Research Guides: Entrepreneurship: Pitch Competitions List

Pitch Competitions List

The following is a list of pitch competitions U of T students can enter to win money and other prizes to support their startups. Some are student-focused and others are open to the public.

Due to varying application cycles, some competitions on this list may be out of date by a year. Please check the individual pitch competition site for deadlines, eligibility and other key information.

Inclusion on this page is not an endorsement by University of Toronto Libraries. Are we missing something? Let me know at carey.toane@utoronto.ca to have it added to the list.

List of Pitch Competitions

University of Toronto Pitch Competitions

These opportunities are open across U of T as described below. Individual accelerators offer additional competitions available to their cohorts. Please visit accelerator websites for more information.

Desjardins Startup Prize
Host: U of T Entrepreneurship
Annual business pitch competition offering $100,000+ in prizes to the University of Toronto’s most innovative student startups. Open to all faculties, if least one founder is a current full-time U of T student or recent alumni.
FemSTEM
Host: Health Innovation Hub
Part of H2i's FemSTEM program, which looks to inspire, engage, and celebrate women entrepreneurs in the health innovation space. The 2022 pitch competition featured $40,000 in cash and prizes.
Pitch Perfect
Host: Health Innovation Hub (H2i)
Pitch Perfect is a Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Health Innovation Hub (H2i) initiative to celebrate and support student entrepreneurs working on health focused innovations. Each fall, six student-based ventures are selected to pitch their concept to a panel of expert judges for the chance to win one of three Student Innovation Fellowships of $5,000.
PITCH with a Twist
Host: ICUBE
PITCH showcases innovation and entrepreneurship from University of Toronto, Sheridan College, and our greater community. Focusing on early-stage ventures, we bring together innovators from a variety of sectors to pitch their businesses for cash prizes and in-kind support.
With a panel of women-identifying judges and all the people pitching will be women-identifying, coming in from two streams of ideas and early stage startups, come celebrate creativity and entrepreneurship for all.
RBC Awards for Diversity and Innovation in Technology
The RBC Awards for Diversity and Innovation in Technology provide support to equity-deserving individuals at the University of Toronto, including Black and Indigenous students and/or women, interested in a career at the intersection of technology and financial services. Applicants are evaluated based on their academic achievements and innovative accomplishments.
U of T PRIDE PITCH
Host: ICUBE UTM
Students from all three campuses are welcome to apply for #UofTPRIDEPITCH – a competition that offers $5,000 in cash prizes to recognize, reward and accelerate the U of T’s LGBTQ2S+ entrepreneurs. Selected individuals or teams will compete by showcasing their idea to a panel of judges.
Young Entrepreneur Scholarship (YES)
Host: The BRIDGE UTSC
The Young Entrepreneur Scholarship (YES) supports student entrepreneurs across the University of Toronto tri-campus who want to advance their own businesses with mentorship and up to $7500. Awards will be split among participants in the New Venture Program (NVP), open to any current student entrepreneur across each of the University of Toronto’s three campuses.

AAGEF Ontario Entrepreneur Challenge
Host: Association des Alumni des Grands Ecoles Francaises
Pitch competition and networking event with live voting and awards. The 2020 event will be held online in November.
MaRS Climate Impact
MaRS Climate Impact is a new innovation conference that leverages business and private capital for social good. MaRS is recruiting 10 climate tech ventures to pitch to investors.
Medicine by Design: The Grand Questions
Host: Medicine by Design
Researchers are invited to submit proposals addressing one of the Grand Questions developed with investigators at U of T and its affiliated hospitals and Medicine by Design’s Scientific Advisory Board. Successful teams will receive up to $1 million each. The questions change every year.
OBI ONtrepreneurs program
Host: Ontario Brain Institute
Canada's single largest award that catalyzes early stage entrepreneurs to commercialize brain-related technologies by accessing funding and support to launch or grow their neurotechnology ventures.
Ontario Agri-Tech Pitch Competition
Host: University of Guelph
Ontario-based agri-tech start-up companies battle it out to be best in class. The company with the greatest potential to advance the Ontario agri-food sector and beyond will win a grand prize of $10,000 and the winner of the People's Choice award will take home $2,500.
SCI Competition
The SCI Competition is a pitch event that identifies promising tech ventures from North America for trade missions to Asia. Selected ventures will participate in a preliminary roadshow, pitching to a panel of judges for a chance to compete in multiple pitch competitions in Asia, with monetary prizes up to C$100,000 each.
TieQuest Toronto Business Venture Competition
Participants apply to MedTech or General stream depending on your venture. Participants complete training and various milestones to make it to the final Gala is where 3 finalists from each stream get to pitch on stage to a panel of judges and audience. Winners take home cash prizes, in-kind perks, and the opportunity to secure angel investment from TiE Toronto Angels.

