U of T at Collision

Find out why U of T is the place
to innovate. Connect with us
at Collision this June.

The University of Toronto is Canada’s leading engine for
research-based startups and a global leader in transforming
ideas into products and services that impact the world.

# 1

in Canada for research-based startups

top 5

in the world for university startup incubators

650 +

companies created

10 K+

jobs created

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entrepreneurship ecosystem at U of T.

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U of T at Collision

Meet us at Collision

The University of Toronto is proud to partner with Collision, North America's fastest-growing tech conference. The annual event is returning to Toronto this June, welcoming market leaders, tech experts and the media to determine where the world is heading next.

Visit u of T at Booth # E156

Booth Schedule

Jon French, Director, U of T Entrepreneurship, speaking with an attendee at Collision in Toronto last year.

Our innovation ecosystem continues to enjoy incredible growth, and Collision is an excellent opportunity to shine a light on this momentum and the impact our entrepreneurial ecosystem is having globally.

Jon French, Director, U of T Entrepreneurship

Check out the notable U of T faculty, alumni and startup founders speaking at Collision.

Schedule Highlights

Tune in for talks with U of T startup founders, alum and faculty, happening at Collision:

Tuesday, June 27

June 27, 11:50 AM – 12:15 PM

Trust Matters: The Importance of Ethical Leadership

How important is trust in the corporate world? In this session, industry leaders highlight the importance of listening when trying to build trust and answer the needs of consumers. They also examine why organizations must lead ethically and sustainably, putting value and respect at the heart of their actions.

Featured speaker: Pam Snively, Chief Data & Trust Officer, TELUS

June 27, 12:00 AM

Toronto’s Innovation Ecosystem

Join leaders from Toronto’s innovation network, including Krista Jones (MaRS Discovery District), Derek Newton (University of Toronto), and Angelo Casanas (OneEleven), for a panel discussion about the city’s innovation ecosystem, moderated by Satish Kanwar (Shopify).

Featured speaker: Derek Newton, AVP, Innovation, Partnerships and Entrepreneurship at the Innovations & Partnerships Office, University of Toronto

June 27, 12:00 PM

JALI Inc. CEO Sarah Watling Panel

JALI's CEO Sarah Watling will join a panel discussion to provide insights on local talent engagement, trailblazing technologies, and the importance of a diverse and collaborative ecosystem like Toronto's.

Featured speaker: Sarah Watling, CEO, JALI Research Inc.

June 27, 12:05 PM - 12:25 PM

Is Generative AI Killing SaaS?

Friend or foe? With generative AI offering more possibilities for work automation, data personalization, software integrations and more, how will it work hand in hand with SaaS aficionados? Join Glean CEO Arvind Jain and Ada co-founder and CEO Mike Murchison to find out.

Featured speaker: Mike Murchison, Co-founder & CEO, Ada

June 27, 3:15 PM - 3:35 PM

How will Quantum Computing affect our Everyday Lives in the Future?

Xanadu is on a mission to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere. If the Canadian company is successful in this mission, what might it mean for day-to-day life? Founder and CEO Christian Weedbrook explores.

Featured speaker: Christian Weedbrook, Founder & CEO, Xanadu

June 27, 4:00 PM

Black Founders – Breaking
Down Key Barriers

Despite some progress made, Black Founders continue to face key barriers. Less than 2% of venture funding raised in North America has gone to Black-led companies in the last three years. Access to affordable talent still remains a big challenge. This conversation will highlight how our ecosystem is breaking down these barriers.

Featured speakers: Melisa Ellis, Founder of Nobellum. Efosa Obano, Founder & Manager, Black Founders Network

Wednesday, June 28

June 28, 9:00 AM – 9:45 AM

Mentors Matter: Foundations for Founders on their Accelerator or Incubator Journey

This special session dives deep into the outsized, positive impact that diverse mentors can have on founders as they go through the accelerator and incubator experience.

Featured speaker: Eva Lau, Founder & General Partner, Two Small Fish Ventures

June 28, 10:00 AM

University Support for Entrepreneurship

Join us as we discuss the value universities provide to startups and corporations through open innovation and R&D.

Featured speaker: Jon French, Director, University of Toronto Entrepreneurship

June 28, 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Toronto is the Place for Cleantech Innovation

Transitioning to a low-carbon future will require collaboration, technological know-how, talent, and a supportive environment. Meet Toronto’s gamechangers and learn about key developments that are accelerating Toronto’s transition to net zero by 2040.

Featured speaker: Shatha Qaqish-Clavering, Director, Strategy and Operations, Climate Positive Energy Initiative, University of Toronto

June 28, 11:47 AM – 11:51 AM

The Role of Innovation and AI in Outpacing the next Outbreak

Driven by climate change, urbanization, globalization and more, infectious diseases are emerging with greater frequency and severity. But, just as diseases spread fast, intelligence can move faster. Join this session to learn how AI and machine learning can be used to enhance infectious disease surveillance and responses across multiple sectors in order to get ahead of outbreaks.

