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Sunil Sharma

Sunil Sharma

Sunil Sharma leads Founder Institute Toronto and previously ran Techstars Toronto, bringing accelerator, venture investment and diplomatic experience.

Mentee Testimony

"He has believed in me and supported me through all the ups and downs of my last three companies. He's a mentor, therapist, investor and super connector all rolled into one exceptional being."

Kyle Collier

About

Sunil Sharma leads Founder Institute Toronto and previously ran Techstars Toronto, bringing accelerator, venture investment and diplomatic experience.

Current Work

Managing Director, Founder Institute Toronto

Sunil Sharma is Managing Director of Founder Institute Toronto and holds the title Managing Director Emeritus at Techstars. He led Techstars Toronto from 2017 to 2024, following earlier work in venture investing and startup acceleration. His background includes helping founders develop companies through accelerator programs and investment networks.

Before Techstars, Sharma co-founded Extreme Startups and worked at Extreme Venture Partners. He has also been involved with Toronto’s technology conference community. Earlier, he served as a Canadian diplomat, including assignments connected to the United Nations and the consulate in San Diego. These roles span early-stage investing, accelerator operations and international relationship-building.

Experience Sunil brings to founders

  1. Startup accelerators
  2. Early-stage investing
  3. Founder networks
  4. Strategic partnerships
  5. International relations

Operating and investing experience

A selection of companies and roles connected to Sunil Sharma.

Ventures

Founder Institute Toronto

Managing Director

Techstars

Managing Director Emeritus; former Managing Director of Techstars Toronto

Extreme Startups

Co-founder

Extreme Venture Partners

Former venture investor

Highlights

  1. Led Techstars Toronto from 2017 to 2024.
  2. Co-founded the pre-seed accelerator Extreme Startups.
  3. Served as a Canadian diplomat before his accelerator career.

Questionsfounders ask aboutSunil Sharma

Who is Sunil Sharma?

Sunil Sharma leads Founder Institute Toronto and previously ran Techstars Toronto, bringing accelerator, venture investment and diplomatic experience.

What experience does Sunil Sharma bring to mentoring?

Their experience spans startup accelerators, early-stage investing, founder networks, strategic partnerships and international relations.

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