The Up-Start! Competition is a business pitch competition open to participants in the Entrepreneurship 101 lecture series. Individuals, or teams, must give a ten-minute presentation on an idea for a business to win a $15,000 prize.

2. Up-Start! Competition 2014
• The Up-Start! Competition is a business pitch competition open to
participants of Entrepreneurship 101!
• 10 individuals/teams give a 10-minute pitch !
• Panel of judges select winner of cash prize of $15,000!
• Audience selects ‘People’s Choice Winner’

3. Up-Start! Competition Eligibility
①
Entrants must be enrolled in Entrepreneurship 101 and have
attended at least 20 lectures in person or by webcast.
Eligible businesses fall into one of the 3 MaRS sectors:!
②
③
• Information technology, communications and entertainment (ICE)
• Cleantech, physical sciences and advanced materials
• Life sciences and healthcare
Entrants must have received no more than $100K in investment
money and earned no more than $100K in cumulative revenue
since inception.

4. Up-Start! Competition Overview
Stage 1: Entrepreneur's Toolkit Workshops - The Up-Start! Edition (Dec)
•
Chance for interested applicants to refine their value proposition, business model
and pitch. Apply before December 4, 2013.
Stage 2: Competition Entry (Jan)
• Submit a 3-page Executive Summary by Friday January 31st, 2014 to
entrepreneurship101@marsdd.com
• Select entrants/teams interview with a MaRS Advisory Services advisor
• 10 entrants/teams will be selected to participate in the pitch competition

5. Up-Start! Competition Overview
Stage 3: Pitch Preparation with MaRS Advisors (Mar – Apr)
•
10 finalists will be assigned a MaRS Advisor to assist them in honing their
business plan and preparing their pitch
Stage 4: Pitch Competition on May 14th, 2014
•
•
Each participant gives 10-minute pitch presentation to a panel of judges followed
by 5 minutes of Q&A from the judges
Prizes awarded at a reception following the competition
*Presentations made under cover of Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) - all audience members are required to sign !

6. Criteria for Judging
• Has the summary/presentation clearly articulated the value proposition?
• Has the summary/presentation demonstrated market opportunity?
• Has the summary/presentation demonstrated a sustainable business
model that will make money, or, in the case of a venture with a social
purpose, make money and have the desired social impact?
• Has the summary/presentation demonstrated competitive differentiation/
intellectual capital?
• How effective was the overall presentation?
• Would you invest or back this opportunity?

7. Submission Deadline
Please send a three-page Executive Summary to
entrepreneurship101@marsdd.com
by Friday, January 31st, 2014.
Enquiries can be directed to the same email address.

8. marsdd.com/upstart!

9. The Up-Start! Edition
!
Part 1: Launching Customer
Discovery
Part 2: Crafting your Value
Proposition
Learn more about the lean startup
approach and launch your customer
discovery process.
Learn tools to identify your target
customers and better articulate the
value offering of your venture.
Part 3: Designing your
Business Model
Part 4: Perfecting Your Pitch
Design a sustainable business
model using the Business Model
Canvas.
Use key principles of effective
communication to create an effective
investor pitch.
Registration: upstartworkshops-edition2014.eventbrite.com

10. The Up-Start! Edition
December 18,!2013
Part 1: Launching
Customer Discovery
January 8, 2014
Part 2: Crafting your
Value Proposition
January 15, 2014
Part 3: Designing your
Business Model
January 22, 2014
Part 4: Perfecting Your
Pitch
Space limited. Apply by December 4, 2013!
Registration: upstartworkshops-edition2014.eventbrite.com