Created with: Black Innovation Zone
Made possible by the Black Innovation Zone, there are THREE NEW grants totalling $40k available to Black-led startups attending Startupfest. The Black Innovation Zone (BIZ) is a collaborative initiative designed to enhance the visibility and support of Black founders, investors, and professionals in Canada. For the first time at Startupfest, the BIZ is offering two $10k grants and one $20k grant for Black-led startups!
Eligibility Criteria
Each grant is open to Black-led startups in attendance. For the purposes of this prize, we define a Black-led startup as a startup with the most senior member of the executive team being a Black leader.
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Early-stage $10k Grant: Any Black-led student social enterprises with less than $10k raised.
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Growth-stage $10k Grant: Any Black-led startup with more than $10k raised or generated.
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Growth-stage $20k Grant: Any Black-led startup with more than $10k raised or generated.
The Process
Pitching
Your goal is to get at least one Investor Judge to shortlist your startup during the first two days of the event.
- Express your interest here for early consideration. Pitches will run through the first two days of Startupfest.
- Pitch your startup to the Investor Judges at the Black Innovation Zone -$40k BIZ Grant space in The Startupfest Village on July 9th & 10th from 11:30-5:00 PM.
- Your pitch needs to be no more than 1 minute, but be prepared for questions from the Investor Judges.
The Shortlist Process
- Three finalists per grant will be shortlisted by Thursday afternoon, July 10th, and contacted by the BIZ team.
The Finalist Process
- The grant winners will be announced at the closing ceremonies on Friday afternoon.