DMZ’s Women Innovation Summit returns for year three, with $100,000 in cash investments from The Firehood to back the visionaries transforming the tech landscape
Applications for DMZ’s Women Innovation Pitch Competition and Women of the Year Award nominations are now open.
Toronto, December 2, 2024 – DMZ, a global startup ecosystem, announced its third annual Women Innovation Summit, set to take place on March 6, 2025. Hosted at DMZ’s headquarters in downtown Toronto, the Summit will bring together women-led startups, innovators, investors, corporate partners, allies and policymakers for a full day event in honour of International Women’s Day.
Committed to celebrating women entrepreneurs and serving as a catalyst for women’s innovation, the 2025 Summit will unite attendees through intimate roundtable discussions, a pitch competition providing women-led startups with funding opportunities and the official unveiling of DMZ’s 2025 Women of the Year honourees.
Applications for the Women Innovation Pitch Competition and nominations for DMZ’s Women of the Year are now open at dmz.to/WIS. The deadline to apply or nominate is January 19, 2025.
We all know the challenges women face in entrepreneurship—they’re real and undeniable,” said Emily Smiley, Director, Partnerships & Investor Relations at DMZ. “But DMZ’s 2025 Women Innovation Summit is about more than just recognizing women who’ve pushed through barriers. It’s about showcasing how women entrepreneurs are changing the face of technology and business. The Summit will serve as a platform to spotlight top women in Canada’s innovation ecosystem and we’re excited to come together as a community to ignite real change.”
For the third consecutive year, The Firehood—a national network dedicated to advancing women in technology—will join DMZ as an investment partner, committing $100,000 in cash investments for the Women Innovation Pitch Competition. The Firehood has awarded $330,000 in funding to women-led startups through DMZ’s Women Innovation Summit, which has welcomed more than 600 attendees over its first two years.
“Partnering with DMZ for the Women Innovation Summit has been a powerful way to amplify our mission at The Firehood and we’re thrilled to return for another year,” said Claudette McGowan, CEO at Protexxa and Co-Founder at The Firehood. “Angel funding is essential in helping women founders to scale their businesses, and there’s something uniquely meaningful about women accredited investors backing women-led ventures. It’s the shared vision and mutual understanding that creates a powerful foundation for achieving real impact.”
“The Firehood’s third year with DMZ’s Women Innovation Summit showcases the transformative power of community in creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs to thrive,” said Danielle Graham, Co-Founder of The Firehood. “Together, we’re proving that collaboration and support are essential for achieving extraordinary success.
Women Innovation Pitch Competition
Open to women founders across Canada, the pitch competition provides a unique opportunity to secure funding and accelerate business growth. From the applicants, 25 women founders will be chosen to receive personalized pitch advisory sessions, participate in curated roundtable discussions and gain valuable marketing and PR exposure. Of these, 10 finalists will pitch live at the Summit to angel investors from The Firehood. In 2024, three remarkable women-led startups—LyfeMD, Roga and Granularity—secured funding through the Women Innovation Summit, showcasing the incredible talent driving Canada’s innovation ecosystem.
Women of the Year Awards
DMZ’s Women of the Year Awards honours outstanding women who are driving meaningful change in Canada’s tech and business sectors. Honourees represent trailblazers who are disrupting their industries, leading multi-million dollar companies, revolutionizing technology and inspiring the next generation of women in innovation. Previous awardees include Sylvia Ng, CEO of ReturnBear; Fatima Zaidi, CEO and Founder of Quill; and Mirela Pirlea, Lead Partnerships Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Ontario – Atlantic – West Canada at Desjardins. 2025 award recipients will be revealed at the Women Innovation Summit on March 6, 2025.
“It’s really great to see a community-driven initiative where you are recognizing women who are pushing innovative work,” said Fatima Zaidi, CEO and Founder of Quill. “Being recognized as a 2024 DMZ Women of the Year honouree was truly an unforgettable milestone. The experience of being surrounded by women building game-changing businesses across tech—some generating millions in sales—was nothing short of inspiring. It was exactly the kind of room you want to be in.”
Applications for the Women Innovation Pitch Competition and nominations for Women of the Year are open until January 19, 2025. Learn more and apply at dmz.to/WIS.
DMZ’s Women Innovation Summit was funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy.
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ABOUT DMZ
DMZ is a global startup ecosystem that features a world-leading incubator, talent academy, partner network and strategic investment fund. Through its award-winning programming, DMZ equips tech founders with the tools needed to build, launch and scale high-impact startups. Over the past 14 years, DMZ has helped 1000+ startups raise $2.76 billion in capital and create 5,200+ jobs. From its headquarters in Toronto, DMZ has also grown a strong international presence – with offices and partnerships across North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
MEDIA CONTACT
Luvy Hardy, DMZ
luvy.hardy@torontomu.ca
