Funding Opportunities: Commercialization

Welcome to the LDFP Commercialization Opportunity Index. The University of Toronto and local commercialization community offer multiple programs, competitions, resources, and services to help LDFP researchers and trainees translate their discoveries into commercial ventures. Please contact a member of the LDFP research office for more information (Mike Folinas, Sam D’Alfonso, or Lia Cardarelli).

Commercialization Resources

Commercialization Opportunities

Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation - Fuel Program

Calling all later-stage researchers and start-up companies! The Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), powered by Baycrest, has launched their newest program, Fuel. CABHI’s Fuel program offers up to $500,000 CAD to later-stage researchers and start-up companies with mature solutions. In addition to funding, successful applicants gain access to curated acceleration services, mentorship, and networks to achieve their research, development, and validation milestones.

See their website and apply by April 23, 2025.

Important Dates:

Applications Open March 12, 2025
Applications Close April 23, 2025
Shortlist Notification May 2, 2025
Due Diligence Process May 2 – May 21, 2025
Applicant Notification May 30, 2025
Start Date June 1, 2025

Data Readiness, Model Development & Deployment (DaRMoD) Program

This program provides technology-enabled and applied AI startups, scaleups, and SMEs with the opportunity to accelerate their machine learning and data science initiatives in collaboration with the Vector Institute.

About the DaRMoD Program
The DaRMoD Program equips SMEs with the skills and knowledge needed to implement machine learning on a predefined use case within their organizations.

Duration: 3 months – starting May 2025
Key Benefits:
Apply learnings directly to a company use case
Break down the project into achievable milestones for collaborative progress
Receive guidance through small group sessions led by experienced ML practitioners
Network with other SMEs within the cohort

Call for Participation – Information Session
Join a virtual information session on March 26, 2025, at 2:00 PM EST to learn more about the program. They will select approximately 15 companies for the cohort based on their alignment with the program’s objectives and their potential for successful implementation.

Company Criteria
Companies must meet the following criteria to be considered:

Have a potential AI use case and plan to work on it during the program
Have available data or need support with data collection/data sourcing workflows
Have at least one technical team member with data science and/or data engineering experience and proficiency in Python
Operate in Canada and qualify as an SME (1–500 employees)

If you have any questions, please contact darmod@vectorinstitute.ai.

Intellectual Property Education Program

UofT’s IP Education Program introduces the different types of IP, how to protect it, and how to get the most value from it.

The online program was built by UofT Entrepreneurship (UTE) and the Innovations & Partnerships Office (IPO) with input from legal professionals and entrepreneurs.

Divided into two complimentary levels, IP Foundations and IP Strategy and Application, the program is integrated with Quercus (U of T’s online learning portal), allowing for inclusion into assignments, workshops, or classroom settings. In addition, U of T students who complete a module can have it recognized on their Co-curricular Record (CCR).

Program overview:

Level 1: IP Foundations

Intro to patents, trademarks, copyright, industrial design, and trade secrets.
Requires no prior knowledge and can be completed in ~2 hours.
Endorsed by the Province of Ontario’s IP Action Plan.

Level 2: IP Strategy and Application

IP strategy and commercialization, including best practices for inventors and entrepreneurs.

Learners must complete Level 1 before advancing to Level 2.

Intellectual Property: Protect, License and Fund with IPO

The Innovations & Partnerships Office (IPO) is your first stop for research commercialization at U of T. IPO helps turn innovations into patents, licenses, and startups, building successful relationships between researchers, industry, and investors.

What you need to know:

It starts with a disclosure: If a new technology, method, or product was created using U of T facilities or funding administered by U of T, a Confidential Invention Disclosure is your first step toward commercializing your research.
Ownership: U of T has a modern, flexible invention policy that is ‘Inventor’s Choice’ – in absence of pre-existing IP rights, inventors may choose to take personal ownership, or have U of T lead commercialization.
Intellectual property (IP) and patents: While there are many types of IP, patents may be affected by presenting and publishing. It is best to involve IPO early to help review, file, and protect your invention.
Funding: IPO can help maximize budgets by licensing technologies and leveraging internal, public, and private funding opportunities for research and startups.
Network: Access U of T’s growing international network of industry, mentors, and VCs to support technology validation, product development, and go-to-market.

In 2021, U of T inventors made over 180 invention disclosures, with IPO managing 74 priority patent applications, more than 39 licensing and option agreements, and 290 ongoing commercialization projects. In the last 5 years, companies based on U of T Research have secured more than $1.5 billion in investment and capital.

Learn more and get started @ uoft.me/inventors

OICR Cancer Therapeutics Innovation Pipeline

The Cancer Therapeutics Innovation Pipeline (CTIP) Program was established to capitalize on Ontario’s expertise in cancer biology and drug discovery. Its aim is to create a pipeline of validated cancer targets and First-in-Class (FiC) or Best-in-Class (BiC), novel, selective lead molecules (small molecules or biologics) that will attract partnerships and/or investment for further preclinical and clinical development. To generate a sustainable pipeline, CTIP will support projects that aim to provide increasing evidence of target validation and disease association using data from knowledge bases, functional assays, and drug screening in relevant in vitro and in vivo models of the cancer type of interest.

CTIP funds projects in four stages of preclinical drug discovery and is currently inviting applications for the following three funding streams:

Early Validation (EV) projects:
Deliver robust translational evidence that a Target-of-Interest (TOI) is associated with a specific cancer type(s) based on data from knowledge bases and from studies demonstrating that perturbation of the TOI in relevant cell-based models produces anti-cancer effects sufficient to trigger a drug discovery campaign. At the end of the EV stage, a strategy and approach to interrogate the target must be available.

Funding available: Up to $150,000 per year for a maximum of two years.

