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Exhibit 1.1


UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

August 11, 2005

Tucows Inc.
96 Mowat Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M6K 3M1

Attention:    Elliot Noss
                    President and Chief Executive Officer

—and—

The Selling Shareholders as set forth on
Schedule II hereto

Dear Sirs/Mesdames:

        Subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, we understand that Tucows Inc., a corporation incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell to a syndicate of several underwriters comprised of Desjardins Securities Inc., BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., CIBC World Markets and Clarus Securities Inc. (the "Underwriters"), for whom Desjardins Securities Inc. is acting as representative (the "Representative"), 401,173 shares of common stock of the Company (the "Common Stock"). We further understand that the persons named in Schedule II hereto (the "Selling Shareholders") propose to sell to the Underwriters 21,823,827 shares of Common Stock (said shares of Common Stock to be issued and sold by the Company and said shares of Common Stock to be sold by the Selling Shareholders together hereinafter called the "Underwritten Securities"). At the option of the Underwriters, the Company also proposes, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein, to grant to the Underwriters an option (the "Over-Allotment Option") to purchase up to 2,889,250 additional shares of Common Stock to cover over-allotments (the "Option Securities"; the Option Securities, together with the Underwritten Securities, being hereinafter called the "Securities"). The Prospectus (as defined below) shall also qualify the distribution of the Option Securities.

        In consideration of the agreement of the Underwriters to purchase the Securities and to offer them to the public pursuant to the Prospectus, the Company and the Selling Shareholders agree to pay to the Underwriters, at the Closing Time (as defined below), an aggregate of $1,200,150, being a fee equal to 6% of the gross proceeds from the sale of the Securities, or $0.054 per share. If the Over-Allotment Option is exercised, the Underwriters will also receive from the Company a fee of $0.054 per Option Security (collectively, the "Underwriting Fee").

        The use of the neuter in this Agreement shall include the feminine and masculine wherever appropriate. Certain terms used herein are defined in Section 18 hereof.

1    Representations, Warranties and Covenants.


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        Any certificate signed by any officer of the Company and delivered to the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by the Company, as to all matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

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        Any certificate signed by any Selling Shareholder or its officers and delivered to the Representative or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities shall be deemed a representation and warranty by such Selling Shareholder, as to all matters covered thereby, to each Underwriter.

The representations and warranties and covenants of the Underwriters contained in sections (a)-(f) above shall be true and correct as of the Closing Date with the same force and effect as if then made by the Underwriters as of that date.

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2    Purchase and Sale.

3    Delivery and Payment.    Delivery of and payment for the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities (if the Over-Allotment Option shall have been exercised on or before the third Business Day prior to the Closing Date) shall be made at 8:00 a.m., Toronto time, on August 19, 2005, or at such time on such later date not more than three Business Days after the foregoing date as the Representative shall designate, which date and time may be postponed by agreement among the Representative, the Company and the Selling Shareholders or as provided in Section 9 hereof (such date and time of delivery and payment for the Securities being herein called the "Closing Date" and the "Closing Time", respectively). Delivery of the Securities shall be made to the Representative for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representative of the respective aggregate purchase prices of the Securities being sold by the Company and each of the Selling Shareholders, net of the Underwriting Fee and net of amounts payable to the Underwriters' legal counsel up to Cdn. $210,000 in the aggregate (the "Legal Fees") and out-of-pocket expenses of the Underwriters incurred in connection with the offering and sale of the Securities up to Cdn. $40,000 in the aggregate (the "Out-of-Pocket Expenses") (which expenses shall be borne by the Company), to or upon the order of the Company and the Selling Shareholders by wire transfer payable in immediately available funds to the accounts specified by the Company and the Selling Shareholders. Certificates for the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities, if any, shall be delivered in accordance with the registration instructions provided by the Representative at least 48 hours prior to Closing Time.

        Each Selling Shareholder will pay all applicable state transfer taxes, if any, involved in the transfer to the several Underwriters of the Securities to be purchased by them from such Selling Shareholder and the respective Underwriters will pay any additional share transfer taxes involved in further transfers.

        If the Over-Allotment Option is exercised after the third Business Day prior to the Closing Date, the Company will deliver the Option Securities (at the expense of the Company) to the Representative,

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at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Suite 2100, Scotia Plaza, 40 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3C2, on the date specified by the Representative and the Company (which shall be within three Business Days after exercise of said option) for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, against payment by the several Underwriters through the Representative of the purchase price thereof, net of the Underwriting Fee and net of the Legal Fees and Out-of-Pocket Expenses incurred in connection with the exercise of the Over-Allotment Option, to or upon the order of the Company by wire transfer payable in immediately available funds to the account(s) specified by the Company. If settlement for the Option Securities occurs after the Closing Date, the Company will deliver to the Representative on the settlement date for the Option Securities, and the obligation of the Underwriters to purchase the Option Securities shall be conditioned upon receipt of, supplemental opinions, certificates and letters confirming as of such date the opinions, certificates and letters delivered on the Closing Date pursuant to Section 6 hereof.

