Faire’s co-founder brings Silicon Valley’s innovation ethos to Canada, building a uniquely Canadian alternative to Amazon from Kitchener-Waterloo.
When Marcelo Cortes co-founded Faire, he wasn’t just launching a startup—he was building a vision. A Brazilian immigrant turned Canadian tech evangelist, Cortes saw Canada not only as a new home but as fertile ground to bring Silicon Valley’s innovation DNA north of the border.
Founded in 2017, Faire connects independent retailers with unique products—items you won’t spot on Amazon. While Shopify empowers sellers to run their own e-commerce businesses, Faire powers the wholesale side of the ecosystem. The two tech giants are now formally aligned: Shopify invested in Faire in 2023, naming it the preferred wholesale marketplace for its merchants.
Why Canada? Why Now?
For Cortes, the answer lies in community, culture, and opportunity. After working at Google and Square, he chose Waterloo as his base, falling in love with the region’s deep talent pool and entrepreneurial spirit. Now, he’s helping global teams build world-class products rooted in Canadian soil.
“Building Faire, for me, was an opportunity to bring more of this DNA from Silicon Valley to Canada,” Cortes shared during a conversation on The BetaKit Podcast.
Faire’s Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo offices—formerly occupied by Shopify—are now buzzing with its own product and engineering teams. While the company is officially headquartered in San Francisco, Cortes makes it clear: Canada is at the heart of its innovation.
Building Beyond Borders
Faire’s growth hasn’t been without hurdles. The retail landscape has shifted drastically—first booming during the pandemic and now navigating the realities of international tariffs. To stay ahead, Faire is leaning into AI to help its customers make sense of complex global trade policies while continuing to prioritize product discovery and merchant success.
The podcast also dives into how the company leverages technology to support independent retailers through uncertain times. More than just a marketplace, Faire is positioning itself as a partner for businesses that want to stand out—far from the noise of giant e-commerce platforms.
A New Blueprint for Tech in Canada
Cortes isn’t just building a company; he’s redefining what tech leadership looks like in Canada. His story is one of integration—of blending Silicon Valley’s scale with Canadian values and infrastructure. The result? A global tech company proudly anchored in Canada’s innovation corridors.
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