The tech event is expected to attract 10,000 visitors to downtown Toronto between October 7 and 9.
2025 Raise the Festival announced the full schedule and list of speakers.
The seventh annual festival is expected to draw 10,000 visitors from across the global tech community to downtown Toronto from October 7 to 9. BetaKit is the official media partner of Elevate Festival.
The event, which will take place at Meridian Hall and the St. Lawrence Arts Center, will feature 85 sessions supporting this year's eight specialty tracks. These content tracks cover artificial intelligence (AI), scaling, financial technology, lunar projects, product development, cybersecurity, innovation and women in technology.
“This is a celebration of the entrepreneurs who are driving growth, creating jobs and putting Toronto on the global technology map.”
It all starts on opening night on the main stage with an event hosted by host and creator Amber Mac. There, participants will hear from OpenAI's Chris Lehane on the future of democratizing AI, representatives from TD Bank and Cohere on how corporate Canada is supporting AI innovation, and Canadian actor Simu Liu. Liu will talk about his journey, targeted investing and the industries he believes are shaping the future.
Other sessions will take participants to Spotify's AI Lab, where director David Nyhan will talk about creating the next generation of personalized music experiences or the future of media and gaming, courtesy of YouTube Canada head Andrew Peterson.
On the final day, Panache Ventures managing partner Prashant Matta and Inovia Capital director Mia Morissette will talk to founders about the realities that other venture capitalists (VCs) do not share. They'll reveal what venture capitalists are really looking for in their pitches, the pitfalls founders face, and strategies for closing deals in a competitive market.
In partnership with TechTO and ElanTech, Startup Open House returns this year to shine a spotlight on Toronto's startup community. On the final day of the festival, companies across the city will open their doors to showcase their work, network with talent and highlight Toronto's role as a global hub for innovation.
“Bringing the Startup Open House back to Elevate is a way to expand the festival beyond our stages and into the city itself,” Elevate co-founder and CEO Lisa Zarzeczny said in a statement. “This is a celebration of the entrepreneurs who are driving growth, creating jobs and putting Toronto on the global technology map.”
This year's Elevate Festival will also feature Silicon Valley veterans including Canadian co-founder and CEO of autonomous trucking company Aurora Chris Urmson, as well as Sierra co-founder Clay Bavor and former Airbnb general manager Dorothy Kilroy.
Elevate Festival announces that it is adding new events to its lineup. agendas every day. Tickets can be found on his Wewebsite.
Image courtesy of Elevate via X.
