The Desjardins Startup Prize is U of T’s annual business pitch competition, offering over $100,000 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 week of March 2-6, as part of U of T Entrepreneurship Week. The shortlisted individuals or teams will compete by showcasing their startup via a five-minute pitch to a panel of investor judges.
Established in 1827, University of Toronto is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large city of Toronto (population range of 1,000,000-5,000,000 inhabitants), Ontario. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, Ontario, University of Toronto (UofT) is a very large (uniRank enrollment range: over-45,000 students) coeducational higher education institution. University of Toronto (UofT) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. International applicants are eligible to apply for enrollment.