Centre for Social Innovation

Name

Centre for Social Innovation

Legal name

Centre for Social Innovation

Website

https://socialinnovation.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Coworking and Shared Workspace Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Purpose Event Halls & Community Centers (THAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Coworking spaces
• Social innovation
• Community programs
• Event space hosting
• Nonprofit workspace

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: CSI generates recurring revenue through various membership tiers including Community Membership ($49/month), Hot Desk packages, Dedicated Desks, Team Tables, and Private Offices. All workspace packages require a minimum 6-month commitment with month-to-month billing thereafter.
2. Meeting Room Rentals: Hourly rental of meeting rooms across three locations (CSI Spadina, CSI Annex, and CSI Regent Park). Meeting rooms range from $33.78/hour to $101.35/hour depending on room size and amenities.
3. Event Space Rentals: Rental of event spaces including the Spadina Lounge (capacity 220, $390/hr), The Spadina Atrium (capacity 100, $290/hr), Suite 101 (capacity 100, $390/hr), and Suite 201 (capacity 25, $190/hr). Three-hour minimum rental for event spaces.
4. Program Fees: Revenue from accelerator and training programs including Climate Ventures, WOSEN, Agents of Change programs, and other social enterprise development initiatives. Many programs have been transitioned to Social Innovation Canada.
5. Virtual Office Services: Mail service and mailbox rental at 192 Spadina Avenue for members who purchase Virtual Office, Hot Desk, Dedicated Desk, Team Table, or Office packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) operates shared coworking spaces, meeting rooms, and event venues at its Toronto locations (CSI Spadina and CSI Annex) for nonprofits, social enterprises, and purpose-driven organizations. In addition to physical workspace, CSI runs curated community programming, accelerator and training programs (Climate Ventures, WOSEN, CSI Accelerates, Agents of Change), and a national virtual membership ($49/month) connecting over 2,500 social innovators.