Additional Competition Lists:

Cooperathon
Host: Desjardins
The largest open innovation competition in Canada. Find innovative solutions to several socio-economic challenges & compete for over $100,000 in prizes.
Dragon's Den
Host: CBC
Pitch business concepts/products to a panel of Canadian business moguls on television. Virtual auditions are open.
Next36
Host: NEXT Canada
Compete to be one of 36 of the most entrepreneurial undergrads and recent grads from coast-to-coast.
Applications for the next cohort open August 2021.
Startup Global Pitch Competition
The Startup Global Pitch Competition is for early stage entrepreneurs looking to export their products and/or services outside of Canada. Finalists compete for their chance to win from a cash prize pool of $70,000 to grow their business.
TiEQuest
Host: TiE
Open to startups at all stages across Canada. Receive advice from industry professionals, network with angel investors, venture capitalists, fund managers, & other professionals. $50,000 grand prize.
UpStart
Host: Concordia University
An innovative entrepreneurship competition where students come together to learn new skills and put their entrepreneurial strategies to the test. Engineering and Computer Science students from all universities are invited to join! Present your pitch in front of a panel of experienced judges and learn from the best in the industry.
Women Innovation Summit
Host: DMZ
The pitch competition is for women tech founders with a functional MVP and business dedicated to solving a compelling problem using innovative technology. Women founder finalists take the stage to pitch for a $100,000 cash investment.

Student Competitions

Kellogg-Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge
Teams of graduate students from around the world are invited to develop and pitch creative financial approaches to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges.
Rice Business Plan Competition
Host: Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, Rice University
Billed as the world’s richest and largest graduate-level student startup competition, this competition welcomes student teams from around the world. Must have at least one graduate student on your team. Consists of 42 teams from around the world competing for more than $1.5 million in cash and prizes.
Hult Prize
Host: Clinton Global Initiative
Students who want to change the world are being invited to compete for the Hult Prize. The target social impact area of focus changes every year.

Health, Science & Technology Competitions

The Hello Tomorrow Global Challenge
Host: Hello Tomorrow
Startup competition designed specifically for science and deeptech entrepreneurs developing breakthrough technologies. Startups gain visibility & connections in the deeptech network, one-on-one meetings with VCs & CVCs and the chance to win up to €100K equity-free funding.
QuickFire and QuickPitch Challenges
Host: Johnson & Johnson Innovation
A prize or a series of prizes to the person or team(s) who submits the best biotech technology or solution to key challenges that address the healthcare issues of interest to Johnson & Johnson. Each challenge has its own prize amount, terms and conditions.

Social Innovation Competitions

Racial Equity 2030
Host: Kellogg Foundation
A $90 million global call for ideas that transform systems & institutions that uphold political, social, economic, or institutional inequity within the next decade. Applications accepted from established organizations. Register by Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
XPrize
Host: XPrize Foundation
Scientists, engineers, academics, entrepreneurs and other innovators with new ideas from all over the world are invited to form teams and compete. XPrize offers a variety of prizes and competitions addressing current global issues.
Google.org Impact Challenges
Host: Google
Looks for nonprofits and social enterprises with ideas that can create change at the pace and scale the world needs today. The best and boldest ideas are given a strategic package of funding, mentorship, and technical support.

Industry Competitions

Global Automotive and Mobility Innovation Challenge (GAMIC)
Host: SAE International & WCX™ Congress
Annual competition for early-stage automotive products/ systems and mobility companies with new and innovative technologies. Early-stage automotive and mobility companies with a new technology are invited to apply.
SXSW Accelerator and Pitch Competition
Host: South By SouthWest Interactive
A live audience, as well as a panel of expert judges, will discover advancements in various sectors of emerging technology.

Credit

This page has been updated by Gerstein TALint student Stephanie Roche.

Gerstein Science Information Centre

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship Librarian

Pitch Competitions List

See also:

List of Pitch Competitions

University of Toronto Pitch Competitions

Additional Competition Lists:

Student Competitions

Health, Science & Technology Competitions

Social Innovation Competitions

Industry Competitions

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