Resources. Expertise. Collaboration. The support of our partners makes a big impact. It enables emerging entrepreneurs to learn from industry leaders and to focus their effort and capital where it matters most – on advancing innovation.
This is the place where established organizations seize their next innovation opportunity. At SpinUp, partners catalyze the next stage of life science entrepreneurship, and gain early access to new technologies; meaningful relationships with resident companies that align with priority areas; and connections with research talent at the University of Toronto.
We invite organizations to:
Sponsor and mentor a startup of interest to you via the Blue Ticket competition
Support events like pitch competitions or networking events
Join our community of professional service providers
House equipment at SpinUp that early-stage companies will continue to use as they grow
For more information about partnership opportunities, please reach out to spinup@utoronto.ca
Click below to learn more about our Financial Supporters:
AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas – immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care – and products and services in our aesthetics portfolio. AbbVie is sponsoring SpinUp’s Blue Ticket Program, via the new AbbVie Biotech Innovators Award, which will provide one year free access to SpinUp and AbbVie’s experts to a promising early-stage Canadian biotech startup. With a relentless mission to empower those seeking answers to life’s important scientific questions, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences is a preferred laboratory partner providing automation and innovation solutions for Centrifugation, Flow Cytometry, Genomics, Particle Analysis, and Liquid Handling workflows. With a legacy dating back to 1935, our technologies reduce manual laboratory processes and can provide greater speed, accuracy, and advanced analytics to accelerate answers with a guiding focus to improve patient care and enable pioneering discoveries. Beckman Coulter Life Sciences is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with 11 operational hubs around the world and employs approximately 3,000 associates with more than 400,000 systems installed globally. Beckman Coulter generously provided sponsorship for UTM’s Interdisciplinary Science Program in Research and Entrepreneurship (INSPIRE) program in June 2024, where senior undergraduate students had the opportunity to shadow SpinUp startups and practice pitching to a panel of judges. CDD Vault is a powerful, secure, and collaborative software platform designed to streamline chemical and biological data management for drug discovery and routine research. It enables researchers to efficiently register, organize, and analyze assay data generated by compounds and biologicals as well as fostering seamless collaboration within teams and with external partners. By integrating robust data security and compliance features, CDD Vault ensures that sensitive information is protected while facilitating data sharing and project management. With its user-friendly interface and advanced functionalities, CDD Vault accelerates the research discovery process, helping scientists innovate and develop new solutions faster. CDD Vault generously provided Platinum Sponsorship for the recent Sauga Startup Pitch and Showcase event, co-hosted by SpinUp, ICUBE, IDEA Mississauga and Sheridan EDGE which took place on November 12, 2024.Excedr provides life science startups with equipment leases on founder-friendly terms to accelerate R&D and commercialization. Lease the equipment you need with Excedr. Extend your runway, hit your milestones, raise your next round at a favorable valuation, and achieve a blockbuster exit while minimizing dilution. Excedr generously provided sponsorship for UTM’s Interdisciplinary Science Program in Research and Entrepreneurship (INSPIRE) program in June 2024, where senior undergraduate students had the opportunity to shadow SpinUp startups and practice pitching to a panel of judges. For more than 130 years, Merck has brought hope to humanity through the development of important medicines and vaccines. Merck aspires to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world — and today, Merck is at the forefront of research to deliver innovative health solutions that advance the prevention and treatment of diseases in people and animals. Merck fosters a diverse and inclusive global workforce and operate responsibly every day to enable a safe, sustainable and healthy future for all people and communities. Merck generously supported SpinUp’s inaugural Blue Ticket Award to provide mentorship and financial support for one early-stage life science venture at SpinUp, jumpstarting the Blue Ticket program toward its ambitious vision: to power the next generation of global health innovators and innovation from Mississauga.MilliporeSigma, the life sciences division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is a leading provider of innovative solutions and products for the biotech industry. Offering a comprehensive portfolio of reagents, consumables, and services, they help biotech startups accelerate research, drug development, and production processes. With a commitment to collaboration and customer-centric solutions, MilliporeSigma enables companies to bring groundbreaking therapies and technologies to market faster and more efficiently. MilliporeSigma generously provided sponsorship for UTM’s Interdisciplinary Science Program in Research and Entrepreneurship (INSPIRE) program in June 2024, where senior undergraduate students had the opportunity to shadow SpinUp startups and practice pitching to a panel of judges.
