Young entrepreneur with Croatian roots among top in Canada 

Eric Tolic (Photo: Supplied)

Eric Tolic is far from your average 24 year-old. 

Recognized in April as one of the top 36 young entrepreneurs from coast-to-coast by NEXT Canada, this accomplishment is merely the latest of many.

Over the last decade, Eric has launched three businesses, two of which have received backing and one acquired. Not only a budding superstar in the realm of startups, he continues to excel in the classroom.

In 2016, Eric enrolled at the University of Toronto’s renowned undergraduate business program. He recalls, “It was a great starting point. Rotman really laid the foundation for my career as an entrepreneur. Through an esteemed faculty, I was able to obtain many of the tools necessary to succeed”. 

Shortly after graduating at the top of his class a semester early, Eric went on to establish Clover, a mobile dental startup. Providing on-site dental care at retirement homes, corporate offices, and educational institutions, Clover was an innovative solution to a growing demand for convenience. “The need was there. In university, it was a hassle travelling to the dentist. Appointments would regularly interrupt my classes and studies”, said Eric. After talking with friends and family, he came to realize that this problem plagued more than just students. 

Upon weathering a global pandemic for over a year and a half, Eric decided to move on and sold the business to a family dental practice. 

Looking to explore new ideas, he landed on Learnify, an AI-driven student-tailored learning platform for post-secondary students. “Every business I’ve created has revolved around a problem I’ve experienced personally”, said Eric. “If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, start by taking a close look at your own life and identify the challenges that you endure on a daily basis. From there, try to derive solutions”. 

Using the latest technologies along with firsthand insight as a recent graduate, Eric is now focused on reducing the time and effort it takes post-secondary students to obtain high grades. At the moment, the platform is still in development, his full-time job however is leading the growth team at HyperLinq. 

The cryptocurrency startup is backed by renowned Silicon Valley accelerator Y Combinator among others and has raised over $1.4M USD to date. Despite the recent downturn, the future remains bright. 

In September, Eric plans to continue his academic journey at Columbia University in the City of New York. He will be pursuing a Master of Science at the Ivy League school this fall and looks forward to expanding his network in one of the world’s leading startup hubs. 

Eric’s Croatian roots are on his father’s side, who moved with his family from Osijek to Canada in the 1970s. 

“My relatives in Croatia live in Zagreb and I visit them regularly. I’ve been back many times,” concluded Eric, who also had a professional soccer trial with HNK Hajduk Split back in 2013.