the following interview, Vikram Khurana explains the strategic approach, support stages, and advantages offered by the Canadian technology hub to Greek companies targeting the global market.

Can you provide a brief overview of what the Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC) does and its primary role within Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem?

Vikram Khurana: Founded in 1990, TBDC has been helping founders launch, grow, and scale across North America. In the past decade, we have become specialists in helping international startups scale in North American markets, connecting them with capital, customers, talent, and go-to-market expertise. Most recently, TBDC is focussed on European founders and helping them raise capital in North America and expand into international markets through Canada.

We help European Founders who have innovations that can also help solve challenges in Ontario take informed steps that reduce risk associated with international expansion through a step-by-step approach.

What core services and support does TBDC offer to startups and scaleups aiming to enter the North American market?

Vikram Khurana: TBDC has created an equity free program for European founders that wish to expand beyond domestic or EU markets to North America. Every engagement is customized to the company business vertical, its expansion plans, and key business objectives related to expansion. We have three offerings under the Horizon program – Scout, Sprint Week and Surge.

We begin by working closely with each startup to develop a custom market viability study – the Scout Report. This provides a deep understanding through primary and secondary research provided by experts from North America. This report provides insights into the competitive landscape, local buyer personas, and go-to-market strategy recommendations that help preparation points to overcome barriers and challenges. The goal is simple: ito provide an affirmation that the founders understand risks and the assets needed to address opportunities in North America.

The next stage of our engagement with founders is in person during the Sprint Week, which is an immersive week in Toronto where we run targeted clinics and arrange one-on-one meetings with partners, investors, and potential customers based on each founder’s priorities. Founders also join a vibrant peer network of ambitious entrepreneurs from across Europe, engaging with the who’s who of Canada’s innovation ecosystem through curated events and introductions.

For founders seeking to execute on market entry strategy crafted through the phases in Scout and Sprint, we extend the journey through Surge., Surge combines advanced coaching, curated fractional executives, and hands-on executional support to help execution. Through Surge, startups gain access to fractional experts who are seasoned mentors, investors, and corporate partners that provide targeted, real-world guidance, ensuring every founder has the specialized talent and networks they need.

The TBDC Program will soon be landed in Greece. Could you explain what this program entails and the specific benefits it offers to participating Greek startups? 

Vikram Khurana: TBDC’s program will help European startups expand into North America with focus and precision. For Greek founders, it means tailored support, from risk mitigation, informed strategy development and validated market validation. 

Every company receives a customized pathway through the offerings under the program – Scout, Sprint Week in Toronto and Surge, designed to help them land ready, connect faster, and scale smarter.

What are the unique advantages of the Canadian technology ecosystem that make it an attractive destination for startups globally?

Vikram Khurana: Canada offers Greek founders a capital-efficient runway into the U.S. with lower burn rates, world-class talent, and a buyer network that truly understands deeptech. You’re close to U.S. customers without the early and expensive overhead of an American footprint, and you’re operating inside an ecosystem that’s collaborative by design.

Founders can combine non-dilutive government funding programs like Mitacs, IRAP, and SR&ED with venture or traditional financing to extend runway and fund pilots. And with a big Greek diaspora, teams can feel at home while unlocking North American sales hours.  Simply said, Canada feels less foreign and more asset-rich for Greek startups. Founders can quickly plug into communities like TechTO, Canada’s Global Innovation Clusters, and the TBDC alumni network, accelerating learning, partnerships, and access to customers.

How does TBDC collaborate with European, particularly Greek, startups to facilitate their entry and growth in the Canadian and U.S. markets?

Vikram Khurana: TBDC is the only Canadian organization accredited in the European Innovation Council (EIC) Services Catalogue, meaning EIC-funded startups may be eligible for additional EIC support to fund their work with TBDC. That access matters and the selection matters even more.

We collaborate and are looking closely to work with EIC partners, universities, founder networks, investors, VCs, and other ecosystem partners who work with fast growing startups every day. Our goal is to identify founders for whom North America is the next logical step towards global growth.

