Take your first steps toward entrepreneurship with the Building a Biotech Venture program, where regenerative medicine or precision medicine-focused trainee teams learn from industry experts to develop their venture concepts, create a pitch deck and business canvas, and set milestones for building their company.
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About Building a Biotech Venture
This program aims to support the next generation of researchers as they take their first steps toward building their technology into a product or venture.
Through this program, teams will:
- Learn how to think about their research in terms of a product or business;
- Build a business canvas and develop their product or venture concept;
- Receive guidance from industry experts on intellectual property, clinical translation, and early-stage stage investment, and preclinical experimental de-risking.
- Create a pitch deck and receive coaching on telling their venture story; and
- Receive regular mentoring from industry experts and entrepreneurs throughout the process.
The program will culminate in a pitch competition where the top teams will receive up to $25,000 (first place) and $10,000 (second place) in research funding to advance their venture.
Medicine by Design runs this program in partnership with Precision Medicine Initiative (PRiME); the Health Innovation Hub (H2i), a campus-linked accelerator at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine; and Talk Boutique.
For questions about the program, email info.mbd@utoronto.ca.
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Testimonials
“Building a Biotech Venture was an incredible opportunity to showcase our technology, which really prompted us to take our venture to the next stage and we formed the company shortly after the program.”
“Building a Biotech Venture provided us with invaluable resources, mentorship, and opportunities. We gained a deep understanding of the biotech landscape and how to navigate it.”
Building a Biotech Venture Program Schedule
Program information session and networking
Oct. 3, 3:30pm – 5:00pm
ONRamp, 100 College St. Suite 150.
The information session will provide guidance on successfully applying to the program while getting an overview of the business canvas, which will be a key component of the application. In addition, you will be able to hear from previous years’ pitch finalists as well as network with other interested trainees and/or form a team.
Application to the program
Download the application form
Application deadline: October 17, 2023 by 11:59pm.
Email completed application form to Sonam Dubey (sonam.dubey@utoronto.ca), Scientific Manager, Medicine by Design.
The Building a Biotech Venture Program occurs in two phases:
- Venture Development – 10 teams will develop their ventures with guidance and training through mentorship and workshop programming.
- Pitch Competition – Teams will receive pitch coaching, and compete in a pitch competition to a panel of industry experts. Teams accepted into the Venture Development phase of the program are eligible to participate in the Pitch Competition phase but will need to submit a separate application once it opens in early February.
Venture Development
November 2023 – February 2024
The 10 teams accepted into this program will develop their venture concepts, create a pitch deck and business canvas, and set milestones for building their company. All teams admitted into the program will be matched with a mentor, who will provide ongoing guidance over the course of the program. Teams will also receive additional dedicated mentorship opportunities from H2i Director, Paul Santerre.
The program will include the following workshops run by industry experts to help teams in scaling their ventures and prepare them for the pitch competition:
- Workshop 1: Developing a Business Canvas (November 23, 2-4:30pm)
- Workshop 2: Intellectual Property (January 11, 3-5:00pm)
- Workshop 3: Preclinical Experimental De-risking (January 18, 3-4:30pm)
- Workshop 4: Clinical Translation and Regulatory Affairs (January 25, 3-4:30pm)
- Workshop 5: Early-Stage Investment (February 1, 3-4:30pm)
- Workshop 6: Pitching and Presentation Skills (February 8, 3-4:30pm)
Pitch Competition
March 27, 2024
Six teams will be selected to pitch their venture concepts to a panel of industry experts. The first-place team will receive $25,000 and the second-place team will receive $10,000 in research funding to advance their product concepts. The research funding must be spent in a lab at U of T or its affiliated hospitals, with funding held by team member’s principal investigator.
Ahead of the pitch, venture finalists will have access to group coaching and one-on-one pitch coaching through Talk Boutique to refine their presentations.
Teams accepted into the Venture Development phase of the program are eligible to participate in the Pitch Competition phase but will need to submit a separate application once it opens in early February.
If you have any immediate questions regarding this program, please contact info.mbd@utoronto.ca.