Next / Our Competition
WE COULD DO THIS EVERY YEAR Oh wait – we do!
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR THE 2021 STARTUP COMPETITION. STAY IN THE LOOP. SUBSCRIBE FOR NEWS AND UPDATES.
How it works.
1.
Application Submissions
2.
Short-Listing
(Short List announced)
3.
Due Diligence
(Finalists announced)
4.
Finalist Pitch Day
Winner Awarded $250K
The fine print.
The fine print.
2021 Timeline
October 1: Applications Open
October 31: Applications Close
November: Shortlisted Companies Announced / Interviews
December: Finalists Announced
January / February 2022: Due Diligence & Term Sheet Negotiations
March 31, 2022: Finalist Pitch Day – $250,000 Awarded
2021 Power Panel
Our Power Panel is a group of venture capitalists, angel investors, entrepreneurs and industry experts who offer their observations and insights to our finalists.
Bruce Croxon wants to invest in the next Canadian wave. The co-founder of the wildly successful dating site Lavalife, and a former “Dragon” on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, Croxon shares informed insights into what it takes to succeed in today’s demanding entrepreneurial environment.
After co-founding Lavalife in 1987, Croxon served in many roles with the company — partner, chairman, and CEO — guiding it to the position of category leader. Since then, Croxon has been active as both an investor and advisor in early stage companies in the technology and hospitality sectors, continuing to expand the reach of his entrepreneurial successes.
As a former “Dragon” on Dragons’ Den, he added a broad range of businesses and products to his portfolio that tap into his passion for digital media, health, and marketing. He currently helms Round13, a company dedicated to investment in growth stage Canadian tech companies, and co-hosts The Disruptors on BNN and CTV, a weekly show spotlighting Canadian business.
Bruce Croxon
Former “Dragon” | Host, The Disruptors | Partner, Round13 Capital
Wayne Li is the Founder & CEO of NextUp Care, a health technology company that is automating healthcare – one appointment at a time. Our Intelligent Patient Scheduling Platform allows medical imaging providers to algorithmically schedule appointments without any manual intervention and instantly notify patients. The Platform improves operational efficiency and physician & patient engagement. Wayne is passionate about reducing wait times in our healthcare system.
Previously, Wayne was the country head for Polaris Consulting & Services in Australia and New Zealand and a management consultant and account executive at Capgemini. He has 15 years’ experience working with global financial services clients in Canada, US, UK and Asia to leverage technology to transform and grow their business.
Wayne holds a BSc in Neuroscience and MSc in Physiology from the University of Toronto and a MBA in Finance from the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
Wayne Li
Founder & CEO, NextUp Care | Past Muskoka 4.0 Winner
Don has spent more than two decades leading, growing, and transforming organizations and businesses, working with multinational companies, tech start-ups, academic/research institutions, governments and clients around the world. As CEO of NORCAT, he has transformed the organization to become a global, multi-faceted enterprise focused on providing programs, services and resources to prepare current and future workers and tech entrepreneurs with the right skills, competencies, and confidence to succeed. In addition, Don is also the founder and co-managing partner of the Sudbury Catalyst Fund, a unique $5M co-investment seed capital venture fund based in Sudbury, Ontario.
Previously, Don served as VP of Strategy/Operations for the MaRS Discovery District, an Investment Director with MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, and as Senior Manager within Deloitte Consulting. He’s an active angel investor and holds a variety of Board positions. Academically he holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Queen’s University and a Master of Applied Science and Engineering from the University of Toronto.
Don Duval
CEO, NORCAT
Lauren Epstein is a Principal with StandUp Ventures, a seed-stage fund championing innovative companies led or co-led by women. StandUp partners with ambitious entrepreneurs across Canada to break through from Seed to Series A.
Before joining StandUp, Lauren worked at a large, Canadian, institutional venture capital fund, sourcing, investing in, and supporting disruptive technology companies from Series A onwards. Previously, Lauren was the Director of Investments at Epstein Enterprises Inc., where she propelled the growth of the angel/seed-stage investing portfolio. Lauren also spent several years working as a litigation lawyer after clerking at the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Lauren holds a B.A. in Government, cum laude, from Harvard University and completed the joint JD/MBA program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and the Rotman School of Management, graduating first in her class in the MBA program and as the gold medalist among the JD/MBA students.
Lauren is passionate about entrepreneurs, the Canadian innovation ecosystem, giving back to the community, and her family, including her husband, son, and daughter.
Lauren Epstein
Principal, StandUp Ventures
Bruce Croxon
Former “Dragon” | Host, The Disruptors | Partner, Round13 Capital
Bruce Croxon wants to invest in the next Canadian wave. The co-founder of the wildly successful dating site Lavalife, and a former “Dragon” on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, Croxon shares informed insights into what it takes to succeed in today’s demanding entrepreneurial environment.
After co-founding Lavalife in 1987, Croxon served in many roles with the company — partner, chairman, and CEO — guiding it to the position of category leader. Since then, Croxon has been active as both an investor and advisor in early stage companies in the technology and hospitality sectors, continuing to expand the reach of his entrepreneurial successes.
As a former “Dragon” on Dragons’ Den, he added a broad range of businesses and products to his portfolio that tap into his passion for digital media, health, and marketing. He currently helms Round13, a company dedicated to investment in growth stage Canadian tech companies, and co-hosts The Disruptors on BNN and CTV, a weekly show spotlighting Canadian business.
Wayne Li
Founder & CEO, NextUp Care | Past Muskoka 4.0 Winner
Wayne Li is the Founder & CEO of NextUp Care, a health technology company that is automating healthcare – one appointment at a time. Our Intelligent Patient Scheduling Platform allows medical imaging providers to algorithmically schedule appointments without any manual intervention and instantly notify patients. The Platform improves operational efficiency and physician & patient engagement. Wayne is passionate about reducing wait times in our healthcare system.
Previously, Wayne was the country head for Polaris Consulting & Services in Australia and New Zealand and a management consultant and account executive at Capgemini. He has 15 years’ experience working with global financial services clients in Canada, US, UK and Asia to leverage technology to transform and grow their business.
Wayne holds a BSc in Neuroscience and MSc in Physiology from the University of Toronto and a MBA in Finance from the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.