We align each founder with the right buyers, sector mentors, and, where needed, fractional executives to refine their narrative and strengthen their pipeline. For Greek startups, we also leverage Canada’s vibrant Greek diaspora and Europe-savvy operators who can bridge both culture and context, helping founders land faster and grow stronger.

What kind of strategic guidance, mentorship, and networking opportunities does TBDC provide to startups and entrepreneurs?

Vikram Khurana: At TBDC, founders get hands-on support. Each Founder works with a dedicated program manager who helps map their expansion goals and build a North American pipeline step by step.

My rule is simple: we set up meaningful meetings that are tied to a clear outcome. When founders join us in person, every meeting is curated for business impact.

Every warm introduction carries a specific purpose: a pilot, a proof of concept, or an investment thesis fit, so there are no cold starts and no vanity meetings or interactions. The goal is disciplined momentum with fewer conversations, higher conversion, and faster references.

In a nutshell, our Program feels like a consulting service, rather than a standard acceleration program for startups.

What are some of the main challenges Greek startups face when scaling to North America, and how does TBDC assist in overcoming these barriers?

Vikram Khurana: Greek startups often discover that North American buyers are cautious and reference-driven. They want proof that a solution has been validated in their market, by someone they trust, before they invest time, budget, or credibility in a new partnership.

TBDC helps founders overcome this by:

• Building credibility quickly through preparation with a network of trusted champions.
• Sharpening their customer and investor pitch and proof packs to meet expectations.
• Mapping clear procurement paths so the distance from first meeting to pilot, and from pilot to paid, is shorter.

TBDC’s mentor network supports deeptech teams by:

• Fast-tracking IP strategy and aligning with Canadian and U.S. standards.
• Reframing their value proposition around North American buyer pain points.
• Localizing messaging and fine-tuning every step of the sales cycle to help close their first deal faster.

To sustain growth, we help startups craft a crisp, data-backed investment thesis, and we guide founders toward non-dilutive funding programs that extend runway without distorting the cap table.

Could you share your vision for TBDC’s expansion and partnership strategy in Greece over the coming years? 

Vikram Khurana: Real. Informed. Structured. Fast. This is TBDC’s focus for Greece’s Founders. We’re building deep, strategic partnerships with Greek VC funds, corporates, and ecosystem leaders to identify the most promising startups ready to scale globally. Our goal is not volume, but quality – founders who are prepared, invested, and have the wherewithal to to win in North America.

Through these partnerships, we’re offering access to mentors, virtual clinics, and market-entry expertise so founders can make informed, data-driven decisions about expansion. By collaborating with Greek investment firms, we aim to give their portfolios a tangible edge: warm buyer access, non-dilutive funding pathways, and a Toronto landing base that converts into real revenue across Canada and the U.S.

Startupper.gr is creating a new bridge to international markets by bringing the leading Canadian business incubator TBDC to Athens. What impact do you anticipate this initiative having on the Greek innovation ecosystem and the internationalization of Greek startups?

Vikram Khurana: Thank you, Startupper.gr, for helping us connect with the next generation of Greek founders! Greece is producing world-class deeptech talent, and Canada is ready for it. Through this initiative, TBDC aims to strengthen Greek–Canadian trade and talent links while offering a trusted Toronto base where startups can land, hire, and win their first North American customers.

TBDC sees this as the start of a lasting bridge between two innovation ecosystems that share ambition, creativity, and resilience. By linking Greece’s growing deeptech expertise with Canada’s capital-efficient, globally connected ecosystem, we can help Greek founders scale faster, attract top-tier investors, and build companies that compete on the world stage.

What upcoming programs or initiatives does TBDC plan to introduce in the near future to further support startups and foster innovation?

Vikram Khurana: We’ve got a few big drops coming to make expansion faster and funding smarter. Our next wave of programs will focus on giving grants to Greek Founders and providing early capital investments in innovative products and solutions that solve problems across borders.