Hello to Canada’s SaaS and AI Community,
As we enter 2026, many Canadian founders are still facing the same question they wrestled with throughout the last cycle: do you stay and build at home or move south in pursuit of capital, customers and scale?
After years of tighter funding, heightened global competition and rising expectations on efficiency and execution, the decision feels less hypothetical and more defining. Against this backdrop, the SAAS NORTH session Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? The Great Canadian Dilemma continues to resonate.
Moderated by Lucy Hargreaves, co-founder and CEO of Build Canada, the conversation brought together Matt Himel (Harvest), Rachel Zimmer (Simple Ventures), and Claudio Rojas (National Angel Capital Organization) for a rare, grounded discussion on what staying (or leaving) really entails.
Rather than offering a single answer, the panel unpacked the trade-offs, myths and responsibilities that shape this decision for founders today.
Key takeaways:
- Canada’s talent advantage remains globally competitive.
- Early-stage founders benefit from building in a more controlled, less chaotic market.
- Tax considerations matter later; product focus matters first.
- Local capital still plays a decisive role in whether companies stay anchored.
- Building in Canada can be both a strategic and leadership decision.
Co-Founder/Producer, SAAS NORTH Conference Editor, SAAS NORTH NOW
Apply to Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) to access trusted IP education, funding, coaching and more.
Founders are navigating tighter capital markets, louder global competition and increasingly personal trade-offs. Entering 2026 hasn’t simplified those choices but it has clarified what’s at stake.
The panel didn’t shy away from any of it.
A Budget, A Signal & A Reality Check
The conversation opened with reflections on the federal budget and the broader direction of innovation policy. While no one framed it as a cure-all, the panel agreed it signalled a more informed understanding of the innovation economy, something founders continue to watch closely as policy, capital and competitiveness collide.
Claudio Rojas put it plainly:
“What I saw in the budget was that we’re headed in the right direction. It was bold. It could be much, much bolder, but it’s a very, very good start.”
He pointed to the $750 million allocated toward early-stage gaps as particularly meaningful for founders trying to maintain momentum amid longer fundraising cycles.
Rachel Zimmer brought the founder’s lens back into focus:
“Let it be white noise… and stay crazily focused on building, understanding what your customer needs and trying to build the right solution for them.”
That tension, between macro signals and day-to-day execution, set the stage for the larger question of whether to stay or go.
Canada’s Underrated Advantage: Talent
When asked why founders should still seriously consider staying, the panel returned again and again to one answer: talent.
Rachel Zimmer cited global research:
“We are one of the best talent hubs in the world… Southern Ontario is one of the top three regions in the world for talent.”
For SaaS and AI companies competing globally in 2026, this concentration continues to be a meaningful advantage.
Matt Himel reinforced that advantage through lived experience. Hiring senior leaders in Canada, he explained, allows companies to operate globally while managing cost and churn.
“Nothing makes me more excited than USD coming in and CAD going out.”
Record, transcribe, and summarize your meetings with the only AI meeting assistant built with privacy and security in mind.
Why The US Isn’t Always The Shortcut
The US still offers scale but the panel was clear that it also introduces volatility earlier than many founders expect.
Matt Himel described launching too early in the US at a previous company:
“The amount of referral fraud… the amount of online abuse of the platform was startling.”
Canada, by contrast, provides room to validate, iterate and build operational discipline before entering that level of competition.
In a climate where efficiency and resilience matter more than speed alone, that breathing room remains valuable.
The Capital Gains Debate
As 2026 begins, capital structure and exit math continue to dominate founder conversations but the panel urged perspective.
Matt Himel was direct:
“Neither of them were ever thinking about the tax implications of their exits when they started their companies.”
Claudio Rojas echoed the point: “
When you’re building, you don’t have the time and the energy to think about the tax implications.”
For early-stage founders, the panel agreed, focusing too early on exit scenarios risks pulling attention away from building durable value.
Why Local Capital Matters
Claudio Rojas emphasized that where early checks come from still shapes long-term outcomes.
“If those early investors were local… you’re not going to encourage someone unnecessarily to move.”
Local capital anchors companies, IP, and talent, especially critical as global investors become more selective.
This is why national investment mechanisms continue to matter. As Rojas put it,
“You’re actually acclimatising the broader population to what it means to be a nation of builders.”
A one-day, executive-level event focused on leadership alignment, optionality, and readiness for what’s next.
Patriotism As A Leadership Choice
The conversation turned more personal when the panel addressed quality-of-life concerns and founder responsibility.
Claudio Rojas posed the question plainly:
“Are we the kind of leaders that we sit back and we complain… or do we lean in… and we create the conditions for the country that we want to be in.”
Matt Himel followed with his own reflection:
“I think just leaving is the cowardly view… I’m here to stay and support the infrastructure that we have here.”
Rachel Zimmer framed the choice through Simple Ventures’ philosophy:
“Canada first, not Canada only.” Build locally. Scale globally. Stay rooted.
The Bottom Line
The panel didn’t argue that every founder should stay.
It argued that staying deserves serious consideration, especially as founders enter 2026 with clearer eyes about risk, resilience and responsibility.
Canada offers talent density, operational stability and a growing recognition of entrepreneurship as an engine of long-term economic and social progress.
As Claudio Rojas concluded:
“Entrepreneurship really is… an engine of economic progress and social mobility.”
For founders weighing their next move this year, the question isn’t only where capital is easiest to raise, it’s where you want to build, lead and leave a lasting mark.
SAAS NORTH is Canada’s hub for scaling SaaS and AI companies. Founders, teams, and investors come to learn, connect, and grow with the country’s largest in-person tech community.