Become a Member

To apply for SpinUp membership, please complete this form by July 28, 2024 (11:59pm EST) using only non-confidential information.

Prior to completing this form, please review the following items:

What does it mean to be a SpinUp member?

Membership at SpinUp gives entrepreneurs access to:

• Wet lab space in U of T Mississauga’s new Science Building – at heavily subsidized rates more than 50% below market standards. Here, each entrepreneur has:
  • two 6ft full lab benches plus shelving and cabinetry;
  • a dedicated 6ft fume hood; and
  • a range of shared infrastructure, equipment, and instruments, listed here
• Entrepreneurship programming run by SpinUp and UTE, one of the world’s top-five university-managed business incubators. Supports include mentorship programs, networking events, and a robust curriculum customized by SpinUp and delivered by our network of partners. Our programming focuses on building strong lab cultures and helping companies scale up beyond their early stages.
• Outstanding faculty and science trainees at U of T, a world top-twenty university. U of T Mississauga opens entrepreneurs to new research partnerships and opportunities for student internship – all in the Greater Toronto Area, at the heart of Canada’s two largest life science sectors.
• Co-working office space in an open-concept suite, including:
  • A dedicated individual cubicle with lockable cabinet; and
  • Access to bookable meeting rooms.

Members also have the opportunity to work alongside other entrepreneurs at SpinUp, growing their companies through the shared knowledge of a talented cohort. Together, talent accelerates innovation.

► To learn more about SpinUp’s supports, please explore our website.

Am I eligible for membership?

SpinUp invites applications from scientists at U of T and beyond whose start-up companies:

• are incorporated and are early-stage – up to and including seed-funded ventures;
• own, or are on a path to owning, their intellectual property
• have demonstrated need of subsidized wet lab space;
• are developing impactful, promising innovations for the betterment of human health, society, and beyond;
• have a vested interest in interacting with U of T Mississauga’s community by, e.g., (a) building research partnerships with faculty; (b) participating in our INSPIRE entrepreneurship program; (c) supporting students through experiential and work-study education; and beyond; and
• participate in another UTE accelerator program or are supported by a U of T external partner organization. Examples of partners include – but are not limited to – CCRM, ISED, Ontario Genomics, OBIO, adMare, Altitude Accelerator, IDEA Mississauga, SPEC Labs, and MaRS.

► For questions about eligibility, please email spinup@utoronto.ca.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that the following materials/hazards are prohibited from use on the SpinUp premise:

• Risk Group 3 pathogens
• Risk Group 4 pathogens
• Security sensitive biological agents (SSBAs)
• Radioisotopes

► To determine the Risk Group of your materials, please use this searchable database: https://health.canada.ca/en/epathogen.

By submitting your application, you also acknowledge that, upon becoming a member of SpinUp:

• your team members using the SpinUp facilities will be required to:
  • complete safety training that our team will arrange for you, in line with the University’s Environmental Health & Safety requirements; and
  • attend an orientation session as part of your onboarding process;
• your startup will enter into a standard space use agreement with the University of Toronto for use of SpinUp facilities, for a 2-year membership term contingent on your team’s adequate use of these facilities. The agreement may be terminated with adequate notice by your startup, or by the university, prior to the 2-year mark;
• your startup will be required to complete a hazard assessment form, and apply and meet all necessary requirements to obtain and maintain a biosafety permit through the University of Toronto for the use of Risk Group 1 (RG1) or Risk Group 2 (RG2) pathogens. RG2 pathogens will only be permitted to be used in the designated RG2 spaces. Any RG2 pathogens that cannot be supported by the existing RG2 spaces will not be permitted;
  • If you are unsure of the Risk Group classification of your materials, please use this searchable database: https://health.canada.ca/en/epathogen
• your startup will pay a highly subsidized, affordable monthly membership fee for the duration of your residency at SpinUp;
• both the lab space and office space are co-working facilities, and you will be responsible for protecting your own confidential materials as needed;
• your team will be required to complete, at a minimum, Level 1 of U of T’s free Intellectual Property Education Program within the first 6 months of your membership term;
• your team members will agree to abide by SpinUp’s code of conduct, which will be provided upon acceptance into SpinUp; and
• your startup will enter into an NDA with SpinUp to ensure confidentiality is maintained within the SpinUp spaces and programming

► Questions? Please reach out to the SpinUp team at spinup@utoronto.ca.

How can I learn more about SpinUp and U of T Entrepreneurship?

• SpinUp is the first wet lab venture incubator at the University of Toronto, Canada’s leading centre for learning and discovery and one of the world’s top-two universities for health science productivity.
• SpinUp is purpose built to drive life science innovation. It offers early-stage life science start-ups access to outstanding wet lab space, equipment, and expertise in the new science building at U of T Mississauga – at a fraction of the cost of comparable facilities. The new Science Building opened in Fall 2023 as one of the greenest and most comprehensive wet lab facilities in North America.
• SpinUp is proudly part of U of T entrepreneurship, a network of 12+ innovation accelerators across three campuses. Over the past ten years, this network has supported more than 650 capital-backed companies, which have created 9,000 jobs and raised $2.5 billion in external investment. U of T now launches more research-based start-ups than any university in North America outside of MIT.

► Learn more about SpinUp and U of T Entrepreneurship here.

IMPORTANT: Please include only non-confidential information when filling out your application.

On July 19th, SpinUp will begin accepting applications to select up to 5 early-stage startups to join our program. Selected startups will begin their SpinUp membership in September, 2024 for a two-year period.

Intake dates*:

• Applications open: July 19, 2024, 8:00am EST
• Applications close: July 28, 2024, 11:59pm EST
• Shortlist candidates notified: August 9, 2024
• Shortlist candidate interviews: August 12, 2024 (15 mins; virtual)
• Final selection: August 13, 2024
• Virtual onboarding: August 13 – September 3, 2024
• Move-in: Beginning September 3, 2024

*SpinUp opens applications for membership intake on a rolling basis throughout the year, where we select approximately 4 companies to join our program each period. Keep an eye on our newsletter and social channels for new intake announcements.

► For questions about SpinUp applications, please email spinup@utoronto.ca.