Click below to learn more about our Programming Partners:
AMLB is a virtual accounting firm that serves the financial needs and objectives of growth oriented enterprises. We are a full-service accounting firm (accounting, tax, payroll, CFO services) that enables businesses to realize their full potential. Our clients have realized at least 20% growth in revenue and profitability after one year of working with us. Amplitude Ventures is one of Canada’s leading healthcare venture capital firms managing almost $500M. We invest in precision medicine focused companies with a particular emphasis on cellular and targeted therapy and AI/machine learning applied to healthcare.The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) offers industry-driven technical training in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. In partnership with NIBRT in Ireland and adMare Academy in Canada, CASTL addresses the evolving skills needs of the bioscience sector. CASTL’s programs help start-ups by providing practical knowledge in biomanufacturing and strategies to de-risk tech transfer early in product development. These programs give companies a competitive edge as they move toward commercialization, supporting the growth of Canada’s life sciences industry.CDD Vault is a powerful, secure, and collaborative software platform designed to streamline chemical and biological data management for drug discovery and routine research. It enables researchers to efficiently register, organize, and analyze assay data generated by compounds and biologicals as well as fostering seamless collaboration within teams and with external partners. By integrating robust data security and compliance features, CDD Vault ensures that sensitive information is protected while facilitating data sharing and project management. With its user-friendly interface and advanced functionalities, CDD Vault accelerates the research discovery process, helping scientists innovate and develop new solutions faster.Charles River Laboratories provides essential products and services to help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, government agencies and leading academic institutions around the globe accelerate their research and drug development efforts. Our dedicated specialists are focused on providing ourclients with exactly what they need to improve and expedite the discovery, early-stage development and safe manufacture of new therapies for the patients who need them. Our unique Scientific Advisory Services (SAS) team has expertise that spans various therapeutic areas and stages, with the mission of guiding you throughout your drug development journey. Every day, Canadian companies are innovating new technologies, investing in their business, and expanding their reach globally. Our engineers, scientists, accountants and economists use their tax and incentives expertise to help Canadian companies fuel their growth and innovation. Deloitte Gi3 is the preeminent incentives practice in Canada with more than 190 practitioners. We have the bench strength, agility and expertise to support businesses at every stage of their development, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.Enabling Ideas® equips and empowers early-stage ventures to scale, achieve self-sustaining income, and position to be highly attractive for subsequent financing rounds. We operate at the center of an accelerating ecosystem, offering building block modules, fractional executives, multidisciplinary experts, and cost-effective tools. Our services encompass business design and planning, strategy development, performance and operational design, as well as implementation and support services, all aimed at propelling clients through and beyond inflection point barriers to the next stage of rapid acceleration.At Fasken, our clients don’t wait for the future. They build it. As the first and largest dedicated emerging tech practice in Canada, our team is composed of founders, ex in-house counsel, developers and business advisors who have guided clients from startup, to scale-up, to exit. The trust of our clients has enabled us to consistently rank at the top of every major Canadian M&A, Capital Markets and Venture Capital league table. With deep industry knowledge and experience across all areas of emerging and high growth technology including ClimateTech, MedTech, Artificial Intelligence, Fintech, and AgTech we’re your partners within the innovation ecosystem as you transform the landscape of what’s possible. Leva Capital is a Canadian-based VC that invests in healthcare start-ups in the pre-seed and seed fundraising stages. Leva’s investment focus is agnostic within the healthcare sector and primarily looks for ventures dedicated to bringing innovation to the healthcare industry by improving on the current standards of care or creating novel solutions altogether. Leva currently focuses on supporting Canadian ventures but has the ability to invest globally.Lumira Ventures is a leading multi-stage life sciences investment firm operating across Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver, and Boston. As Canada’s largest and most active dedicated life sciences venture capital investor, Lumira invests in first-in-class innovations in “secondary” geographies, partnering with mission-driven entrepreneurs to develop transformative therapeutics products and medical devices while generating strong financial returns and societal impact. Mintz creates breakthrough legal strategies that help clients solve problems and forge ahead. Their attorneys combine legal, business, and industry insight to help navigate shifting challenges. Mintz helps clients comply with evolving regulations and compete in emerging markets. While meeting their increasing financing needs, Mintz can also assist with handling employment