Entrepreneur Francis Shen, an alumnus of UTIAS, has committed a $1 million donation to establish an entrepreneurial incubation program at UTIAS called Start@UTIAS.
The purpose of this program is to encourage and facilitate UTIAS graduate students to utilize the knowledge and skills that they have gained through their education to create business start-ups.
Important Start@UTIAS Dates
1. Start-up information session – Wednesday, September 27, 5:00 – 6:00 in the LH
2. Speaker Session – Wednesday, October 4, 5:00 – 6:30 in the LH (pizza following in the cafeteria)
3. 1st application deadline – Wednesday, October 25, with interview the following week
4. 2nd application deadline – Tuesday, December 5, with interview the following week
5. 3rd application deadline – Wednesday, February 21, with interview the following week
6. Start@UTIAS Pitch Event – TBD
How to Get Started
Things are different for Start@UTIAS this year: you do not need to have formed a team, or have an idea, in order to participate, although if you have, that’s fine too. Come to the information session on September 27 and find out what the Start@UTIAS program is all about for 2017-18. The Start@UTIAS program is open to all UTIAS students and alumni/alumnae.
Start@UTIAS is designed to offer the tools needed to create successful start-ups. These tools include mentorship, legal and accounting advice, speaker series, networking opportunities, and capital funding.
Application Guidelines
Applications should be submitted in pdf format via email to Joan DaCosta dacosta(at)utias.utoronto.ca
Your application should be no more than 3 pages. As a general guideline, the following are key items to be included:
1. Team Name
- This should be the name of your company if it is incorporated.
- If a company has not been formed, give a name to your team.
2. Team Description
- Each team must consist of 2 or more people.
- Name of each team member and his/her current UTIAS status.
- Who is/are the team leader(s)? Why were they chosen?
- What are the expected roles and contributions of each team member?
- How did your team come together?
3. Business Idea
- One sentence describing the idea of your business.
- Provide a detailed description of the product(s) and/or service(s) offered by your business.
4. Market
- What is your primary addressable market?
- Are there other markets that you may be able to address?
5. Competition
- Identify your competitors.
- What are the competitive advantages of your business?
6. Financial
- What are possible revenue models for your business?
- How are you planning to use a possible Start@UTIAS grant?
- Have you received other funding?
- What are your future financing requirements?