2027 Desjardins Startup Prize

• At least one founder is a current full-time U of T student, postdoc or a recent alum from a full-time program (i.e. graduated no earlier than June 2024). Applicants with no U of T affiliation will be removed from the competition.
• Affiliation with a U of T Accelerator is strongly encouraged. 
• Open to all faculties and sectors. 
• *Early-Stage Prize: Startups must have received less than $50,000 in cumulative funding or investment and less than $25,000 in cumulative revenue as of November 18, 2026. 

• **Late-Stage Prize: Startups must have received between $50,000 and $500,000 cumulative funding or investment, and less than $200,000 in cumulative revenue as of November 18, 2026.
• Entrants must be available to present in person during the week of March 1–5, 2027
• Startups are only eligible to pitch once per category.
• Companies do not need to be incorporated at the time of application. However, Canadian incorporation is required in order to receive prize funding if selected as a winner.
• Funding thresholds include dilutive and non-dilutive funding: investment for equity, grants and previous awards or prizes.

IP Education

• Primary applicant must complete U of T’s IP Education Level 1 course by November 18, 2026. For applicants who already have a strong foundation in their IP knowledge, completion of Level 1 can be replaced by completion of a Level 2 Topic.
• If you already have extensive knowledge or experience with IP matters and wish to take Level 2 without taking Level 1, please request a waiver of the Level 1 pre-requisite on the Level 2 Registration Forms by typing “UTE Startup Prize Application Waiver” in the field that asks “What date did you complete Level 1?”  
  • IP course registration is not automatic and takes 2–3 business days to process.
  • Applicants must time their registration accordingly. Late registrations will affect their ability to complete the application on time.

At both the entry and competition day stages, the panel of judges will be evaluating the startup based on:

• Problem Identification / Opportunity: A clearly articulated and compelling value proposition
• Viability: Clear knowledge of the market and evidence of demand for the solution
• Growth Potential: Sustainable and scalable business model
• Innovation: Unique solution, differentiated vs. competitors, including intellectual property considerations
• Talent: A strong team
• Communication Skills: An effective and persuasive overall Executive Summary and pitch presentation
• Strategy and Financial Plan: How you plan to use the prize money

Recipients of the Early-Stage and Late-Stage prizes will also receive:

• First-place prize recipients receive a pass to Startupfest in Montreal.
• Up to $5,000 in legal counsel from Cassels.
• One-year membership to ONRamp, U of T Entrepreneurship’s co-working and community space.
• Up to three winners will also receive dedicated wet-lab bench space and related programming and resources from SpinUp at the University of Toronto Mississauga campus.
  • SpinUp at UTM will dedicate wet-lab bench space for up to three of the 2027 Desjardins Startup winners. Located in Mississauga, at the heart of Canada’s pharmaceutical industry and close to Toronto’s biotech corridor, University of Toronto Mississauga offers startups room to grow alongside the region’s expanding development sector. SpinUp has been home to many U of T-affiliated companies such as Xatoms and HDAX.
  • Startups will receive a free bench for one year, including access to shared equipment and specialized instrumentation at RICore, the campus’s newly integrated Research & Innovation Core facilities. Companies also benefit from entrepreneurship programming, co-working office space in an open-concept suite, and connections to outstanding U of T faculty and science trainees. They work alongside other entrepreneurs at SpinUp, growing their companies as part of a talented cohort.
  • To learn more about SpinUp at UTM, email spin@utoronto.ca.