The IT Nerd

Toronto Metropolitan University’s DMZ held its fifth annual Black Innovation Summit, where 10 Black-led tech startups from across Canada pitched their businesses for the chance to secure over $300,000 CAD in funding to accelerate their growth — a total that ultimately surpassed expectations, reaching $400,000 CAD awarded by the end of the event.

DMZ’s largest Black Innovation Summit to date, the event gathered over 400 guests from the Black entrepreneurial community. Designed to bring together the Black tech ecosystem and celebrate Black excellence, this year’s theme, ‘Black Means Business,’ underscored a powerful message: investing in Black founders is not only the right thing to do, it is a strategic imperative that fuels economic growth and the startup economy. According to a recent report by the BDC, Black entrepreneurs remain underrepresented in Canada’s business landscape yet demonstrate strong export potential and optimism for growth, clear indicators of untapped economic opportunity. The Summit put capital behind this conviction, awarding the most in its history.

The Summit featured a powerful lineup of speakers, including successful Black entrepreneurs such as Frank Baylis, Canadian businessman and Executive Chairman of Baylis Medical Technologies, and award-winning artist, entrepreneur and DMZ Advisory Council member Keshia Chanté and The Honourable Graham McGregor, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism for the Government of Ontario. The day brought together entrepreneurs, investors, corporate leaders and government to celebrate Black-led innovation, culminating in a startup pitch competition exclusively for Black founders.

DMZ Ventures, Tribe Network, and Capital M Ventures led this year’s investments and grants were made possible by DMZ and the Black Founders Network. The investment funds are now proceeding to finalize investment terms. 

• OutreachGenius, a solution that provides AI-powered agents to answer sales calls and revive cold prospects for home-service businesses, received 200,000 CAD in investment commitments. 
• Happly.AI, a platform that helps startups find and secure funding, received 75,000 CAD in investment commitments and a $50,000 CAD grant. 
• Kiwi Charge, a solution that provides autonomous charging units for electric vehicles in buildings that lack a charging infrastructure through a charging-as-a-service model, received a $30,000 CAD grant. 
• Cellect Laboratories, nanotech-powered products for women to screen for HPV and cervical cancer, received a $20,000 CAD grant. 

The Black Innovation Summit also recognized exceptional Black-identifying young entrepreneurs through its Youth Entrepreneurship Award. The Honourable Graham McGregor, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism from the Government of Ontario, joined the Summit to present the awards. Five outstanding young entrepreneurs shared a $25,000 pool in youth grants:

• Daniel Martinovic, Nodalli 
• Samira Mohamed, Stardoe Studio
• Merveille Mukoko, Yekola
• Chevon Riley, NORM 
• Alexis Stackhouse, Global Elevation Network 
  

The Ontario Government, a longstanding partner of DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs, invested $16.5 million in over 65 Black-focused programs earlier this year, including renewed support for DMZ’s programs.

DMZ is proud to have brought the Summit to life in collaboration with presenting partners Scotiabank and the Government of Ontario; contributing partners Black Founders Network, CapitalM Ventures, DCCM Foundation, DMZ Ventures, Humi by Employment Hero, Torys LLP and Tribe; and community partners Black Entrepreneurship Alliance, Black Women Talk Tech, Brampton Innovation District, Founders Connect, Futurpreneur, LBIH, Nobellum, Rep Matters and Startup Ecosystem Canada.

The annual Black Innovation Summit serves as the marquee event for DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs (BIP), which were launched in 2019. A first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada, DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs were created to increase the number of Black-led startups in the tech ecosystem and break the cycle of inequity. To date, DMZ has supported over 2,500  Black-identifying founders and has distributed over $3 million in grants and services.

Black founders in DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs receive additional opportunities and specialized support, such as free legal services, subsidized hiring grants, professional development opportunities, mentorship, a peer network, exclusive events, and connections to investors dedicated to supporting Black-led innovation—on top of the standard programming all DMZ founders receive.

Black founders seeking hands-on, tailored support to take their businesses to the next level can learn more about DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs at dmz.to/bip.

As part of Toronto Tech Week, DMZ hosted its exclusive startup showcase, DMZ Insiders, featuring a selection of its most promising portfolio companies. Startups had the chance to pitch their businesses in front of a curated audience of investors, corporate leaders and DMZ’s global partners.

The event arrived at a landmark moment for DMZ, as the incubator and startup ecosystem celebrates 15 years of entrepreneurship support and marks one year since the launch of DMZ Ventures’ investment fund.