Featured speaker: Kamran Khan, Founder & CEO, BlueDot

June 28, 2:05 PM – 2:20 PM

The Future of Quantum Computing

What does a future with a functioning fault-tolerant quantum computer look like? In this session, Christian Weedbrook, the founder and CEO of Xanadu – a leading quantum computing company based in Toronto – explores this question by diving into current research and practical use cases.

Featured speaker: Christian Weedbrook, Founder & CEO, Xanadu

June 28, 3:20 PM – 3:40 PM

Shopify and the Future of Commerce

Shopify COO Kaz Nejatian explores the latest technologies – including AI, mobile and community commerce – enabling brands to connect with customers in authentic ways, even while competing in a crowded retail market that has ever-changing consumer demands.

Featured speaker: Kaz Nejatian, COO, Shopify

June 28, 3:25 PM – 3:45 PM

The Workforce Renaissance: Accelerating the next wave of Productivity with LLMs

As humans continue to become more innovative, the landscape for product experiences is going to be completely transformed by AI. In this session, Cohere co-founder and CTO Ivan Zhang joins MIT Technology Review's Anthony Green to explore recent advancements in AI and LLMs, and to discuss how the technology is poised to accelerate the next wave of workforce productivity.

Featured speaker: Ivan Zhang, Co-founder & CTO, Cohere

June 28, 4:25 PM – 5:00 PM

In Conversation with the Godfather of AI

Cognitive psychologist and computer scientist Geoffrey Hinton – the 'godfather of AI' – started researching AI more than 40 years ago, when it seemed more like science fiction than reality. Join Geoffrey, in conversation with the Atlantic CEO Nick Thompson, for an exploration of the future of AI and a deep dive into its potential impact on society.

Featured speaker: Geoffrey Hinton, Godfather of AI, University of Toronto

Thursday, June 29

June 29, 10:00 AM

AI For Science

AI and automation are revolutionizing science, allowing us to create new materials and molecules for a fraction of the usual time and cost––including lifesaving medications, biodegradable plastics, renewable energy, and more. Hear how Toronto is at the very centre of this revolution.

Featured speaker: Padraic Foley, Director Strategy and Partnerships, Acceleration Consortium

June 29, 11:45 AM - 12:05 PM

Towards Sustainable AI: Addressing Environmental and Social Impacts

As it exists today, AI technology poses significant environmental risks by consuming vast amounts of energy. A global fleet of autonomous vehicles could generate as many greenhouse gas emissions as all the data centers in the world today. Reducing the environmental footprint of future AI technologies must become a key priority.

Featured speaker: Arun Iyengar, CEO, Untether AI

June 29, 12:35 PM - 12:55 PM

Battery Innovations and Quantum Technologies: The Key to Sustainable Mobility?

Volkswagen Canada CEO and president Pierre Boutin and Xanadu founder and CEO Christian Weedbrook discuss present and future developments around the most important vehicle component shaping the future of sustainable mobility.

Featured speaker: Christian Weedbrook, Founder & CEO, Xanadu

June 29, 12:40 PM – 1:05 PM

Q&A with Aidan Gomez 💬

Aidan Gomez takes to one of the most open and honest stages in tech to answer your most pressing questions.

Featured speaker: Aidan Gomez, Co-founder & CEO, Cohere

June 29, 1:30 PM – 1:45 PM

Day 4 | Opening Remarks

Ariel Garten will bring opening remarks to kick off the fourth and final day of Collision.

Featured speaker: Ariel Garten, Founder, InteraXon

June 29, 4:30 PM – 4:50 PM

The Steam Engine of Today: How AI is Revolutionizing the Working World 

Cohere founder and CEO Aidan Gomez joins author and political commentator Stephen Marche to discuss the importance of the next 18 months for AI, and to explore how the technology will propel an intellectual workforce revolution – similar to how the steam engine propelled an industrial revolution more than 100 years ago.

Featured speaker: Aidan Gomez, Co-founder & CEO, Cohere

Get to know the U of T-connected startups that will be featured at Collision.

Ways to engage with U of T

From co-ops and careers to international partnerships, there is more than one reason to connect with the U of T community.
Visit us at Collision at Booth E156.

The University of Toronto is a proud leader in co-operative education with highly qualified and well-prepared students who are ready to make an impact. Discover the many ways your team can hire co-op and internship students from arts, science, engineering and business co-op programs from 100+ academic programs through a seamless recruitment process.
Students are available for 4, 8, 12- or 16-month co-op work terms with varied start dates throughout the year depending on the program. You choose the work term length and hiring timelines that best suit your needs and our team will guide you on the best recruitment plan to find the right student(s).

Join the ranks of world-class companies and organizations who partner with and hire the best-in-class from U of T Co-op.

Connect with us at https://hireuoftcoop.utoronto.ca/ to discover the many ways we can build and grow your team together.

