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We are the home of Social Entrepreneurship and early-stage start-ups at UTM, offering resources, programs, workshops and mentorship for people who are changing the world. If you want to make a difference, ICUBE is here to help you make it.
ICUBE employs a values-based approach to supporting and training entrepreneurs. We believe that innovation needs to happen in a responsible and sustainable way that acknowledges the effects of disruption and aims to make positive impact.
Together we can learn! Let’s see what is ICUBE and it’s startups are up to.
Here are some of the commonly asked questions from ICUBE’s staff
A business incubator is a program that gives very early-stage companies access to mentorship, investors and other support to help them get established. Business incubators work with early-stage companies to get them to move beyond their embryonic phase.
A business accelerator is a program that gives developing companies access to mentorship, investors and other support that help them become stable, self-sufficient businesses. Companies that use business accelerators are typically start-ups that have moved beyond the earliest stages of getting established. They have basically entered their “adolescence,” meaning they can stand on their own two feet but need guidance and peer support to gain strength. Less developed companies not ready for an accelerator would instead use a business incubator for support.
No! All of ICUBE’s programs are free. We are fully funded by grants and the University of Toronto.
No! ICUBE does not take any equity or ownership interest, including but not limited to shares, stocks, membership units, or any other equivalent form of ownership in our ventures business in exchange for providing programming or services. However, please note that when being connected to investors, or when using particular UofT resources (i.e. research facilities), founders are responsible to review those terms separately, as we cannot guarantee what parties external to ICUBEUTM require.
All of ICUBEUTM’s programs are open to students, staff, or alumni of any of the UofT three campuses. Additionally, our programs are open to members of the Peel region. ICUBE Studio’s paid services are open to any business in Canada.
No, ICUBEUTM is not a student club, we are a university student life unit under the Institution of Management & Innovation at University of Toronto Mississauga.
ICUBE hires work study students every term! Keep an eye out for our job postings on CLNx at clnx.utoronto.ca.
Venture Forward is designed to accelerate your business growth in a sustainable way. This is ideal for businesses who are already set, have a product, or are currently selling products/services and need an extra push to grow and scale their business.
Ideation Lab is ideal for teams who have identified a business idea and are in the ideation or early startup phase.
This program is open to self-identifying Indigenous people across the GTA, with preference given to U of T students, staff, and faculty which focuses on bringing an Indigenous and non-Indigenous lens to entrepreneurship.
Yes absolutely! In fact it’s encouraged to do so. It is very common for ventures to be part of multiple different incubator programs to help solve different problems and raise more funding.
Not particularly. While we do highlight social innovation more, we accept ventures from all different fields and categories as long as they are ethical businesses and are not against any of University of Toronto’s policies.
ICUBE, The home of Social Entrepreneurship at UofT, offers resources, programs, workshops and mentorship for people who are changing the world. If you want to make a difference, ICUBE is here to help you make it.
Indigenous business training program created by RedBird Circle Inc. in partnership with UofT Libraries, ICUBE UTM and The Bridge at UTSC
An experiential learning program that follows the school 3 semesters schedule, for anyone with a great idea who wants to make it happen.
A boutique-style remote program to support your business development and help you grow through one-on-one support. This program is open all year.
A student-led creative studio with intends to serve the prototyping and design needs of our ventures and small businesses in our community.
This 2-day retreat is designed to help you reflect on your journey, what drives you, all the hats you wear and what is next for you and your social enterprise.