The live pitch lineup at DMZ Insiders included Kelsey Hahn, Co-Founder and CEO of Monark; Julian D’Angelo, Co-Founder and CEO of Talin; Stephen McCabe, Co-Founder and CEO of QuickCasa; Lynn Banks, Founder and CEO of NextGen Sound; and Natalia Bakaeva, Co-Founder and CEO of ARKI. 

NextGen Sound, an AI-driven platform transforming marketing for creators and brands, secured the top spot—earning a $150,000 investment from DMZ Ventures.

This year’s DMZ Insiders introduced a $5,000 People’s Choice Award, voted on by the community. ARKI, an AI tool enhancing design workflows through smart reuse of past project data, earned the crowd’s vote and took home the cash prize from DMZ.

Since publicly launching at DMZ Insiders in 2024, the DMZ Ventures Fund has invested in promising early-stage startups, including Leasey AI, Flowjin, Fibra and more. With a focus on inclusive innovation, the fund has supported founders from across Canada — including women entrepreneurs and newcomers — all demonstrating strong early momentum.

Earlier in the week, DMZ partnered with BetaKit to host “The Most Ambitious Launch Party”, an event celebrating its 15th anniversary and the launch of BetaKit’s Most Ambitious issue. To date, DMZ has supported 2450+ startups in raising $2.95 billion in capital and has created over 25,000 jobs.

 DMZ, Toronto Metropolitan University’s world-leading startup incubator and startup ecosystem, announces its newest global hub in partnership with the Town of Caledon: the Humber River Centre Incubator Program, powered by DMZ. 

Built with Caledon’s entrepreneurs in mind, the program is designed to reflect the region’s unique economic landscape and fuel local business growth. Over the course of this multi-year initiative, the program aims to support up to 45 startups, helping founders scale their businesses through DMZ’s world-class entrepreneurial support and network. 

Powered by DMZ, the Humber River Centre Incubator Program offers a 12-week, hands-on curriculum tailored to the specific needs of participating entrepreneurs. The hybrid delivery model blends in-person programming at the state-of-the-art Humber River Centre in downtown Bolton with virtual components. Founders selected for the program will gain access to:

• Workshops, training sessions and one-on-one mentorship from industry experts in areas like business strategy, sales support, business development, marketing and more.
• Opportunities to connect and network at industry events with investors, business leaders and government stakeholders.
• Access to 40+ specialized Experts-in-Residence from DMZ’s network.
• A free coworking membership at the Humber River Centre.

Local entrepreneurs can get a firsthand look at the support offered through the program by attending peer-to-peer sessions at the Humber River Centre. These interactive workshops, led by DMZ Experts-in-Residence, cover a range of practical topics such as customer discovery, growth, marketing, pitching and business model validation – giving participants a preview of the hands-on guidance available through the incubator.  Learn more about the peer-to-peer sessions and register here.

The Town of Caledon and DMZ are also offering complimentary coaching sessions for local founders to learn more about the program and how it can help grow their business.  Interested entrepreneurs can book a session with DMZ’s Program Lead, Darren Shivraj here.

Applications for the Humber River Centre Incubator Program, powered by DMZ are now open. Caledon entrepreneurs can learn more and apply by visiting dmz.to/Caledon. Applications close July 10, 2025.

 DMZ, a global startup ecosystem, announced its third annual Women Innovation Summit, set to take place on March 6, 2025. Hosted at DMZ’s headquarters in downtown Toronto, the Summit will bring together women-led startups, innovators, investors, corporate partners, allies and policymakers for a full day event in honour of International Women’s Day. 

Committed to celebrating women entrepreneurs and serving as a catalyst for women’s innovation, the 2025 Summit will unite attendees through intimate roundtable discussions, a pitch competition providing women-led startups with funding opportunities and the official unveiling of DMZ’s 2025 Women of the Year honourees.

Applications for the Women Innovation Pitch Competition and nominations for DMZ’s Women of the Year are now open at dmz.to/WIS. The deadline to apply or nominate is January 19, 2025.

For the third consecutive year, The Firehood—a national network dedicated to advancing women in technology—will join DMZ as an investment partner, committing $100,000 in cash investments for the Women Innovation Pitch Competition. The Firehood has awarded $330,000 in funding to women-led startups through DMZ’s Women Innovation Summit, which has welcomed more than 600 attendees over its first two years.