and labor issues. To compete tomorrow, you need the best business strategy now. Mintz will help you make the next move.Mitacs empowers Canadian innovation through effective partnerships that deliver solutions to our most pressing problems. For over 20 years, Mitacs has assisted organizations in reaching their goals, has funded cutting-edge innovation, and has created job opportunities for students and postdocs. We are committed to driving economic growth and productivity and to creating meaningful change to improve quality of life for all Canadians. Our mission is to build a world-class, diverse community of innovators through our collaborative model, attracting and deploying top talent to industry, and matching need with expertise to create ambitious solutions to real-world challenges. We believe that increasing Canada’s productivity and prosperity will be driven by successful innovation and we’re passionate about developing the next generation of researchers who will work to fuel Canada’s knowledge-based economy.
The Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) brings industry, academic, and government partners together to invest in collaborative R&D, technology development, and commercialization opportunities that generate the highest return on innovation for Ontarians. As an ecosystem connector, OCI initiates unparalleled partnership opportunities, develops and manages successful industry-academic collaborations, supports high-potential SMEs in commercializing ground-breaking research, and provides hands-on training and skills development opportunities for the next generation of highly-skilled talent. OCI drives economic growth and job creation through investments in the development, commercialization, and adoption of advanced technologies. Paisley Partners Insurance is a national full-service insurance brokerage with dedicated one-on-one support for startups and new ventures. SpinUp members receive free business risk advisory services, insurance coverage reviews, customized cyber risk reports, and exclusive access to insurance products and savings. Reyem Tech is a forward-thinking technology advisory firm specializing in helping small and medium-sized businesses navigate the complexities of software development, IT strategy, and digital transformation. With a focus on aligning technology solutions with business objectives, Reyem Tech offers tailored consulting services, including fractional CTO support and strategic tech advisory on a retainer basis. Whether building scalable software, optimizing IT infrastructure, or adopting new technologies, Reyem Tech is dedicated to empowering businesses to innovate, grow, and succeed in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Founded in 1892, ROBIC is an internationally renowned law firm of over 230 professionals and support staff specialized in intellectual property. ROBIC’s diverse team of scientists, engineers, lawyers, patent and trademark agents works with innovative companies of all sizes to maximize the potential of their intellectual property in Canada, the United States, and abroad. A deep bench of life science patent and licensing professionals is poised to help propel SpinUp’s member companies to grow, mature, and thrive. Scendea is a leading product development and regulatory consulting group serving the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Our international team offers strategic and operational support in the fields of quality/CMC, non-clinical/ toxicology, clinical/medical and regulatory, which guide products efficiently from early development to marketing approval. Scendea’s scientific excellence, industry experience, commercial awareness and a collaborative approach allow our expert team to solve complex issues associated with medicinal product development.Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading firm for intellectual property (IP) law. With offices across Canada, and over 175 lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents, we are the largest firm focused purely on IP and related specialty areas. For over 100 years, we have remained devoted to protecting our clients’ IP and technology assets. Whether we are advising an innovative company on patent strategy or infringement issues, providing counsel on brand protection and enforcement, or handling the IP aspects of a corporate transaction, we provide clients with solutions to protect, enforce and leverage their IP.TalentRise is an executive search and talent management consulting firm based in Chicago, Illinois. An industry player since 2008, TalentRise provides flexible, customized leadership and organizational solutions to mid- to large-market employers primarily in professional services, healthcare, consumer and industrial manufacturing, technology, financial services, and retail. TalentRise is a member of Aleron Group, a workforce and business solutions company.At Talk Boutique, our passion for transforming experts into thought leaders comes from our deep desire to co-create a resilient and inclusive future that represents all who live within it. We use our deep expertise in communications, public speaking and improv, combined with our experience in advertising, TEDx talk development and event curation to create an offering that helps our clients build stories, communicate powerfully and show up in front of any audience with confidence and humility so they make a memorable impact that leads to deep and lasting societal change. Stories are carries for ideas and by helping experts find their stories, they become thought leaders who are changing our world one idea at a time. Toronto Innovation Acceleration Partners (TIAP) specializes in venture building of early-stage health science technologies emerging from our members. TIAP was formerly MaRS Innovation.
