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Pre-Incubator

Turn your vision into reality

Establish your minimum viable product, validate your idea and secure customers with the DMZ’s Pre-Incubator program. Plus, get a chance to secure an exclusive spot in the DMZ Incubator after graduation to receive $10K+ in entry grant funding, 18+ months of additional support and exciting perks.

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Rolling intakes monthly

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How it works

Startups need flexibility, which is why the Pre-Incubator is flexible in length. Applications and program intake occur on a rolling basis, with new startups joining at the beginning of each month. On average, startups spend 4 to 6 months in the Pre-Incubator.

PRE-INCUBATOR
ENTRY

1 MONTH

INCUBATOR
ENTRY

If the startup is not hitting their goals, they may be asked to exit.



DMZ delivers results

807

businesses incubated and accelerated

$2.54B

in funding raised

4997

jobs fostered in our
community

Establish your business

  • 12+ hours of curated on-demand content on 8+ topics
  • Hands-on support, including 1:1 meetings with Experts-in-Residence, curated workshops, progress check-ins, and founder meetups
  • $470K+ in perks from 80+ partners
  • Exclusive invites to industry networking events and workshops
  • Startups with a Black founder receive a $5K grant upon entry
  • Startups with at least one Black Co-Founder receive additional support
  • Startups with at least one woman-identifying Co-Founder receive additional support
  • Opportunity to gain accelerated acceptance into DMZ's Incubator to receive $10K in entry grant funding, 18+ months of additional support, funding, DMZ office space, and more!

Meet DMZ's team

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Delaram Amani

Programs Execution Lead
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Deniz Celebioglu

Sr. Programs Lead
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Justine Clark

Programs Lead
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Mohi Sanisel

Programs Manager
Person LinkedIn
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Sherif El Tawil

Sr. Director, Programs & Global Operations
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Stephen Wu

Sr. Programs Lead

Meet your Experts-in-Residence

Take a look at the mentors that support our Pre-Incubator companies. To see all mentors, please visit our Experts-in-Residence page.

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Anthony Lau

Product, Sales
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Frank Erschen

Pitching
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Hackim Farrell

Cybersecurity, Product
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Jodi Echakowitz

Public Relations
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Karen Hogg

Customer Success
Person LinkedIn Person Website
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Melissa Malcolm

HR Strategy

Meet your Professionals-in-Residence

Through the Professional-in-Residence (PiR) program, DMZ founders have direct access to senior leadership at vetted companies, all under DMZ's roof. One-on-one strategic consultation meetings are pro-bono and any projects or work arising thereafter (at the founder's discretion) is offered at DMZ exclusive discounted rates.

Frequently asked questions

Am I eligible?

At a minimum, applicants must have:

  • An idea dedicated to solving a compelling problem using innovative technology
  • An early minimum-viable-product
  • At least one dedicated full-time founder
  • An in-house tech lead
  • Potential to transition into DMZ's Incubator after graduation

How does DMZ's Pre-Incubator differ from Incubator?

The Pre-Incubator is a program to validate a business idea and secure first customers. At a minimum, founders should have an MVP. Startups have access to curated online learning material, a day-pass workspace at the DMZ’s head office in the heart of downtown Toronto, hands-on support, exclusive perks from 80+ partners valued at $470K+ and more. Startups in the Pre-Incubator will have the opportunity to gain accelerated acceptance into Incubator.

DMZ's Incubator is for startups ready to launch and grow their business — venture-backable pre-seed and seed-stage companies with a full-time founder, early traction and proven product-market fit. Startups receive up to $10K+ in entry grant funding, 18+ months of additional support and exciting perks. If startups applying to the DMZ are eligible for the Incubator, they do not need to go through the Pre-Incubator first.

Not sure what program is right for you? Check out our programming here.

How long is the program?

Startups need flexibility, which is why the Pre-Incubator is flexible in length. Applications and
program intake occur on a rolling basis, with new startups joining at the beginning of each month. On average, startups spend 4 to 6 months in the Pre-Incubator.

Am I guaranteed to remain in the program?

No. They can stay in the program as long as their progress is satisfactory and they're on track to their goals.

Am I guaranteed a spot in the incubator program?

The Pre-Incubator helps companies increase their eligibility for the Incubator program. Given the high competition for our Incubator admission, Pre-Incubator companies who hit all goals and meet eligibility criteria for the Incubator are not guaranteed a spot in the next Incubator cohort intake.

What am I required to commit?

Participating startups can expect to commit 10-12 hours monthly. This includes:

  • 6 hours for scheduled Friday Founder Meetups
  • 3 hours for on-demand content
  • 2 hours for 1:1 calls with Experts-in-Residence
  • 1 hour for 1:1 meetings with DMZ Program Leads
  • Startups may also be invited to optional exclusive events and workshops

Are there membership fees?

There are no membership fees to join the Pre-Incubator. After 3 months in the program, startups will be asked to be 2.5% equity in the form of options. Pre-Incubator graduates accepted into DMZ's Incubator program do not provide additional equity for the Incubator’s 18 months of support.