Women Innovation Pitch Competition

Open to women founders across Canada, the pitch competition provides a unique opportunity to secure funding and accelerate business growth. From the applicants, 25 women founders will be chosen to receive personalized pitch advisory sessions, participate in curated roundtable discussions and gain valuable marketing and PR exposure. Of these, 10 finalists will pitch live at the Summit to angel investors from The Firehood. In 2024, three remarkable women-led startups—LyfeMD, Roga and Granularity—secured funding through the Women Innovation Summit, showcasing the incredible talent driving Canada’s innovation ecosystem. 

Women of the Year Awards

DMZ’s Women of the Year Awards honours outstanding women who are driving meaningful change in Canada’s tech and business sectors. Honourees represent trailblazers who are disrupting their industries, leading multi-million dollar companies, revolutionizing technology and inspiring the next generation of women in innovation. Previous awardees include Sylvia Ng, CEO of ReturnBear; Fatima Zaidi, CEO and Founder of Quill; and Mirela Pirlea, Lead Partnerships Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Ontario – Atlantic – West Canada at Desjardins. 2025 award recipients will be revealed at the Women Innovation Summit on March 6, 2025. 

Applications for the Women Innovation Pitch Competition and nominations for Women of the Year are open until January 19, 2025. Learn more and apply at dmz.to/WIS.

DMZ’s Women Innovation Summit was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.

DMZ, a global startup ecosystem, announced its new Advisory Council. This dynamic group of visionary leaders will guide DMZ through an ambitious phase of growth and innovation, enhancing support for startups and reinforcing DMZ’s role as a leading incubator in both national and global entrepreneurial ecosystems. 

Officially announced yesterday at DMZ’s headquarters in Toronto, the new Advisory Council will unlock new opportunities, forge strategic partnerships and solidify DMZ as an ecosystem developer. Renowned for its world-leading Incubator, unparalleled community, an investment arm and a global network of strategic joint ventures, DMZ equips founders to build, validate and scale impactful startups while also producing skilled professionals for the innovation economy through expert-led courses. 

DMZ’s new Advisory Council members bring exceptional expertise and represent diverse industry backgrounds, including sports, financial services, entertainment and notable Canadian startup successes. Their collective experience and networks will create new opportunities for DMZ and its startups. DMZ welcomes the following new members to its Advisory Council: 

• Brett Mooney, President & CEO, Amex Canada 
• Carole Saab, CEO, Federation of Canadian Municipalities 
• Donette Chin-Loy Chang, Incoming Chancellor, Toronto Metropolitan University 
• Keshia Chanté, Award-Winning Singer & TV Host, NACO Ambassador 
• Mat Mehrotra, Chief Digital Officer & Head of Canadian Products, North American Personal & Business Banking, BMO Financial Group 
• Michael Bartlett, President & CEO, Canada Basketball 
• Michael Tamblyn, CEO, Rakuten Kobo 
• Mike Murchison, CEO & Co-Founder, Ada 
• Nabeela Elsayed, HR & Operations Executive, Advisor & Coach, The Marshall Goldsmith Group 
• Noura Sakkijha, CEO, Mejuri 
• Pierre Boutin, CEO & Group Managing Director, Volkswagen Group Ireland 
• Ritu Khanna, Vice President, Global Partnerships, Shopify 

DMZ welcomes the following returning members to its Advisory Council:

• Agnes Hilkene, Executive Director, The George & Helen Vari Foundation 
• David Walmsley, Editor in Chief, The Globe and Mail 
• Mohamed Lachemi, President and Vice Chancellor, Toronto Metropolitan University 
• Peter Bowie, Independent Director  

DMZ’s inaugural Advisory Council was first launched in September 2016 with 18 members, who all played a pivotal role in making DMZ the national benchmark for incubating tech startups and expanding operations globally.    

DMZ’s new Advisory Council members were selected from an open invitation last fall by Arlington Partners, a management consulting firm that specializes in board advisory services. For more information on DMZ’s Advisory Council head to dmz.to/Advisory-Council 

 DMZ, a global startup ecosystem, officially concluded its annual Basecamp program, where 55 student-led businesses had the opportunity to participate in a summer program to develop technology-driven solutions that address critical industry challenges, equipping them with foundational business skills to thrive in an entrepreneurial career. 

As an inaugural recipient of the Embark Student Foundation Major Grant Program, the 2024 Basecamp program was offered in two phases: Sprint and Voyage. Basecamp Sprint offered a 4-week pitch coaching experience that provided students the chance to pitch their business ideas at Collision, North America’s premier tech conference. Following the Sprint phase, all participants continued their journey in Basecamp Voyage, an 8-week comprehensive program designed to help students refine their innovative ideas through expert 1-on-1 mentoring, customized coaching and opportunities to connect with startups and industry experts within Canada and DMZ’s global network. 

