Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners (TIAP)
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
Program Description
TIAP is a venture-building organization affiliated with the University of Toronto and 11 partner teaching hospitals, focused exclusively on commercializing health science technologies — medical devices, therapeutics, and digital health/AI. It offers five development pillars including pre-seed investment through UTEST (medical device and digital health ventures), drug discovery support via LAB150-NextGen, and a Critical Technologies stream providing up to $200K for ventures using AI, 5G, quantum, or robotics. Portfolio Management provides follow-on bridge financing of up to $500K with a 1:1 cash match requirement.
Eligibility Requirements
- Principal investigators or researchers at TIAP member institutions (University of Toronto and 11 affiliated teaching hospitals)
- Innovations must be in health sciences: medical devices, therapeutics, drug discovery, or digital/AI health applications
- Technology must originate from or be licensed through a member institution's technology transfer office
- For-profit spinout entities are the typical vehicle; existing ventures may also apply for Portfolio Management follow-on
Quick Assessment
Funding Details
- Amount
- Up to $200K (Critical Technologies stream); up to $500K follow-on with 1:1 cash match (Portfolio Management)
- Type
- Program
- Level
- Private
- Co-Funding
- Up to 50% of eligible costs
- Deadline
- Ongoing — rolling intake
Program Scorecard
Competition, effort, and approval at a glance
Everything you need to win TIAP — $19
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- 4-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipTIAP access is almost entirely relationship-mediated — TIAP's general inquiry address is a last resort — prefer institutional channels (CDL, MaRS, university tech transfer). The recommended path is through your institution's technology transfer office (e.g., UofT Innovations & Partnerships Office, UHN TechTransfer). Staff there have direct relationships with TIAP program managers and can formally introduce your project. The Critical Technologies stream for AI/health/quantum is the most accessible entry point for digital health ventures that don't require a pharma partnership.
Success Profile
A scientist-founder or physician-entrepreneur at UofT or an affiliated hospital who has developed a novel diagnostic device, therapeutic, or AI-powered clinical tool with early proof-of-concept data, a licensing agreement with the institution, and at least one business-side co-founder or advisor. TIAP has accelerated ventures including drug discovery platforms, medical imaging AI tools, and point-of-care diagnostics.
Evaluation Criteria
TIAP evaluates on: (1) Technology — novelty, IP status, and defensibility; (2) Clinical unmet need — clear patient or system problem addressed; (3) Team — founding scientist + business co-founder; (4) Commercialization pathway — Health Canada/FDA strategy, reimbursement model, go-to-market plan; (5) Scalability — potential to become a standalone company or be acquired by a health technology firm.
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 5
Eligible Expenses 6
- Technology development and prototyping (medical device, diagnostic, therapeutic)
- AI model development and validation for health applications
- IP licensing fees to the member institution
- Clinical proof-of-concept studies
- Regulatory pathway planning (Health Canada, FDA)
- Key hires: engineering, scientific, or business development
Ineligible Expenses 4
- Non-health-science technology development
- Marketing or sales activities in early stages
- Retroactive costs (prior to TIAP investment commitment)
- General overhead unrelated to the technology project
Intake Periods
Rolling intake; no fixed application windows. Entry is through institutional introduction year-round.
Deadline Notes
TIAP does not publish fixed application windows. Intake is ongoing and relationship-driven. The recommended entry point is through the technology transfer office at one of TIAP's member institutions (University of Toronto and affiliated teaching hospitals including UHN, SickKids, Sunnybrook, and others).
Ineligible Organizations
- Organizations not affiliated with a TIAP member institution
- Non-profit organizations and charities
- For-profit companies in non-health-science sectors
- Government agencies and Crown corporations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskAs an equity investment, clawback is not applicable in the traditional sense. However, licensing agreements with member institutions include royalty obligations and reversion clauses if the IP is not commercialized within defined timelines.
How TIAP Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
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