TORONTO, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Toronto Stock Exchange

operator TMX's CEO said the IPO pipeline in Canada remains

strong with about 1,600 companies at varying stages to

list, despite a U.S. software selloff that created ripples in

the North American market.

Canada's strength in ‌the mining sector and strong commodity

prices have kept IPO interest high, with listings expected to

rebound ​after only two new companies entering the TSX in Toronto

last year, ‍CEO John McKenzie said in an interview.

He said ⁠up to half ⁠of the 1,600 companies are from outside

Canada, with many attracted to TMX's venture ecosystem that

allows ‌early-stage companies to raise capital.

The exchange ​has actively courted potential listings

overseas, McKenzie said.

"We have been engaged in the Middle East. That's an area

that is actually ⁠transitioning to more of a mining ‍economy ...

We have ​resources that are on the ground in multiple

jurisdictions, like South America, like Australia, good resource

economies," McKenzie said.

Companies are looking beyond IPOs ‍to access the public

market, including reverse takeovers, direct listings and

graduations from TSXV to TSX, McKenzie said. Some early-stage

companies also explore the TSX Venture Exchange's capital pool

company program that provides an alternative mechanism for

private companies to raise capital and go public.

"What is different now versus what ​it ‍was six months ago is

the number of companies that we are engaged with, that are on a

public company track, that ​are actually doing the work that

they're getting a public company ready, they're engaging with

investors ... That is a deep pipeline," he said.

Markets have whipsawed in recent days over concerns

artificial intelligence would disrupt basic business models,

especially in software. That has created doubts about a largely

expected rebound in IPOs south of the border.

"While this ​noise is a bit more technology-based or

software-based, there's also been a lot of continued strength

around commodities. We've got a lot of mining companies and

resource companies that are in our ‍pipeline," McKenzie said.