Product overview

Centre for Social Innovation operates as a coworking community and social enterprise accelerator offering a portfolio of interconnected workspace and program products. Core offerings include: (1) Physical workspace products — coworking desks (hot desks, dedicated desks, team tables, private offices), meeting rooms (6-30 person capacity), and event venues (The Spadina Lounge, Suite 101, Suite 201, The Spadina Atrium, and spaces at CSI Annex); (2) Virtual membership — CSI Community Membership at $49/month providing network access, education, discounts, and expert consultations; (3) Pop-up Office for temporary on-demand workspace; (4) Accelerator programs including CSI Accelerates (Prove, Social Entrepreneurship 101, Impact Entrepreneurship 101), Climate Ventures (joint with Foresight Canada), WOSEN for women entrepreneurs, and Agents of Change cohorts; (5) Community programs like the Community Animator Program (work-exchange), Every One Every Day: TO, and Social Innovation Canada (national network). Locations include CSI Spadina (192 Spadina Ave, 64,000 sq.ft.) and CSI Annex (720 Bathurst St, 36,000 sq.ft.), plus partner amenities such as the Toronto Tool Library. The portfolio spans from individual memberships to enterprise event hosting, all unified by CSI's mission to support social innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coworking Space Flexible coworking workspace options including Hot Desk Unlimited, Dedicated Desks, Team Tables, and Private Offices at CSI Spadina and CSI Annex locations in Toronto. Designed for individuals and teams from social mission organizations.
• CSI Community Membership Virtual community membership at $49/month providing access to a national network of social innovators, exclusive events, education, discounts on meeting rooms and event spaces, partner discounts, expert consultations, and funding opportunities. Aimed at remote workers and changemakers not in Toronto.
• Meeting Rooms Bookable meeting rooms with AV equipment at CSI Spadina and CSI Annex, ranging from 6 to 30 person capacity. Hourly rental rates from $33.78 to $101.35 per hour depending on room size.
• Event Space Large event venues including The Spadina Lounge (220 capacity, $390/hr), Suite 101 (100 capacity, $390/hr), The Spadina Atrium (100 capacity, $290/hr), and Suite 201 (25 capacity, $190/hr). Three-hour minimum rental.
• Pop-up Office On-demand workspace rental for teams of 5 to 50 people, available from one hour to one month, with no membership required. Includes concierge service and event staff support for setup and cleanup.
• Virtual Office Services Mail service and mailbox rental at 192 Spadina Avenue for members who purchase Virtual Office, Hot Desk, Dedicated Desk, Team Table, or Office packages.
• CSI Accelerates Programs Acceleration and incubation programs for social entrepreneurs including Prove, Accelerate from Anywhere, Impact Entrepreneurship 101, Social Entrepreneurship 101, and various Agents of Change cohorts (Youth, City Builders, Community Health). Many programs now delivered through Social Innovation Canada.
• Climate Ventures Joint initiative with Foresight Canada accelerating climate innovators through mentorship, training, and networks, including programs like Earth Tech and Agents of Change Climate Solutions. Targets entrepreneurs developing climate crisis solutions.
• WOSEN (Women of Ontario Social Enterprise Network) Training programs for women and gender non-binary entrepreneurs offering Start (9-week ideation program), Grow (20-week accelerator), and Investment Readiness Supports programs.
• Community Animator Program (CAP) Work-exchange opportunity providing unlimited coworking access in exchange for 8 hours per week of community support, open to social entrepreneurs and innovators.
• Every One Every Day: TO Community project in Regent Park connecting neighbors to improve the neighborhood through collaborative activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2015 Agents of Change: City Builders cohort achieved 461% revenue increase and 214% staff increase over 12 months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Radius SFUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional member of Social Innovation Canada, working to connect social innovation practitioners and build sector capacity across Canada.
• ABSCI ConnectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional member of Social Innovation Canada, collaborating on national social innovation ecosystem building.
• Social Enterprise CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional member of Social Innovation Canada, supporting social enterprise development and capacity building.
• Maison de l'innovation socialecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuebec regional member of Social Innovation Canada, contributing to national social innovation network.
• Inspiring CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional member of Social Innovation Canada, focused on community-based social innovation.
• Toronto Tool LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated on the ground floor of CSI Spadina (192 Spadina). Provides tool lending library and community makerspace with digital fabrication, coding, craft, woodworking and electronics. Offers free monthly Community Night. Members receive discounts.
• Foresight CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative partner in Climate Ventures, which fast-tracks the success of innovators developing solutions to the climate crisis. Collaborates with investors, industry, government and academia.
• Green Shield Canada FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded the 2016 Agents of Change: Community Health program. Each participant received a $10,000 grant and acceleration supports.
• Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Adopting Common Measures national project supporting Social Purpose Organizations in measuring impact towards UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Common Approach to Impact MeasurementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Adopting Common Measures project, providing impact measurement framework for social purpose organizations.
• Ontario Trillium FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in running Agents of Change Youth competition (formerly Project Wildfire), designed to help innovators turn ideas into real impact.
• Microsoft CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 3rd annual Agents of Change: Youth competition, helping youth innovators build stronger and more resilient communities.
• Toronto Climate WeekcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCSI is the Official Hub of Toronto Climate Week, hosting The AfterGlow event and related programming.
• Changemaker ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSI is becoming part of Toronto's Changemaker Club ecosystem, evolving beyond physical workspace to become collaborative infrastructure for co-creation and collective action.
• MaRSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in CSI Institute's social innovation lab on Financialization of Housing with CMHC to understand housing affordability impacts.
• Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with CSI Institute on social innovation lab to understand Financialization of Housing and support affordable housing goals.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DMZ: Toronto Metropolitan University's startup incubator and coworking hub. Comparable as a Toronto-based community coworking/accelerator serving early-stage ventures, though DMZ is more tech/general-startup focused.
• MaRS Discovery District: Toronto-based innovation hub supporting entrepreneurs with workspace, programming, and capital connections. Highly comparable geography and audience (impact-oriented startups), though more tech/health-focused than CSI's broader social-mission scope.
• Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): Large innovation-focused coworking operator combining flexible workspace with venture and institutional programming. Comparable to CSI as a curated, community-driven coworking ecosystem serving mission-oriented tenants.
• Betahaus: Berlin-based community coworking operator with curated membership, event programming, and accelerator partnerships. Closely aligned with CSI's community-first, values-based coworking approach.
• 1871: Chicago-based nonprofit innovation hub combining coworking, accelerators, and corporate partnerships for tech and impact-driven startups. Comparable hybrid coworking + accelerator + community programming model.
• Impact Hub: Global network of social-impact coworking and innovation spaces with member-driven community and accelerator programming. Closest functional peer to CSI's mission-aligned coworking + accelerator model.
• Talent Garden: European coworking and education network targeting innovators and digital/creative professionals. Comparable mission-driven coworking + learning model, though operating primarily across Italy and the EU.

Regional players

• Workhaus: Toronto-focused premium coworking operator. Same city, similar flexible-desk-to-private-office model, but commercial (not mission-vetted) and lacks CSI's event/venue scale and community programming.

Broad incumbents

• WeWork: Global coworking incumbent offering flexible offices, meeting rooms, and event space. Overlaps CSI on the physical-space product layer, but CSI's curated social-mission model and accelerator programming are absent.
• Industrious: Premium flexible-office operator serving enterprise and SMB tenants with hospitality-grade workspace. Comparable on premium event space and meeting room rentals, but commercially focused without social-impact curation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/csiTO
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/centreforSI
• Facebookfacebook.com/centreforsocialinnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csitoronto
• Instagraminstagram.com/csitoronto
• TikToktiktok.com/@csitoronto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre for Social Innovation