Frequently asked questions.

Women entrepreneurs bring incredible innovation and talent to the startup world, yet they often encounter systemic barriers to funding, resources, and representation. DMZ’s Boosted Support for Women Founders helps bridge this opportunity gap by providing tailored programming, mentorship, and access to capital for women-led tech startups.

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The DMZ Investor Readiness Bootcamp by Cap Inclusive is a virtual program designed to help selected founders prepare for fundraising and investor conversations.

The program consists of three virtual sessions on November 3, 5 and 10, 2026. Founders will receive practical support to strengthen their:

• Fundraising strategy and investor ask
• Financial model, cap table and valuation approach
• Pitch deck and investor narrative
• Investor Q&A and VC pitch delivery
• Data room and other core fundraising materials

The program includes a VC pitch dry run, giving founders the opportunity to receive direct feedback from investors.‍

Key dates:

September 25 (11:59 PM EST): Applications close

October 23: Selected Bootcamp cohort participants notified

November 3, 5 & 10: Investor Readiness Bootcamp with CapInclusive/FemTech Breakfast

December 31: Selected pitch finalists notified

March 2027: Finalists pitch at Women Innovation Summit

Terms will be negotiated following the competition, subject to due diligence. Founders selected for the Investor Readiness Bootcamp will receive guidance on term sheet negotiation.

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The application focuses on understanding you, your company, and your readiness to raise capital. You’ll be asked to share:

• Founder details, company basics, description of your tech solution
• Your company stage, annual revenue and business model
• The amount of dilutive and non-dilutive capital you have raised to date
• Your 2027 fundraising plans, including the round you are raising
• Details of your raise, including your target amount, investment instrument, committed capital, valuation cap and intended close date

The Women Innovation Summit is open to women founders and co-founders based in Canada who are building technology-enabled businesses and preparing to raise capital.

Selected applicants will take part in the Investor Readiness Bootcamp by Cap Inclusive. From the Bootcamp cohort, 10 founders will be selected to pitch live at the Women Innovation Summit in Toronto in March 2027.

Applicants should be:

• A woman founder or co-founder in a leadership role
• Building a technology-enabled business that solves a clear problem
• Preparing to raise capital in 2027
• Available for the virtual Bootcamp on November 3, 5 and 10, 2026
• Available to pitch in person in Toronto in March 2027, if selected as a top 10 finalist
• Open to feedback and ready to actively participate in the program

Applications will be assessed based on the company’s stage and traction, market opportunity, scalability, technology, fundraising readiness and the strength of the founding team.

The prize pool will be announced soon! The 2026 Summit awarded over $200K in funding to pitch finalists.

The Summit is taking place in March 2027 in Toronto. The date and venue will be announced in early 2027.

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The pitch competition is open to women tech founders based in Canada who have a functional MVP and a business dedicated to solving a compelling problem using innovative technology.

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Applicants must be available to attend the Summit in person in downtown Toronto. They must also participate in the virtual Fundraising Bootcamp (3 sessions) leading up to the Summit day. 

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Travel subsidies will be available to the top 10 pitch finalists if they are based outside of Ontario.
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Eligibility criteria include:

• Woman founder: A woman founder or co-founder leading the business
• Technology business: Leveraging technology to solve a real problem
• Availability: Applicants should be available to participate in the Fundraising Bootcamp (March 6, 13, 20), the pitch rehearsal and Summit day (mid-late March)
• Strong team: Coachable, driven, and collaborative leadership
• Growth potential: Positioned to become a venture-backable startup

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Applications are evaluated based on:

• Product stage
• Scalability
• Leadership proficiency
• Market assessment
• Technological capabilities
• Traction

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The Top 25 finalists will receive support from the virtual Fundraising Bootcamp. From that group, 10 founders are selected to pitch live on the Women Innovation Summit stage, competing for investments in front of investors and ecosystem leaders.

The top 25 finalists will receive specialized support through the Fundraising Bootcamp in partnership with FemTech Breakfast Club. The Bootcamp is virtual and consists of 3, 3-hour sessions on Friday, March 6, 13, and 20:

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March 6: Financial literacy and investment vehicles (intro to balance sheet & P&L), financial modeling workshop, and handling investor Q&A

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March 13: VC pitch dry run, IP protection, and term sheet negotiation (Canadian SAFE)

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March 20: Data Room 101, fundraising strategy and FOMO (pipeline building and investor intros), cap table construction and valuation, and early exit strategy

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We have exciting plans to honour an exceptional woman leader at this year’s Women Innovation Summit. Stay tuned for more!

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Investors interested in participating in the Women Innovation Summit can contact: Justine Clark justine1.clark@torontomu.ca

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