Deadline: February 10, 2025
Applications are open for the EFFERVESCENCE Start-up Pitch Competition 2025. For its fifth edition, the EFFERVESCENCE Start-up Pitch Competition will fuel the rise of Canadian start-ups whose innovations aim to transform the field of life sciences and health technologies (LSHT).
The 10 start-ups selected as finalists will get the opportunity to present their pitch before the EFFERVESCENCE participants at marché Bonsecours in Montreal. The pitches will be judged by a panel of judges, each of whom is a recognized expert or investor in the field of LSHT. The evaluation by the jury members will take the form of constructive advice and possible solutions to be explored to allow the entrepreneurial team to push its project even further.
The finalists will benefit from a unique visibility with a diverse audience comprised of investors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and industry members, all brought together at EFFERVESCENCE to discover the most promising opportunities for collaboration and creation of the future of life sciences.
Categories
Once again this year, start-ups will be grouped into two categories:
- Biopharmaceutical & Biotechnology;
- Medical Technology & Digital Health.
Prizes
The winning teams will be offered cash prizes to contribute to their transformative innovation momentum, including (but not limited to!):
- $10,000 prize sponsored by adMare BioInnovations;
- $10,000 prize sponsored by le Fonds de solidarité FTQ.
Other cash prizes to be announced shortly!
Eligibility
To be eligible, the applicant start-up must:
- Be incorporated and have its head office in Canada;
- Be at an early stage of development;
- Be based on an innovative product or service;
- Demonstrate strong growth potential;
- Not have received a dilutive investment of more than CAD $3 million.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on the following five (5) criteria:
- Unmet need: the solution satisfies a significant unmet need
- Degree of technological innovation: the start-up is working on a world-class technological innovation that has the potential to transform the LSHT community
- Innovative business model: the strategies planned by the start-up to reach its target market are established and relevant
- Differentiation: the project and the technology stand out from the competition
- Team: the start-up team has relevant and complementary expertise and experience
Application
You are advised to submit your pitch deck and your answers to the evaluation criteria in English, as some committee members are English speakers only. Nevertheless, you will have the choice to pitch in English or in French.
The deadline to apply is Monday, February 10, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. EST.
For more information, visit EFFERVESCENCE Start-up Pitch Competition.
