InnovateTO150 is celebrating Toronto's 150th birthday by shining a spotlight on some of the best student-led startups from across Canada.

InnovateTO150 is a collaboration between the City of Toronto and OCAD University, Ryerson University, the University of Toronto and York University. Together, these universities currently promote and support student innovators through 24 incubators and accelerators. York University's AccelerateUP program was recently featured on this blog after three program graduates were invited to compete for the inaugural Aird & Berlis StartupSource Market Entry Award.

InnovateTO150 will showcase the student ventures that have been fostered through these academic incubators and accelerators, but participation in the showcase is open to students and non-students alike, as well as alumni of all ages from all academic institutions.

The showcase is more than merely a chance to celebrate Toronto's 150 years: it is an opportunity to display the innovative work of Toronto's next generation of technology entrepreneurs, and to celebrate the city's burgeoning tech culture. The mission statement of the InnovateTO150 showcase is to "provide a showcase of student led startup companies, innovators, social enterprises and entrepreneurs from Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, and from across Canada."

Innovators can apply as individuals or as teams for entry into the showcase and the opportunity to be selected for the Startup Pitch Competition and the Social Enterprise Pitch Competition. Competition finalists will compete for awards totalling $50,000.

The showcase takes place on Friday, November 3, 2017 at Toronto's Design Exchange. Participation in the showcase is free, and submissions are open until midnight, October 16, 2017.

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