The DMZ unveils the future of innovation with the inaugural DMZ Demo Day startup pitch event
DMZ Demo Day to kick off in Toronto on June 26, 2023, offering startups seeking investment an opportunity to pitch to a global audience.
TORONTO, March 1, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the DMZ announces the inaugural DMZ Demo Day, a unique event that offers startups a platform to pitch their business venture to a curated global audience of investors, taking place June 26, 2023. Hosted in the Mattamy Athletic Centre, located in Toronto's historic Maple Leaf Gardens, the DMZ will welcome its global ecosystem of founders, partners and DMZ-powered incubators to reward and highlight the grit, drive and determination that startup founders go through to create world-class technologies. DMZ Demo Day will award more than $300,000 in cash prizes to winning participating startups.
The full day of programming includes networking sessions; pitch competitions for student founders, Black founders, women founders, and international founders; a startup island showcase; and keynote speakers.
The DMZ is a world-leading startup incubator based at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) that equips the next generation of tech entrepreneurs with the tools needed to build, launch and scale highly impactful startups. To date, the DMZ has helped over 776 startups raise $1.95 billion in capital and create more than 4,890 jobs. DMZ Demo Day will be yet another opportunity to change entrepreneurs' lives. Looking to bring together up to 1,000 people from government, corporate entities, non-DMZ and DMZ startups, venture capitalists and angel investors, DMZ Demo Day is designed to put world-class innovation centre stage and connect the global startup ecosystem.
"The DMZ has been 13 years in the making. As our largest event yet, Demo Day represents a true homecoming for every startup, investor, and partner that has been a part of our story," says Abdullah Snobar, Executive Director of the DMZ and CEO of DMZ Ventures. "Further, hosting this event at the iconic Maple Leafs Gardens – a venue that has defined historic moments in Canadian sports and seen the world's most legendary entertainers take the stage – feels powerfully symbolic. Where once the greatest stood, the next generation of innovators will stand."
Determined to level the playing field for underrepresented communities, the DMZ also offers a variety of programming dedicated to providing catered support, funding and resources for Black and women-identifying founders and newcomers. Since March 2021, the DMZ has distributed nearly $2.9 million in grants to founders and expanded program streams to support ventures working in high-priority industries — such as supply chain and property tech. With the current tech market seeing mass layoffs and a lack of funding and representation, the DMZ's work and Demo Day are now more important than ever.
Headquartered in the heart of downtown Toronto, the DMZ has created a worldwide network of thriving incubators and accelerators helping to design, execute, and expand their programs to impact their local economy while embracing a global mindset. With operations in more than 10 countries, the DMZ's global network supports startups from countries around the world, including Japan, Egypt, Vietnam, India, Jordan, Jamaica and more.
Tickets are now available for DMZ Demo Day. For more information about this year's DMZ Demo Day and to purchase tickets, visit dmz.to/demoday.
The DMZ is a world-leading startup incubator based at Toronto Metropolitan University that equips the next generation of tech entrepreneurs with the tools needed to build, launch, and scale highly impactful startups. By providing connections to customers, coaching, capital, and a community, the DMZ's customized approach helps innovators reach the next milestone in their entrepreneurial journey – whatever that might be. Through its award-winning programming, the DMZ has helped more than 776 startups raise $1.95 billion in capital and create 4,890+ jobs. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada with globally-accessible programming, the DMZ has a widely-recognized international presence with offices in Vietnam, India, and the U.S., and partnerships across North America, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly known as Ryerson University, is Canada's leader in innovative, career-oriented education. Urban, culturally diverse and inclusive, the University is home to more than 46,000 students, including 2,900 Master's and PhD students, 4,000 faculty and staff, and 225,000 alumni worldwide. For more information, visit torontomu.ca.
*In April 2022, the university renamed and began a new chapter.
SOURCE The DMZ at Toronto Metropolitan University
Luvy Hardy, The DMZ, [email protected]
Share this article