Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
Karsten Wenzlaff is a Crowdfunding and Fintech Expert from Germany. He is Secretary-General of Digit[...]
Elevate Becomes Nrth
September 23, 2026 | NCFA News | Technology And Innovation, Startup And Venture Ecosystem, Events And Community, Canadian Tech Ecosystem
Canadian Tech Organization Rebrands and Expands Year Round
On September 22, 2026, Canadian technology and innovation organization Elevate announced it has officially become Nrth, introducing the new name during the opening night of its annual Toronto festival.
Elevate Festival has also been renamed Nrth Festival, with the 2026 event continuing in Toronto from September 22 to 24.
The organization says Nrth is an evolution of Elevate rather than a new organization. Its existing community, programs and annual festival will continue under the new brand.
Nrth Expands Beyond the Annual Festival
Elevate launched in 2017 as a platform for Canada's technology and startup community. According to the official announcement, its events have attracted more than 89,000 attendees over its first nine years.
Under Nrth, the organization plans to operate throughout the year in addition to running its flagship festival.
Beginning in 2027, Nrth says its activities will include more events, programs connecting Canadian companies with customers and investors, support for businesses adopting emerging technologies and research and insights covering Canada's innovation economy.
Lisa Zarzeczny, Co-Founder and CEO of Nrth:
“Elevate was created to lift Canadian innovation into view. But visibility alone isn’t enough anymore. Nrth is about direction and expanding the role we can play for this community.”
Existing programs are also being incorporated into the new structure. The CIX Startup Awards will become the Nrth Innovation Awards, while startup, innovation and technology adoption programs will operate under Nrth Labs.
Nrth Festival Continues in Toronto
Nrth Festival remains the organization's main annual gathering, bringing together founders, investors, business leaders, policymakers and technology companies.
The first Nrth Festival (previously Elevate Festival) is currently underway in Toronto from September 22 to 24, 2026, with more than 10,000 attendees expected and programming covering AI, fintech, technology sovereignty and other areas of innovation.
NCFA is pleased to continue supporting the event as a Community Partner.
Learn more about Nrth Festival.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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