Desjardins Startup Prize (University of Toronto)

Program Description

A pitch competition for University of Toronto Entrepreneurship community startups, with over $100,000 in prizes across early-stage and later-stage categories, plus in-kind benefits.

Eligibility Requirements

• At least one founder must be a current full-time U of T student, post-doc, or a recent alum from a full-time program (graduated no earlier than June 2024)
• Applicants with no U of T affiliation will be removed from the competition
• Open to all faculties and sectors; affiliation with a U of T Accelerator is strongly encouraged
• Primary applicant must complete U of T's IP Education Level 1 course by the application deadline; a Level 2 Topic can be substituted for applicants with an existing strong IP foundation, by requesting a waiver of the Level 1 prerequisite on the Level 2 Registration Form
• IP course registration is not automatic and takes 2-3 business days to process — late registration will affect your ability to complete the application on time
• Early-Stage category: less than $50,000 cumulative funding or investment AND less than $25,000 cumulative revenue as of the cutoff date
• Later-Stage category: between $50,000 and $250,000 cumulative funding or investment AND less than $100,000 cumulative revenue as of the cutoff date
• Funding thresholds include dilutive and non-dilutive funding: investment for equity, grants, and previous awards or prizes
• UTE may reassess Early-Stage startups after selection and reserves the right to reclassify a startup to the Later Stage category based on the eligibility criteria
• Startups may only pitch once per category
• Entrants must be able to present to the selection committee in person during U of T Entrepreneurship Week
• Companies do NOT need to be incorporated at the time of application; Canadian incorporation is required only to receive prize money if selected as a winner