4    Offering by Underwriters.    It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Prospectus.

5    Agreements.

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which is, or may be, of such a nature as to render the Prospectus or any Supplementary Material misleading or untrue in whole or in part or would result in a misrepresentation (as such term is defined under Canadian Securities Laws) therein or would result in the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or any Supplementary Material not complying with any Canadian Securities Laws or the Act or which change, misstatement or new material fact would reasonably be expected to have a significant effect on the market price or value of the Securities.

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(ii)
Each Selling Shareholder agrees with the several Underwriters that:

        6    Conditions to the Obligations of the Underwriters.    The obligations of the Underwriters on the Closing Date to purchase the Underwritten Securities and the Option Securities, as the case may be, shall be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties on the part of the Company and the Selling Shareholders contained herein as of the Execution Time, the Closing Date and any settlement date pursuant to Section 3 hereof, to the accuracy of the statements of the Company and the Selling Shareholders made in any certificates pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company and the Selling Shareholders of their respective obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions:

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        If any of the conditions specified in this Section 6 shall not have been fulfilled when and as provided in this Agreement, or if any of the opinions and certificates mentioned above or elsewhere in this Agreement shall not be reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Underwriters and counsel for the Underwriters, this Agreement and all obligations of the Underwriters hereunder may be canceled at, or at any time prior to, the Closing Date by the Representative. Notice of such cancellation shall be given to the Company and each Selling Shareholder in writing or by telephone or facsimile confirmed in writing.

        The documents required to be delivered by this Section 6 shall be delivered at the office of Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, Suite 2100, Scotia Plaza, 40 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 3C2, counsel for the Company, on the Closing Date.

        7    Reimbursement of Underwriters' Expenses.    If the sale of the Securities provided for herein is not consummated because any condition to the obligations of the Underwriters set forth in Section 6 hereof is not satisfied, because of any termination pursuant to Section 10 hereof or because of any refusal, inability or failure on the part of the Company or any Selling Shareholders to perform any agreement herein or comply with any provision hereof other than by reason of a default by any of the Underwriters, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters severally through Desjardins Securities Inc. on demand for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses not to exceed an aggregate of Cdn. $40,000 and all reasonable fees and disbursements of the Underwriters' legal counsel (not to exceed Cdn. $210,000) that shall have been incurred by them in connection with the proposed purchase and sale of the Securities.

        8    Indemnification and Contribution.    

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        9    Default by an Underwriter.    If any one or more Underwriters shall fail to purchase and pay for any of the Securities agreed to be purchased by such Underwriter or Underwriters hereunder and such failure to purchase shall constitute a default in the performance of its or their obligations under this Agreement, the remaining Underwriters shall be obligated severally to take up and pay for (in the respective proportions which the amount of Securities set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto bears to the aggregate amount of Securities set forth opposite the names of all the remaining Underwriters) the Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase; provided, however, that in the event that the aggregate amount of Securities which the defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase shall exceed 10% of the

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aggregate amount of Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto, the remaining Underwriters shall have the right to purchase all, but shall not be under any obligation to purchase any, of the Securities, and if such nondefaulting Underwriters do not purchase all the Securities, this Agreement will terminate without liability to any nondefaulting Underwriter, the Selling Shareholders or the Company. In the event of a default by any Underwriter as set forth in this Section 9, the Closing Date shall be postponed for such period, not exceeding five Business Days, as the Representative shall determine in order that the required changes in the Registration Statement and the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be effected. Nothing contained in this Agreement shall relieve any defaulting Underwriter of its liability, if any, to the Company, the Selling Shareholders and any nondefaulting Underwriter for damages occasioned by its default hereunder.

        10    Termination.    Each Underwriter is entitled to terminate its obligation to purchase the Securities by written notice to that effect given to the Company at or prior to the Closing Time if:

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        11    Representations and Indemnities to Survive.    The respective agreements, representations, warranties, indemnities and other statements of the Company or its officers, of each Selling Shareholder and of the Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, any Selling Shareholder or the Company or any of the officers, directors, employees, agents or controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Securities. The provisions of Sections 7 and 8 hereof shall survive the termination or cancellation of this Agreement.

