Applications are now open for the
FemSTEM 2026 Pitch Competition!
Each year, H2i holds the FemSTEM Pitch Competition as the culminating event of the FemSTEM event series. The pitch competition, judged by a panel of industry experts and key opinion leaders, gives up-and-coming healthcare innovators the opportunity to present their idea to the public and the chance to win funding and in-kind services to scale their project. With FemSTEM’s mandate to inspire, engage, and celebrate women-identifying entrepreneurs, this final event spotlights and accelerates the work of the next generation of women-identifying entrepreneurs in the healthcare sector.
This year’s FemSTEM Pitch Event will take place on Wednesday April 22nd, and will be hosted in-person. Registration to watch the pitch event will open closer to the event.
Applications will close February 8th, 11:59 PM ET.
Have questions? Email us at info.h2i@utoronto.ca.
The FemSTEM Pitch Competition is made possible by the generous support of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP.
Awards:
Winner: $15,000 cash prize and $5,000 in-kind legal services from Cassels
1st runner up: $5,000 cash prize and $5,000 in-kind legal services from Cassels
2nd runner up: $5,000 cash prize and $5,000 in-kind legal services from Cassels
Eligibility for Pitch Competition:
Please read the following eligibility criteria carefully. Only ventures that meet all of the below criteria will be considered for the competition. Ventures must:
- Be innovating within the health space;
- Have at least one co-founder or long-term team member who self-identifies as a woman;
- Have at least one co-founder/team member who is a current University of Toronto student (undergraduate or graduate);
- Have a pitch presenter available who self-identifies as a woman;
- Have had at least one team member attend at least two FemSTEM events (Kick Off – Jan 13, Fireside Chats Feb 4, Feb 18, Mar 3) before the pitch competition in April. Registration for these events can be found on our Events page.
- Winners from past FemSTEM Pitch Competitions (Winner and Runners Up) are NOT eligible to compete again. However, finalists who competed but did not place are eligible.
We encourage all interested ventures to join the H2i community as client companies to access the wealth of mentorship resources we offer.
Mentorship
Pitch finalists will have access to 1 hour of mentorship time from the H2i core team.
How to Apply
Complete & submit the application form below by the application deadline. Part of the application asks for you to upload a completed Team Composition document. You can download the template for this document here.
Applications will close February 8th, 11:59 PM ET.
Have questions? Email us at info.h2i@utoronto.ca.
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