Basecamp concluded with ten student-led startups competing for cash prizes at the highly anticipated Basecamp Demo Day pitch competition. Demo Day awarded $50,000 CAD in total grant prizes to the top three pitch finalists. Award winners included:

• Glucosense, a HealthTech startup founded by Justin Allen and Tenzin Dhonyoe from Toronto Metropolitan University, was named the first-place winner and took home $20,000 CAD. 
• PNYX, an Entertainment startup founded by Asar Qadir from Metalworks Institute/Yorkville University, was named the second-place winner and took home $15,000 CAD, as well as the People’s Choice award, voted by the audience. 
• Summina, a HealthTech startup founded by Sylvia Gehring from Toronto Metropolitan University, was named the third-place winner and took home $10,000 CAD. 
• Fresh AI, a RetailTech startup founded by Krish Bhoopati from Wilfred Laurier University, was named the fourth-place winner and took home $5,000 CAD. 

The 2024 Basecamp program set new records, doubling the number of startups supported and drawing the highest number of applications in the program’s history. For the first time, Basecamp expanded its reach internationally, welcoming students from DMZ’s global hubs including Qatar’s University of Doha for Science and Technology and Japan’s Yamanashi Prefectural University. 

The prestigious $20,000 grand prize was generously provided by The George and Helen Vari Foundation in honour of the late Dr. Helen Vari for her lifelong dedication to education.  

As part of DMZ’s Talent Academy, Basecamp is just one of the expert-led tech and business programs available. If you’re an entrepreneur or professional looking for mentored, hands-on learning and a downtown Toronto co-working space, check out DMZ’s SkillHouse upcoming courses at dmz.to/SkillHouse.

DMZ at Toronto Metropolitan University held its fourth annual Black Innovation Summit, where 10 Black-led tech startups from across Canada had the opportunity to pitch their business to a panel of judges for the chance to secure grant prizes to accelerate their growth. Designed to bring together the Black tech ecosystem and celebrate Black excellence, this year’s Black Innovation Summit theme addressed rapid tech advancements and global economic uncertainty, empowering attendees with the tools to navigate today’s startup landscape and build resilience in an ever-changing market.

As a full-day event, the Summit included three curated activities: a networking event that revealed DMZ’s inaugural Black Youth Entrepreneurship Award, roundtable discussions to share insights and foster connections among entrepreneurs, investors, and corporate executives, and a startup pitch competition exclusively for Black founders.

The pitch competition awarded $55,000 CAD in total grant prizes to the top three pitch finalists. Award winners included: 

• Cleanster, a Montreal-based startup that connects property managers to top-rated cleaners, was named the first-place winner and took home $30,000 CAD. 
• Woveo, a Calgary-based digital credit union-like fintech platform that offers low-cost credit and helps users build credit, was named the second-place winner, taking home $15,000 CAD. 
• Outlit, an Ottawa-based startup that helps sales teams close deals by developing AI agents to accelerate contract reviews and shorten sales cycles, was named the third-place winner, taking home $5,000 CAD. 

First-place winner Cleanster also received the esteemed People’s Choice Award at the Pitch Competition, awarded by Summit attendees, along with an additional $5,000 CAD prize.

The Black Innovation Summit also unveiled its inaugural Black Youth Entrepreneurship Award, designed to recognize the efforts of a young Black entrepreneur who demonstrates exceptional innovation, leadership, and community impact within Ontario. Taneesha Greaves, a content creator, social media specialist, and Founder of Greaves Media, was awarded the 2024 Black Youth Entrepreneurship Award and a $5,000 grant prize.

The annual Black Innovation Summit serves as the marquee event for DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs (BIP), which were launched in 2019. A first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada, DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs were created to see more Black-led startups in the tech ecosystem and break the perpetual cycle of inequity. To date, DMZ has supported over 1,000 Black-identifying founders and has distributed $2.5 million CAD worth of grants and services. 

Black founders in DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs receive additional opportunities and specialized support like grant funding, mentorship opportunities, a peer network, exclusive events, and connections to investors dedicated to supporting Black-led innovation—on top of the standard programming all DMZ founders get.

Black founders looking for hands-on, tailored support to take their business to the next level can learn more about DMZ’s Black Innovation Programs at dmz.to/bip.