Click below to learn more about our Ecosystem Partners:
Altitude Accelerator is a startup incubator based in the heart of Brampton’s Innovation District serving the Peel Region and wider GTA. We offer access to expertise to founders at all stages of their startup journey as well as development programs that position them to scale to new heights with confidence and become a formidable force in the marketplace. BIOTECanada is the national association representing Canada’s biotechnology sector. The more than 200 member companies of BIOTECanada reflect the broader Canadian biotech ecosystem which includes large multinational pharmaceutical companies, early stage/start-ups, larger pre-commercial companies, venture capital, universities, incubators, and accelerators found across the country with hubs in every province. ICUBE is the home of Social Entrepreneurship and early-stage start-ups at UTM, offering resources, programs, workshops and mentorship for people who are changing the world. IDEA Mississauga is the Innovation District with the essential building blocks that entrepreneurs and innovators need to solve society’s greatest challenges. A network of mentorship, partners, talent and connections to test, scale and commercialize solutions to global challenges. IDEA Square One Innovation Hub is located downtown inside the Square One Shopping Centre, and is a 4,300 square-foot facility for startups, scale-ups, corporate leaders, and investors to collaborate and grow together. Invest Mississauga is a leading economic development organization that fosters growth in Mississauga’s economy through a responsive, customer-focused and collaborative approach. We are part of an integrated network of innovative agencies that drive the next generation of economic growth in an inclusive and sustainable way to create jobs, enhance prosperity and increase the city’s business tax base. Life Sciences Ontario is a not-for-profit organization that represents and promotes Ontario’s vibrant and diverse life sciences sector. Members of LSO include life sciences companies, entrepreneurs, members of academia, and service providers from many different areas of the life sciences ecosystem, including biopharmaceuticals, agriculture, agri-food, the bioeconomy, medical devices, animal health, environmental technologies, and more. Our mission is to encourage commercial success throughout this diverse sector by collaborating with governments, academia, industry and other life sciences organizations in Ontario and across Canada.The Life Sciences Talent Accelerator (LifeSciencesTA) offers industry-tailored exposure, training, and experiential learning for participants from diverse backgrounds, aligning their skills with the Life Sciences industry. Industry leaders have directly told us what new talent needs to know to enter and succeed in this thriving industry. You can access it through our self-paced, online training, and become Life Sciences industry-ready today!Founded in 2009, OBIO® is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization engaged in strategy, programming, policy development and advocacy to further the commercialization of human health technologies that position Canada as a leader in the international marketplace. OBIO® advances this goal through collaborative partnerships with industry, the investment community, academia, the healthcare system and government.Ontario Genomics has been driving the province’s genomics revolution for over 20 years, delivering results for Ontarians, Canadians, and the world while allowing researchers to redefine the present and future of health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability. Its mission is to lead the application of genomics-based solutions across key sectors of the economy to drive economic growth, improved quality of life, and global leadership for Ontario. To accomplish this, Ontario Genomics works with a variety of key stakeholders: researchers, industry, non-profit, and government.Nucleate is a student-run, non-profit organization that facilitates the formation of new life science ventures. Our equity-free programs support emerging bio-entrepreneurs coming from academia who plan to tackle the biggest challenges in human health and sustainability, connecting scientific trainees, business students, and clinicians with a global, world-class advisor network of start-up founders, executives, venture investors, and renowned scientists. Founded in 2021, Reaction (RXN) HUB is a not-for-profit organization committed to empowering the cleantech ecosystem and advancing clean technology scale-up and manufacturing. Operating out of a newly renovated, near-net-zero facility, RXN HUB offers custom rental spaces for industrial pilots and large-scale demonstrations, enabling innovators to validate, scale, and deploy their solutions. With a network of over 100 project delivery partners, RXN HUB provides founders with the resources, relationships, capital, and infrastructure needed to bring their innovations to market—all in one place. Canada’s premier space for scaling life science companies. SPEC Labs turn-key lab facilities provide access to world-class equipment and expertise, close to members of scientific advisory boards, teaching hospitals, academic institutions, and other researchers and experts in the life sciences sector.