Early Accelerator (EA) projects
Deliver a validated primary assay to enable initial screening of molecules against a defined target. Preliminary evidence of linearity of results between the primary assay and supporting secondary assays under development is also required. At the end of the EA stage, teams must demonstrate the capability and capacity to scale up production of reagents, recombinant proteins, and/or cell systems needed to support the medium-high throughput screening campaigns of the Late Accelerator stage.

Funding available: Up to $150,000 for a maximum of one year.

Late Accelerator (LA) projects
Focus on screening, using validated primary, secondary, and orthogonal assays and deliver confirmed Hit molecules against a defined target supported by evidence of disease association. A confirmed Hit molecule should possess features that support its potential to become a Lead molecule.

Funding available: Up to $500,000 per year for a maximum of two years.

OICR invites applications from investigators at Ontario academic centres, hospital research institutes, or other government research institutions. CTIP funding is only tenable in Ontario. For-profit entities are not eligible to apply.

Deadlines:

Open for applications (via ReportNet): Starting on April 7, 2025
RFA information session*: April 23, 2025, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET (Register here)
Notice of Intent submission: No later than May 13, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. ET
Letter of Intent deadline: May 13, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. ET
Full application deadline: July 31, 2025 by 5:00 p.m. ET
Notification of Decision: October 2025
Funding start date: December 1, 2025

Apply here.

Ontario Brain Institute - NERVE Program

The Ontario Brain Institute's NERVE (Neurotech Entrepreneurship to Validate Emerging Innovations) program is Canada's single largest award that catalyzes early stage entrepreneurs to commercialize brain-related technologies. NERVE provides $100,000 in funding to awarded Canadian-based entrepreneurs, in addition to 12 months of training opportunities, one-on-one mentorship, and support in order to help kick-start and grow their neurotech ventures.

Important Dates:

April 20th, 2025 – Application deadline (11:59PM EST)
May 6th, 2025 – Invitations sent for the pitch session
May 15th, 2025 – Pitch session
May 20th, 2025 – Winners will be selected and notified via e-mail
June 5th, 2025 – Welcome & orientation day

See website for full details.

OCI Life Sciences Innovation Fund

Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) Life Sciences Innovation Fund is an early-stage co-investment fund that supports companies in Life Sciences and Healthcare Technologies sectors related to human health. The fund is aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by life sciences entrepreneurs moving innovative and capital-intensive investments from a conceptual stage through to commercialization. Through the fund, OCI co-invests with angel and other investors to help de-risk the opportunity, assisting start-ups in becoming investor and customer ready and allowing them to attract follow-on investment.

ABOUT THE FUND

Eligible companies will receive up to $500,000 in early stage risk capital to scale their made-in-Ontario health solution both at home and in global markets. This will further grow the sector and strengthen its competitiveness in key areas such as cancer treatment, regenerative medicine, neuroscience and medical technologies.

BEST SUITED FOR LIFE SCIENCES AND HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGIES COMPANIES RELATED TO HUMAN HEALTH THAT:

Are Ontario or Canadian incorporated for-profit companies headquartered in Ontario
Currently raising a pre-seed or seed investments (total round sizes ranging from $1 million to $5 million)
Have raised less than $3 million in third-party capital

Learn more.

ONRamp: call to join

Looking for a community and workspace to build your business? Welcome to ONRamp@UTE! Located at the Banting Institute in the heart of downtown Toronto, ONRamp is a 15,000 square foot collaboration and co-working space for the U of T entrepreneurship community.

ONRamp connects innovative students, their startups and U of T Accelerators across U of T’s tri-campus.

Through access to facilities, events, and the business community in downtown Toronto, ONRamp helps to accelerate venture creation, learning and impact.

Members of ONRamp have access to three floors of co-working space, meeting rooms, event space, and amenities – located steps from the intersection of College and University.

Reception desk
Networking lounge
Business centre
RBC Hub event space
Access to two kitchens, 14 meeting rooms, 80 workstations, 4 phone booths
24/7 member access

Apply for a membership.

School of Graduate Studies IP Workshop Series

The Centre for Graduate Professional Development at the School of Graduate Studies is launching a two-workshop series facilitated by Jennifer Fraser, Director of Innovation in the Innovations & Partnerships Office, covering essential topics related to graduate student intellectual property. Understanding intellectual property is important for all members of the university research community. Graduate students, however, are unique in the multiple roles they inhabit at the university, which have implications for their intellectual property rights and how they interact with the intellectual property of others. Graduate supervisors also benefit from understanding the position their students are in with respect to intellectual property.

Students:

What Grad Students Need to Know About Intellectual Property
Wednesday, April 9, 12-1:30pm

What Supervisors Need to Know about Grad Students’ Intellectual Property
Friday, April 11, 12-1:30pm

UTEST 2025 APPLICATIONS OPEN

University of Toronto Early Stage Technology Program (UTEST) Applications

The deadline for submission is Thursday, May 22nd, 2025.

The UTEST Program is announcing its annual call for research-based UofT and affiliated teaching hospital companies. UTEST provides UofT start-up companies with investment funding of up to $150,000, incubation space @ The Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus, intense entrepreneurial education provided by MaRS, corporate and intellectual property legal support, mentoring and business strategy support. Our program partner, TIAP, provides sector expertise, an Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIR) program and follow-on investment capital of up to $1,000,000.

Since 2012 UTEST companies have raised over $800M+ in investment funding. UTEST is ranked amongst the top 10 accelerators in Canada.

Essential Information and Timelines:

Full program information and application can be found on the UTEST program page: http://www.utest.to
Applications are due before 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, May 22nd, 2025: http://utest.to/apply/
Selected companies will be interviewed the week of June 2nd, 2025.
The program will begin the week of June 23rd, 2025.