Innovation Program

Toronto's path from lab to launch

A comprehensive program designed to support early-stage life science companies through education, mentorship, and strategic connections

Overview

  • Built around a live panel discussion, designed to connect stakeholders across the greater Toronto biotech innovation ecosystem.

  • Monthly 1-on-1 sessions with subject-matter experts, built around the goals each startup sets during its Needs Assessment call.

  • A pitch event featuring startups from the Inventor-Mentor Connect program, presented to investors, biotech stakeholders, and the wider Toronto ecosystem.

Innovation Networking Series

  • From the Founder's Chair: A Biotech CEO Roundtable

    September 30, 2026 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET


    Canadian and U.S. biotech entrepreneurs share lessons learned, industry insights, and practical guidance through ecosystem-wide discussions and founder-focused mentoring sessions.​

    Register

  • Spanning the Seed to Series A Valley of Death – Strategies for Scaling Canadian Biotechs

    October 22, 2026 | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM ET

    Explore strategies for navigating the transition from pre-seed to seed funding, avoiding common startup pitfalls, and positioning biotech companies for long-term growth, partnerships, and investment.​

    Register

  • Drug Development Regulatory Pathways Across the Globe

    November 19, 2026 | 5:00 - 8:00 PM

    Compare regulatory pathways across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia, with practical guidance on regulatory strategy and product approvals for biotech startups.​

    Registeration Coming Soon

  • Securing and Collaborating with Strategic Partners

    February 1, 2027 | TBD

    Industry leaders share insights on building successful strategic partnerships, including partner selection, deal structuring, and common challenges. The session concludes with an interactive workshop where startups receive feedback on their partnership strategy and pitch from pharma experts.​

    Registeration Coming Soon

  • Part 1 of 2 - BioLabs at U of T Entrepreneurship week: AI Integration into Biotech Innovation

    September 15, 2027 | 2:00 - 5:00 PM

    Explore the evolving role of AI in life sciences and healthcare through expert discussions on emerging use cases, regulatory developments, data security, and ethical considerations. Featuring perspectives from AI leaders within and beyond the Toronto ecosystem​.

    Registration Coming Soon

  • BioLabs Toronto at Toronto Biotech Week: Fundraising Strategies from a Canadian, United States, and EU Perspective

    April 2027

    Venture capital leaders Discuss fundraising strategies, funding sources, and investment landscapes across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, with a focus on opportunities available to Canadian biotech startups.​

    Registration Coming Soon

  • BioLabs Toronto at Toronto Tech Week: AI Integration into Biotech Innovation

    May 2027

    Established AI therapeutics discovery platform companies share insights of how they utilize and manage their proprietary datasets and algorithms and how they apply them to drug discovery. They share how they integrate their technology into the R&D process and how they adapt to the ever-growing and evolving AI platform market. ​

    Registration Coming Soon

  • Beyond the Basics – Is your Pitch Deck Ready for Prime Time?

    June 2027

    Learn how to craft compelling pitch decks that resonate with investors, pharma companies, hospitals, and other strategic partners. The session concludes with an interactive workshop where participants evaluate real-world case studies and practice applying key storytelling and pitching techniques.​

    Registration Coming Soon

INVENTOR-MENTOR CONNECT · 2026 -27 COHORT

Direct access to expert guidance, built around your company.

A core offering of the BioLabs University of Toronto Innovation Program — giving early-stage Toronto biotech companies hands-on mentoring as they prepare to scale.

sEPT 30

APPLICATIONS OPEN

nOV 18

APPLICATIONS CLOSE

Dec 7

COHORT ANNOUNCED

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

How it Works

From application to pitch day, the program runs about eight months. Mentoring itself runs roughly three months, February through April.

Sept 30, 2026
Applications Open
Announced at the first Networking Event.
Nov 18, 2026
Applications Close
Nov 19–24, 2026
Selection Committee Review
Reviewers score each application, including submitted videos and materials. Around 8 companies are invited to pitch.
Nov 23, 2026
Finalist Pitches
Invited companies give a 5-minute pitch followed by Q&A with the committee.
Dec 7, 2026
Cohort Announced
Five companies are selected and notified.
Week of
Dec 14, 2026
Program Kick-Off
Week of
Jan 11, 2027
Needs Assessment Calls
Jan 18–29, 2027
Mentor Matching
Each company is matched with mentors from BioLabs’ global network.
Feb–Apr 2027
Mentoring Sessions
Six sessions with your matched mentors, roughly every two weeks.
May 2027
Pitch Coaching
Two coaching sessions to prepare for the Innovation Showcase.
June 2027
Innovation Showcase
Cohort companies present their progress at the BioLabs University of Toronto Innovation Showcase.

START YOUR JOURNEY TODAY

From application to pitch day, the program runs roughly eight months end to end

APPLY TODAY

Founding Partner

Founding Sponsor