Click below to learn more about our Lab Supply Partners:
Armstrong Scientific Transport is a trusted partner for laboratory and high-value equipment relocations worldwide. We specialize in seamless logistics solutions, including white-glove service, custom crating, and the expert handling of delicate materials, such as samples and reagents. Our mobile power plug-in solution ensures temperature-sensitive items are transported safely and reliably, reflecting our unwavering commitment to precision and client satisfaction. At Avantor, we set science in motion by enabling innovation across the life sciences and technology industries with the highest quality products, services, and solutions to support every step of the scientific journey. Bringing together our comprehensive portfolio, productivity-enhancing technology and global manufacturing and distribution capabilities, we are a proven partner in highly regulated environments.With a relentless mission to empower those seeking answers to life’s important scientific questions, Beckman Coulter Life Sciences is a preferred laboratory partner providing automation and innovation solutions for Centrifugation, Flow Cytometry, Genomics, Particle Analysis, and Liquid Handling workflows. With a legacy dating back to 1935, our technologies reduce manual laboratory processes and can provide greater speed, accuracy, and advanced analytics to accelerate answers with a guiding focus to improve patient care and enable pioneering discoveries. Beckman Coulter Life Sciences is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with 11 operational hubs around the world and employs approximately 3,000 associates with more than 400,000 systems installed globally. Beckman Coulter has generously provided lab supply sponsorship to help SpinUp furnish our laboratory with high-quality equipment.Excedr provides life science startups with equipment leases on founder-friendly terms to accelerate R&D and commercialization. Lease the equipment you need with Excedr. Extend your runway, hit your milestones, raise your next round at a favorable valuation, and achieve a blockbuster exit while minimizing dilution. MilliporeSigma, the life sciences division of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, is a leading provider of innovative solutions and products for the biotech industry. Offering a comprehensive portfolio of reagents, consumables, and services, they help biotech startups accelerate research, drug development, and production processes. With a commitment to collaboration and customer-centric solutions, MilliporeSigma enables companies to bring groundbreaking therapies and technologies to market faster and more efficiently. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue over $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, increasing productivity in their laboratories, improving patient health through diagnostics or the development and manufacture of life-changing therapies, we are here to support them. Our global team delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon and PPD. TriMech is the world’s leading SOLIDWORKS supplier with over 35 years of experience and supporting more than 30,000 design engineers across four different countries. TriMech work with a diverse range of organizations, from tech startups within the Startup Program to major industry leaders. Beyond just providing software, TriMech offers a full suite of services, including training, consulting, 3D printing, and recruitment, all designed to help teams make the most of their SolidWorks tools. TriMech’s focus is on helping businesses streamline design processes, optimize workflows, and maintain a competitive edge. STEMCELL Technologies is the largest biotechnology company in Canada, providing specialized cell culture media, cell separation technologies, instruments, accessory products, and educational resources to scientists worldwide working on stem cell, immunology, cancer, regenerative medicine, and cellular therapy research. As a company of scientists helping scientists, our mission is to advance the pursuit of scientific knowledge by supplying high-quality, innovative reagents, tools, and services that empower life science research.