        12    Notices.    All communications hereunder will be in writing and effective only on receipt, and, if sent to the Representative, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to Desjardins Securities Inc.,145 King Street West, Suite 2750, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5H 1J8, Attention: Jeffrey Olin, Managing Partner, Ontario (fax no.: (416) 861-9992); or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed to Tucows Inc., 96 Mowat Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6K 3M1, Attention: Elliot Noss, President and Chief Executive Officer (fax no.: (416) 531-1257); or if sent to any Selling Shareholder, will be mailed, delivered or telefaxed and confirmed to it at the address set forth in Schedule II hereto.

        13    Successors.    This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers, directors, employees, agents and controlling persons referred to in Section 8 hereof, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

        14    Applicable Law.    This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario.

        15    Counterparts.    This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall constitute an original and all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement.

        16    Headings.    The section headings used herein are for convenience only and shall not affect the construction hereof.

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        17    Entire Agreement.    This Agreement sets forth the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof. Any and all previous agreements and understandings and representations between or among the parties regarding the subject matter hereof, whether written or oral, are superseded by this Agreement.

        18    Definitions.    The terms which follow, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings indicated.

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[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]

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        If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding and is agreed to by you, please signify your acceptance by executing the enclosed copies of this letter where indicated below and returning them to the Representative upon which this letter as so accepted shall constitute an Agreement among us.

        Yours very truly,

    DESJARDINS SECURITIES INC.

 

 

By:

 

 
        /s/  JEFFREY F. OLIN      
Name: Jeffrey F. Olin

 

 

BMO NESBITT BURNS INC.

 

 

By:

 

 
        /s/  JOHN L. EASSON      
Name: John L. Easson

 

 

CIBC WORLD MARKETS

 

 

By:

 

 
        /s/  KEVIN W. DALTON      
Name: Kevin W. Dalton

 

 

CLARUS SECURITIES INC.

 

 

By:

 

 
        /s/  JAMES E. LORIMER      
Name: James E. Lorimer


 

        The foregoing offer is accepted and agreed to as of the date first above written.

    TUCOWS INC.

 

 

By:

 

 
        /s/  ELLIOT NOSS      
Name: Elliot Noss

 

 

By:

 

 
        /s/  MIKE COOPERMAN      
Name: Mike Cooperman

 

 

THE SELLING SHAREHOLDERS LISTED ON SCHEDULE II HERETO

 

 

By:

 

 
        /s/  ELLIOT NOSS      
Elliot Noss
as Attorney-in-Fact acting on behalf of the Selling Shareholders

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SCHEDULE I

Underwriters

  Number of Underwritten
Securities to be Purchased

Desjardins Securities Inc.   11,112,500
BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc   4,445,000
CIBC World Markets Inc.   4,445,000
Clarus Securities Inc.   2,222,500
   
  TOTAL   22,225,000
   


SCHEDULE II

Unless otherwise noted, each person's address is:
c/o Tucows Inc., 96 Mowat Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6K 3M1

Selling Shareholders

  Number of Underwritten Securities to be Sold
STI Ventures N.V.   17,545,836
Parman Holding Corp.   3,702,810
Scorpio (BSG) Ltd.   575,181

ANNEX A


Significant Subsidiaries

Infonautics Corporation   Pennsylvania

Tucows (Delaware) Inc.

 

Delaware

Boardtown Corporation

 

Mississippi

Tucows.com Co.

 

Nova Scotia


SCHEDULE 6(d)
Canadian Counsel Legal Opinion



SCHEDULE 6(e)
U.S. Counsel Legal Opinion

        (i)    Each of the Company and each Subsidiary other than Tucows.com Co. (each a "Named Subsidiary"), is a corporation validly existing and in good standing under the laws of its jurisdiction of incorporation, with the requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Underwriting Agreement and to own, lease and operate its properties and conduct its business as described in the Registration Statement and the U.S. Prospectus, and the Company and each Named Subsidiary that is incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is good standing under the laws of each jurisdiction listed opposite its name set forth on Schedule A to such counsel's opinion.

        (ii)   All of the issued and outstanding shares of capital stock of each Named Subsidiary are, to such counsel's knowledge, owned of record by the Company (or by another Subsidiary).

        (iii)  All necessary corporate action has been taken by the Company to authorize the execution and delivery of each of the Canadian Preliminary Prospectus and the Canadian Final Prospectus and the filing thereof in each of the Canadian Qualifying Jurisdictions.

        (iv)  The Company has authorized and issued capital stock as set forth in the Registration Statement and the U.S. Prospectus, and the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly authorized and validly issued and are, to such counsel's knowledge, fully paid and non-assessable and free of statutory preemptive rights and rights of first refusal.

        (v)   The Company Securities have been duly authorized by the Company and, when issued and sold by the Company, and delivered by the Company to, and paid for by, the Underwriters in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

        (vi)  The Company Securities have been duly listed on the AMEX.

