Direct to consumer startups in Toronto

Cole Pearsall, Allan Mai, Scott Friedmann & Rae Drake

Founded 2019; D2C/CPG food-science brand making living vinegars, vinaigrettes, hot sauces and non-alcoholic 'Proxies' wine (since spun out). Raised a $4.75M Series A and later $6M (InvestEco, BrandProject, S...

Andrew Black

Founded 2013; Toronto 'studio + fund' hybrid that co-builds digital consumer brands, acting as de-facto co-founders. Portfolio/build list includes Ritual, Chefs Plate, Acid League, Our Place, Daily Harvest, ...

Brandon Truaxe & Nicola Kilner

Founded 2013; 'The Abnormal Beauty Company', parent of viral D2C skincare brand The Ordinary. Estée Lauder took a stake in 2017, went controlling in 2021, and completed a full buyout on May 31 2024 (~$860M f...

Mike Gettis & Rajen Ruparell

Founded 2015; Canada's leading bed-in-a-box D2C mattress brand. Acquired by Sleep Country Canada in a landmark ~$89M deal (announced Nov 2018) — $63.7M cash at close plus up to $25M in earn-outs. Founders st...

Ethan Song & Hicham Ratnani

Founded 2012 in Montreal's Mile End; sustainable D2C apparel + subscription, B Corp. FLAG: Montreal HQ, NOT GTA. Filed for bankruptcy Dec 2024; IP sold to Lamour Group / Thread Collective. Exclude.

Joanna Griffiths

Founded 2013 via crowdfunding; D2C leakproof underwear and intimates brand. In 2022 Swedish hygiene giant Essity acquired 80% for US$320M, valuing Knix at ~US$400M — the largest publicly disclosed sale of a ...

Rami Helali, Mackenzie Yeates & Benjamin Sehl

Founded 2015; ethical D2C apparel built on a traceable Egyptian-cotton supply chain (7,000+ smallholder farms). Certified B Corp with an ABCs education initiative funding 23+ schools in rural Egypt. Flagship...

Noura Sakkijha & Majed Masad

Founded 2015; D2C fine-jewellery brand marketed to women buying for themselves. Third-generation Jordanian jeweller Noura Sakkijha raised a $23M NEA-led Series B (2019, joined by Felix Capital, Net-a-Porter)...

Yanal Dhailieh

Founded 2014; Toronto-pride and mission-driven D2C apparel/accessories brand that donates a portion of every purchase (mental-health and social causes). Bootstrapped digitally-native brand with a strong loca...

Albert Chow & Kenneth Mo

Founded 2017; digitally-native D2C home-furnishings brand (mattresses, bed frames, bedding, furniture) at accessible price points. Acquired by Sleep Country Canada in 2023 — Sleep Country's second Toronto D2...