YCombinator changed the game for Canadian founders when it opened its doors to companies north of the border. Since then, MCN has been working alongside YC companies — quietly, strategically, and from the very beginning. A growing number of YC-backed companies choose to work with us, and it isn’t because we’re the largest SR&ED consultancy in Canada. It’s because we think like founders and investors — because we are founders and investors.

The Problem Most YC Companies Don’t See Coming

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Most early-stage companies treat SR&ED as a back-office tax exercise: finish the year, file a claim, collect a cheque.That approach leaves significant money on the table and, worse, can create structural problems that surface during your next raise.Corporate structure, transfer pricing, capital gains exemptions, and taxable capital thresholds all interact with SR&ED eligibility in ways that aren’t obvious until it’s too late. A decision made to satisfy a US investor today can quietly disqualify you from hundreds of thousands of dollars in non-dilutive funding tomorrow.This is the gap MCN was built to solve for.

Strategy First, Claims Second

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MCN is not a traditional ‘SR&ED shop’. We’re a strategy consulting firm, founded by people who have built, scaled, and exited technology startups. We’ve sat on both sides of the cap table — as operators raising capital and as investors deploying it.That experience shapes everything we do. When we work with a YC company, we don’t start with your technical projects. We start with your corporate structure, your investor agreements, and your growth plan. We look at how your Canadian entity relates to your US parent. We examine whether your intercompany arrangements support or undermine your SR&ED eligibility. We consider how upcoming funding rounds, potential acqui-hires, or international expansion could change the calculus.Then we help you build a structure that maximizes every dollar of non-dilutive funding available to you — SR&ED, IRAP, digital media tax credits, and more — without compromising your attractiveness to investors.

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Built for the YC Investment Environment

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Having worked with YC companies over the years, we understand the pressure you operate under. Aggressive timelines, US-based lead investors with specific expectations, complex multi-jurisdictional structures, and the constant tension between moving fast and getting the details right.We know what YC partners expect to see in your financials. We know what Series A investors will scrutinize. And we know how to ensure that your non-dilutive funding strategy strengthens — not complicates — that picture.Our work happens in the background, well before claim season. MCN helps you navigate transfer pricing considerations, structure intercompany agreements, and position your Canadian operations to capture maximum eligible expenditures. The result: more runway, less dilution, and a cleaner story for your next raise.

Extend Your Runway Without Giving Up Equity

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Every dollar of non-dilutive funding you capture is a dollar you don’t need to raise. For early-stage companies burning through capital to find product-market fit, that difference compounds quickly.If you’re a YC company with Canadian operations — or considering establishing them — let’s talk. MCN can help you build a funding strategy that works as hard as you do.