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Summer 2025
Basecamp
A free hybrid summer entrepreneurship program helping students grow their business.
Pitch to win $50,000+ in grant prizes, including a $20,000 first-place prize!
Basecamp is DMZ's startup incubation program designed to catapult ambitious students into the tech world. Over the years, Basecamp has supported over 450 students and created 200 new startups that use technology to solve compelling industry problems.
This summer begins with Basecamp Sprint, a high-velocity 4-week program for university students to pitch for the chance to win up to $2,000 in travel grants. It's followed by Basecamp Voyage, an 8-week deep dive program for high school and university students, emphasizing ideation, development, and a culminating pitch competition for $50,000 in grants.
What's in it for you?
Basecamp Sprint: The details
- Intensive 4-week program: Tailored for university students (undergraduate or graduate level) eager to accelerate their business ideas
- Personal and professional growth: Benefit from a curated selection of development opportunities aimed at expanding your entrepreneurial mindset
- Participate in Toronto Tech Week: Pitch your idea at a new annual Toronto event launching this June
- Travel opportunity: Win up to $2,000 in travel grants to explore new markets worldwide
- Continuation to Voyage: Commitment is required for the subsequent Basecamp Voyage, ensuring a seamless journey of growth and learning
PROGRAM OUTLINE
- Week 1: Entrepreneurship and Goal Setting
- Week 2: Owning the Stage
- Week 3: Refining Your Pitch
- Week 4: Toronto Tech Week
APPLICATION CRITERIA
Students interested in the program must:
- Have at least one team member commit to the program in person 3 days a week
- Be able to participate in both Basecamp Sprint and the subsequent Voyage program
- Be returning to school in the fall or have graduated from a university undergraduate or graduate program within 8 months of the program start date
- Have an innovative business idea that utilizes technology to solve a compelling industry problem and are ready to grow the idea
- Be driven and coachable
IMPORTANT DATES
- Application deadline: May 4
- Interviews: April 10 - May 20
- Final Decision: May 20
- Onboarding meeting: May 28
- Program start: June 3
APPLY NOW
Basecamp Voyage: The details
- 8-week entrepreneurial journey: A comprehensive program for both high school and university students, designed to deepen your entrepreneurial knowledge and skills
- Expert 1:1 mentoring: Gain invaluable insights through personalized mentoring sessions with DMZ staff, alumni companies, EIRs, partners, and external mentors
- Entrepreneurial connections: Integrate with TMU’s ten entrepreneurial zones for an immersive learning experience
- Customized expert coaching: Receive tailored coaching from DMZ experts in marketing, product development, lean canvas business models, consultations, and financing
- Ecosystem engagement: Explore opportunities to interact with leading startups and experts within Canada and DMZ’s global network
- Exploratory outings: Participate in outings to various regional ecosystems, broadening your understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape
- Pitch Competition on Graduation Day: Compete in a culminating pitch competition for a chance to win one of three grant prizes, with a whopping first-place prize of $20,000!
PROGRAM OUTLINE
Program Validation & Prototyping
- Week 1: Entrepreneurship 101 & Goal Setting
- Week 2: Design Thinking & Customer Discovery
- Week 3: Mock Ups & Prototyping
Go To Market
- Week 4: Messaging & Marketing
- Week 5: Financing & Legal
- Week 6: Product Launch & Sales
Pitching & Storytelling
- Week 7: Pitching
- Week 8: Basecamp Finals!
APPLICATION CRITERIA
Students interested in the program must:
- Have at least one team member commit to the program in person 3 days a week
- Be returning to school in the fall or have graduated high school or postsecondary within 8 months of the program start date
- Have an innovative business idea that utilizes technology to solve a compelling industry problem
- Be driven and coachable
Don't have an idea or team, but still interested in Basecamp?
Please specify in your application that you are applying without a business idea or a team. We’ll set you up with a team of other like-minded students, and put you on a path to ideate and build the next greatest tech idea!
- Application deadline: May 19
- Interviews: April 10 - May 20
- Final Decision: June 13
- Onboarding meeting: July 2
- Program start: July 7
APPLY NOW
Success stories
A FRIENDLIER COMPANY
A Friendlier Company is creating a smart, centralized reuse system to eliminate single-use food packaging waste. The company gives food service providers reusable takeout containers, and once used, A Friendlier Company handles all reverse logistics, washing, and redistribution for reuse. The containers are lightweight, stackable, and are competitively priced to disposable plastic containers. This zero-waste system generates up to 60% less greenhouse gas emissions than single-use alternatives. Since launching, A Friendlier Company has been featured on CTV News, Global News, and the CBC.
ANAXA
Anaxa specializes in the inconceivable. Even in a world of an ever-growing list of connected devices, there is so much room for growth. Our goal is to implement bleeding edge, quantum based hardware across different industries to solve their biggest problems. Anaxa will start protocol testing this year and is on track to developing its hardware in 2023.
MEDAKI
MedaKi’s focus is on increasing accessibility to health care products and providers, specifically pharmaceuticals. We are headed towards a future where all pharmacy services and products will be delivered through an application on your mobile device or desktop. With MedaKi’s solution, we will allow users to directly connect with their local pharmacy! Medaki was accepted into Toronto Metropolitan University's Science Discovery Zone and Toronto Metropolitan University's Biomedical Zone. MedaKi also won the top prize at the Toronto Metropolitan University Venture Zone Industry Challenge.