Arts & Science Co-op
Our program has students seeking co-op jobs year-round with work terms starting in
January, May and September. They are available for 4, 8, 12 or 16-month work terms
so, you can choose a duration that best suits your organization’s projects and needs.
Hire students from a rich menu of programs from over 35 academic disciplines within:
Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Life Sciences, Physical & Environmental
Sciences, Psychological & Health Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP)
Discover ASIP, a dynamic program that welcomes students through a competitive process
dedicated to nurturing diverse talent. Students immerse themselves in 70+ hours of professional development programming, workshops and one-on-one coaching to help ensure their success once they join your team. They are available for a 12-to-16-week Summer Co-op
following their second year of studies, and an 8-, 12-, or 16- month work term, starting in
May or September, following their third year of studies. Select from a rich pool of talent
across 40 academic programs within: Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences,
Physical and Mathematical Sciences, and Social Sciences.

U of T Engineering Professional Experience Year Co-op Program (PEY Co-op)
Canada’s largest and longest-running professional experience year engineering co-op
program, the PEY Co-op program equips students with the skills employers look for and
prepares them for lifelong career success. Choose to hire our students for a 4-month
summer work term or for a 12-16 month experience year. With nine different academic
disciplines, you will find the right engineering candidate for your needs. Disciplines include:
Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, Materials, Mechanical, Mineral and Engineering Science, plus specializations ranging from aerospace and biomedical to AI and engineering business.

Management Co-op
Innovative. Coachable. Globally mobile. Management Co-op candidates are educated in
every area of business, with the option to specialize, while earning a Bachelor of Business
Administration (BBA) degree from Canada’s top-ranked university. Build your talent pipeline
when you recruit from our specialty streams: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Technology, International Business, Marketing, Operations Analytics, Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources, Quantitative Finance and Statistics, Strategic Management.

Access the power of U of T’s entrepreneurship community to forge connections and transform your ideas into ventures.

The University of Toronto Entrepreneurship Community consists of 10+ Accelerators across our three campuses. Our entrepreneurial initiatives leverage the numerous strengths of a globally recognized university to provide an incredible range of unique offerings to current or aspiring innovators.

Focused on a diverse set of outcomes, we strive to ensure that anyone with the passion to build and explore has doors to enter and a community to support them.

The University of Toronto Entrepreneurship (UTE) community does much more than accelerate startups. We accelerate ideas, people, social impact, and technologies too. All while striving to create an environment that is inclusive and representative of the diverse and talented innovators and entrepreneurs around us.

Visit the home of U of T Entrepreneurship

The week of Collision, U of T Entrepreneurship and the Innovations & Partnerships Office will be hosting presentations in our ONRamp co-working and event space followed by optional tours of U of T’s St. George campus, located in the heart of downtown Toronto. 

With support from 10+ campus accelerators such as University of Toronto Early Stage Technologies (UTEST) and an institutional focus on IP Literacy, you can invest with confidence knowing that the entrepreneurs leading U of T’s startups are equipped with the tools and the mindset to compete and excel.

Smart investors invest in U of T alumni.

Sign up for Deep Tech Download, our quarterly newsletter that features active investment opportunities and the latest on these research-based companies.

Blue Door is a single point of entry for organizations that wish to work with the University of Toronto.

There is immense opportunity for organizations to accelerate their innovation, talent, and corporate social responsibility goals through partnerships with universities, from addressing changing industry needs, to developing the next generation of transformative products and services, to achieving impact in the world.

Whether you are seeking academic expertise, access to top talent or pioneering research, a first look at some of Canada’s most cutting-edge startups, or a comprehensive partnership strategy, Blue Door provides a seamless partnership experience with the University of Toronto that leverages our vast resources to help you achieve your goals.

Internationalization is a significant priority for the University of Toronto as part of our overall academic mission. The Office of the Vice-President, International (OVPI) engages with institutions in regions, countries and cities of strategic priority and leverages international opportunities for research, scholarship and mobility. By providing leadership on international initiatives, the Office develops and maintains key international partnerships.

PRiME

PRiME brings together multi-disciplinary talent to face and answer emerging challenges in Precision Medicine by understanding the biology of disease, creating new tools for disease diagnosis, and developing of novel therapeutic strategies.

PRiME is looking for industry partners, foundations, and investors to support industry-academia collaborations and early-stage technology development.

Medicine by Design

Medicine by Design harnesses the exceptional expertise at the University of Toronto and its affiliated hospitals at the convergence of physical and life sciences, engineering, mathematics and medicine to undertake transformative research in regenerative medicine and cell therapy. It fosters unique multidisciplinary collaborations and uses engineering design principles and quantitative biological modelling to accelerate breakthroughs. Through strategic investments and partnerships, Medicine by Design is powering Toronto’s burgeoning biomedical ecosystem, strengthening Canada as a global centre for regenerative medicine and improving health outcomes.

Health Innovation Hub

The Health Innovation Hub facilitates early-stage entrepreneurs with translation and commercialization of ideas into problem-solving products and services for health matters. It works to align, connect, and leverage the significant mass of life science research expertise, facilities, programs and University funding, and H2i’s vast partner and mentoring network towards advancing effective and efficient health innovation ventures.