Startup Competitions

Are you a startup founder or do you have a great idea you want to turn into a business? The Desjardins Startup Prize is U of T’s annual business pitch competition, offering over $100K in prizes to recognize, reward, and accelerate the most innovative startups. Ten finalists will be selected to pitch their business idea in the 2026 Desjardins Startup Prize Pitch Competition the first week of Mar...

Meridian Credit Union is once again shining a spotlight on Ontario’s most inspiring small businesses. Now in its fifth year, the Small Business Big Impact Awards will distribute $200,000 to recognize companies making a real difference in their communities. This year’s expanded program includes 15 awards of $10,000 and the coveted $50,000 Ontario Votes Award, celebrating businesses that lead thr...

Looking to grow your business? Nominate your small business or a small business you love for the True North Small Business Grant Contest. This year, five Canadian small businesses will each receive $25,000 in cash and $500 to ship with Purolator. Nominators also get the chance to win a $500 Visa gift card! Submit up to five nominations. Deadline: until Nov. 5, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. at Learn M...

ventureLAB’s HardTech Pitch Competition is still accepting applications until August 4, from startups building next-gen hardware in cleantech, automobility, MedTech, AI, or advanced communications. Last year’s second-place winner, Kimia Analytics, used the platform to gain visibility, pitch to top investors, and win cash prizes. Now it’s your turn, compete for a share of $50,000, pitch li...

The Next Big AIdea is HubSpot’s competition offering $50K cash + $25K AWS credits to one winning AI startup. Applications close July 25 and require just a 60-second video explaining your AI solution. The winner also gets massive media exposure across HubSpot’s network and center stage at INBOUND 2025. Learn more and apply by July 25

Are you a Canadian small business making big moves? This is your moment to shine. Apply now for a chance to win $200,000 in cash, cutting-edge tools, and nationwide recognition to accelerate your growth and showcase your success. June 3, 2025 Application period begins September 3, 2025 Application period closes at 11:59 p.m. EDT October 21, 2025 Winners will be announced and celebrated Learn More

Working an innovative solution? Check out the First-Look Pitch Competition $25,000 for GTA startups. Deadline: Deadline May 30, 2025, 12:00 AM Apply here. 

🚀 Exciting Opportunity for Alberta’s Top Startups! 🌟 Alberta Innovates is thrilled to open applications for the Alberta Innovates Scaleup GAP premier pitch event in partnership with the Banff Venture Forum (BVF) on October 22, 2025 – an event that will shine a spotlight on Alberta’s most innovative emerging startups and connect them with a global network of inv...

Working on AI project? Check out opportunity to apply for the AI Compute Access Fund—a program designed to help startups and researchers access powerful compute resources. Eligible teams can receive up to $100,000-$5 million in funding to support their AI development. Whether you’re training large models or scaling your infrastructure, this fund can accelerate your progress. Learn more an...

Welcome to Athena’s AI Agent Contest! Not only we have a $2,000 USD prize pool, we will also promote the contestants on a leaderboard. Top 10 contestants will be attending the final where their Agent will be judged by Top professionals from Google, Amazon, Shopify, VCs, recruiting firms and Startup CEOs. This is the perfect opportunity to show your talents if you are looking for a job or ...

CanExport SMEs is a Canadian government funding program designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expand into new international markets by covering up to 50% of eligible export-related expenses, with grants up to $50,000. The 2025 intake is open until May 31, 2025, for projects occurring between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026 Check out the full details here.

Know any women founders? If you’re a women founder in tech looking to fundraise, apply to the 2025 SheBoot program. You can access up to $300K in capital. This is equity-based investment. Applications are due by May 2, 2025. Apply today

The Brampton innovator program is offering $5K non-dilutive funding for founders in the peel region. This is a 6-week market-validation program to inspire “entrecurious” individuals to become full-time technology entrepreneurs. They provide industry-driven content, introductory venture creation materials, and a curated curriculum that supports first-time founders in accelerating mar...

Got an innovative ide? Win $30,000 in cash at Uniting The Prairies 🔥 This is your chance to apply for the Prize of the Prairies, a pitch competition showcasing the best Prairie tech startups live at UP25! Gain build onnections and win non-dilutive funding. Apply now

Calling BC tech entrepreneurs and startups 🚀 The @New Ventures BC Competition, presented by Innovate BC, is back for its 25th anniversary! 🏆 Compete to access over $250K in cash and prizes while showcasing your innovative ideas, receiving mentorship, education, networking opportunities, and valuable feedback from esteemed judges and investors. 👩🏻‍💻...

Working an innovative idea? The Hustle is hosting is a $5K pitch competition. Send a 60 second video telling us your genius business idea and why you think it’s the next big thing. The person with the most unique idea will win $5000 and a feature in The Hustle to start their journey. Check it out here.

Working on a startup in health, wellness startups and sports ? Check out Orlando Magic Venture Challenge. This is for global early-stage startup sin sports, health and wellness startups. Individual funding ranges from $50,000 to $200,000 for qualified startups. Deadline: March 5 Learn more. 

Working an AI startup? Check out this grant opportunity with Lenovo Evolve Small AI Gran. This is for small businesses and startups. Deadline: February 17 Learn more.

Pillar VC is hosting a $1M Moonshot Global Startup Competition. This is open to current university undergrad and grad students, postdocs and faculty. This open to any company or idea where at least one member of the Founding Team is affiliated with a University (i.e. undergraduate, grad student, postdoc, or faculty member). Apply to win $1M or $250K for your startup. Check it out here.

The Biotech Innovators Award provides one year of free-lab space at SpinUp, funded by AbbVie Canada, and access to core facilities and services, including membership to the SpinUp community of scientists, technologists and entrepreneurs. Learn more and apply by Jan. 17