Five Leading-Edge Toronto Startups Creating Social Impact

With a host of news outlets pushing out negative, polarizing stories they know attract attention, it’s become far too easy to be pulled into this mindset. But, we can look past this fog of bleak headlines, break away, and remember all the good that people are doing in the world. Here’s a few local, Toronto companies helping to drive social impact right in your backyard!

Ecotierra
As a sustainable agroforestry project developer, Ecotierra is helping to generate positive environmental, economical and social impacts. Through tailor-made forestry and agricultural solutions, which generate top-quality carbon credits, their team works to address one of the most critical issues of our time - deforestation caused by unsustainable land use. 

Cyclica
Using a holistic approach that combines computational biophysics and machine learning, Cyclica is helping develop safer, more effective medicine by simulating the interaction of compounds in their integrated platform. By working with a diverse group of global partners, they hope to help create the next generation of life-saving medicine.

CoPower
Making it easier than ever for people to invest in organizations that align with their values, the team at CoPower has created an online marketplace for investing in clean energy projects. These initiatives offer predictable cash-flows, great returns, and measurable social impact so investors can be certain that money is being used effectively.

HigherEdPoints
With thousands of students struggling to pay for their education, HigherEdPoints has found an innovative way to help them pay. They've made it easier for students to fund their education through their ability to offer education credits in exchange for loyalty points instead of redeeming them for flights or merchandise.

Tecla by Komodo OpenLab
In order to help people with upper-body mobility impairments gain access to our touchscreen-enabled world, Komodo OpenLab has developed the Tecla - an assistive device that allows interaction with smartphones and tablets via adaptive controls these individuals already use.