The Entrepreneurship Hatchery creates startups leveraging University of Toronto research and technology. From the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, we bring engineering students, faculty, and the broader U of T community together to tackle meaningful problems and pursue seed funding.
Our model sources business ideas from researchers, investors, students, and industry partners; recruits the right talent to execute; and vets each opportunity using our FEEL™ methodology. When a venture is ready, we provide seed funding and support founders through follow-on investment.
The result is twofold: investable companies built around real innovation and entrepreneurial leaders equipped to take them forward.
How the Hatchery builds startups: five connected stages turn meaningful problems into vetted, investable companies.
Dedicated personnel conduct ongoing outreach to investors, research faculty, and students. Our Idea Market sessions and Build-A-Team matching tool are regularly refreshed with meaningful societal and existential problems submitted by investors, researchers, industry professionals, and the broader student community.
Our Build-A-Team matching tool connects ventures with individuals who have the interest and skills to address the problems identified above. We currently maintain a database of 3,000+ individuals, and the system is being enhanced with AI models to better surface relevant talent across the broader community. We seek people with the motivation, skills, and mindset to contribute to high-performing teams.
Teams of students and faculty follow our ¹FEEL™ Methodology, a structured process that defines a business blueprint and validates market potential. The process is supported by a strong advisory board of domain experts who serve as volunteer mentors. While ventures are not expected to have proprietary datasets, models, or prototypes at the outset, we emphasize defining a clear path to acquiring or developing these unique capabilities. The businesses we foster are grounded in true innovation: building on existing technologies, identifying what must be created, and informing future research directions. We offer four distinct programs:
Successful startups advance to the Go-To-Market stage following a rigorous oversight process. An investment recommendation is submitted to the Faculty by our Investment Committee, which includes independent professional investors and domain experts. Hatchery funding enables student founders to fully dedicate themselves to their startups after completing academic obligations and supports raising follow-on capital to execute the venture's plan. In addition to financial support, the Hatchery offers the First Employee Program, which leverages the U of T Work-Study Program to provide experiential learning opportunities.
Our work continues until the necessary follow-on risk investment is secured with our support. This marks a key milestone in a startup's journey toward sustained growth.
Formative Experiential Entrepreneurial Learning Model. The Hatchery's venture-formation framework integrates entrepreneurial education with the work of building real companies. Its graphic buildup of a house helps teams vet and define a startup.
Summer bootcamp for the broader U of T community. Running annually from May to August, teams work to define their business and investment potential.
Explore NEST
For graduate-level and faculty research driven startups. Translate graduate research into an investible business.
Explore LaunchLab
For aerospace-focused graduate-level and faculty research driven startups. In collaboration with Start@UTIAS, translate graduate research into an investible business.
Explore Start@UTIAS
For U of T Applied Science and Engineering alumni who return later in their careers to leverage their expertise and launch a startup in partnership with current students.
Explore AlumniEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
DEAN, FACULTY OF APPLIED SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING
CHAIR, ADVISORY BOARD
MEMBER, ADVISORY BOARD
MEMBER, ADVISORY BOARD
