Although the name suggests otherwise, MaRS is grounded in challenges that affect humans on earth. As the world’s largest urban hub for innovation, it exists to help entrepreneurs launch and grow innovative companies that make the world a better place. Everyone who is part of MaRS is encouraged to “think big and fix things.”
Founded in 2005 as a private/public not-for-profit organization in the heart of Toronto, MaRS provides encouragement, funding and a workplace for entrepreneurs and innovative startups in four key sectors—health, work and learning, energy and environment, and finance and commerce. It helps startups get to a higher level of impact by curating and carefully matching them to companies in its extensive global network of corporate partners, which includes Steelcase—companies that are serious about accelerating innovation through win-win relationships.