Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
Avril Sun's family ran a restaurant business for 28 years. In 2023, they closed it down for $0, because nobody, not even them, could say what it was worth. That gap between a business's real value and what the owner can prove is why she built Succession AI, an M&A platform for founder-led businesses.
Succession AI started as a marketplace connecting sellers and buyers. The team learned fast that sellers had no idea what their business was worth, whether a buyer was credible, or what due diligence even involved. So they leaned into the unscalable part: answering those questions directly, then partnering with the Government of Ontario to make the process repeatable across the province.
The traction since has been impressive. $25 million in total transaction volume, dozens of businesses sold, and one deal that pulled five offers in 14 days for a 75-year-old owner whose proceeds went to his wife and daughter.
This one's for founders thinking about what happens when they're ready to step away, and for anyone building AI tools for an industry nobody's modernized yet. Selling a family business shouldn't come down to guesswork.
What do you think of what Avril had to say? Tell us by leaving a comment.
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Avril Sun's family ran a restaurant business for 28 years. In 2023, they closed it down for $0, because nobody, not even them, could say what it was worth. That gap between a business's real value and what the owner can prove is why she built Succession AI, an M&A platform for founder-led businesses.
Succession AI started as a marketplace connecting sellers and buyers. The team learned fast that sellers had no idea what their business was worth, whether a buyer was credible, or what due diligence even involved. So they leaned into the unscalable part: answering those questions directly, then partnering with the Government of Ontario to make the process repeatable across the province.
The traction since has been impressive. $25 million in total transaction volume, dozens of businesses sold, and one deal that pulled five offers in 14 days for a 75-year-old owner whose proceeds went to his wife and daughter.
This one's for founders thinking about what happens when they're ready to step away, and for anyone building AI tools for an industry nobody's modernized yet. Selling a family business shouldn't come down to guesswork.
What do you think of what Avril had to say? Tell us by leaving a comment.
Watch more talks: youtube.com/c/TechTorontoOrg
Upcoming events: techto.org/events
Events calendar: luma.com/TechTO-Events
Newsletter — The read on Canadian tech: blog.techto.org
Membership: techto.org/memberships
#TechTO #TorontoTech #CanadianTech #Startups