        (vii) The holders of outstanding shares of common stock of the Company are not entitled, pursuant to the Company's articles of incorporation or, to the knowledge of such counsel, pursuant to any contract or agreement to which the Company is a party, to preemptive or other similar rights to subscribe for shares of common stock of the Company.

        (viii) To the knowledge of such counsel, there are no contracts, licenses, agreements, leases or documents of a character that are required to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement, or to be summarized or described in the U.S. Prospectus, which have not been so filed, summarized, or described as required.

        (ix)  Except as set forth in the U.S. Prospectus, to the knowledge of such counsel, there are no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange for, any securities of the Company, in each case to which the Company is a party.

        (x)   The statements set forth under the caption "Description of Capital Stock" in the U.S. Prospectus, insofar as such statements purport to summarize certain provisions of the articles of incorporation and by-laws of the Company, provide a fair summary of such provisions in all material respects.

        (xi)  The statements in the U.S. Prospectus under the captions "Description of Capital Stock—Certain Anti-Takeover Provisions," "Description of Capital Stock—Limitation of Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers" and "Shares Eligible For Future Sale," to the extent that they constitute summaries of United States federal or Pennsylvania State statutes, rules and regulations, or portions thereof, are accurate in all material respects. The description of law and the legal conclusions contained in the U.S. Prospectus under the caption "United States Federal Income Tax Consequences to Non-United States Holders," to the extent that they relate to matters of United States federal income law are accurate in all material respects.

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        (xii) The Registration Statement has become effective under the Act and, to such counsel's knowledge, no stop order suspending its effectiveness has been issued by the Commission, nor, to such counsel's knowledge, is a proceeding for that purpose pending before or contemplated by the Commission.

        (xiii) The Registration Statement and the U.S. Prospectus (except as to the financial statements, schedules, notes, other financial and accounting data and statistical data derived therefrom, and information about internal controls over financial reporting, as to which such counsel expresses no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act.

        (xiv) This Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

        (xv) No consent, approval, authorization or order of or filing with any federal or state court or governmental or regulatory commission, board, body, authority or agency is required to be obtained or made by the Company in connection with the issuance and sale of the Company Securities, and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, other than such as have previously been obtained, including, without limitation, registration of the Company Securities under the Act and of the Common Stock under the Exchange Act; provided, however, that such counsel expresses no opinion as to (a) state securities or blue sky laws or foreign securities laws of the various jurisdictions in which the Company Securities are being offered by the Underwriters thereof, and (b) the approval by the National Association of Securities Dealers of the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

        (xvi) The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by the Company, and the consummation by the Company of the transactions contemplated hereby, do not and will not result in any breach or default under (nor constitute any event that, with notice, lapse of time, or both, would result in any breach or default under), or conflict with any provision of the articles of incorporation or by-laws of the Company, or any provision of any agreement or instrument filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement, the PABCL, or any U.S. federal or Pennsylvania state law, rule or regulation that, in such counsel's experience, is generally applicable to transactions in the nature of those contemplated by this Agreement, or, to such counsel's knowledge, any decree, judgment or order of any court.

        (xvii) The Company is not and, after giving effect to the offering and sale of the Company Securities and the application of the proceeds as described in the U.S. Prospectus under the caption "Use of Proceeds," will not be, an "investment company," as such term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

        (xviii) To such counsel's knowledge, except as described in the U.S. Prospectus, no person is entitled to require the Company to register shares of capital stock or other securities of the Company under the Act in connection with the offering contemplated by the Registration Statement.

        (xix) Although such counsel is not passing upon and does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or fairness of the statements contained in the Registration Statement or the U.S. Prospectus, on the basis of the foregoing and the information disclosed to such counsel, but without independent check and verification, and relying as to materiality on representations and statements of officers and other representatives of the Company, such counsel confirms to the Underwriters that no fact has come to the attention of those lawyers in such counsel's firm who have participated in the preparation of the Registration Statement and the U.S. Prospectus that has led such counsel to believe that the Registration Statement, as of the time it was declared effective, contained any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein not misleading, or that the U.S. Prospectus, as of its date and at the date hereof, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact, or omitted or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading (it being understood that such counsel does not express any belief with respect to the financial statements, schedules, notes, other financial and accounting data, or statistical data derived therefrom, or information about internal controls over financial reporting, included in the Registration Statement or the U.S. Prospectus, or with respect to the validity, enforceability or non-infringement of any patent, copyright or trademark or name).

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SCHEDULE 6(f)
Selling Shareholder's Counsel Opinion




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UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
SCHEDULE I
SCHEDULE II
Significant Subsidiaries
SCHEDULE 6(d) Canadian Counsel Legal Opinion
SCHEDULE 6(e) U.S. Counsel Legal Opinion
SCHEDULE 6(f) Selling Shareholder's Counsel Opinion