This week, Ontario university students are participating in competitions designed to create new and innovative solutions. Here’s a roundup of what’s happening.
McMaster students can win $100,000 at Forge@Mac Student startup competition
The Forge@Mac Student Startup Competition will give students at McMaster University the opportunity to compete for $100,000 in cash prizes and an automatic entry into The Forge’s startup accelerator program in Hamilton, Ont.
The competition, which is expected to attract over 300 attendees, will select 10 tech entrepreneurs from various faculties to pitch to a panel of judges across the SaaS, life sciences, engineering, and marketing domains. The competition, taking place on March 23rd at McMaster’s CIBC Hall, is designed to showcase a range of tech entrepreneurs who are working to grow Hamilton as a tech hub.
U of T students compete for $1 million Hult Prize
Students from the University of Toronto are competing for the 2017 Hult Prize, an annual competition dedicated to helping students create and launch social business ideas.
The students will pitch their business ideas at the regional finals in Shanghai and Boston. If selected, they will move into an incubator, where they will prepare to pitch at the Hult Prize finals in September for a chance to win $1 million. This year’s competition focuses on businesses that aim to restore the rights and dignity of people and societies affected by social injustices, politics, economic pressures, climate change, and war.
This year’s U of T competitors include a group of Rotman School of Management MBA candidates, who have developed a fuel log that aims to help residents of African refugee camps overcome the challenges of gathering firewood; and another group of MBA students, who have developed a a battery-free heated vest for refugees who are exposed to low temperatures for long periods of time.
