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Your research could change the world.
The IBZ Innovation Fellowship: Powered by IPON pays you to find out how, this summer.
Composed of 4 distinct programming streams, the Fellowship is an immersive entrepreneurship training program designed to meet you where you are. Whether you are discovering the potential of your invention, exploring the startup or licensing route, building your product, or ready to go-to-market, there is a place for you. Whichever stream you participate in, you will leave with a deeper understanding of the real-world impact of your research and the path to get there.
The Fellowship will run from June through August, 2026. You will receive a $10,000 stipend, dedicated mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs, structured programming from subject matter experts, and invaluable connections to the ecosystem, to help you move your innovation forward. No business experience is required — just the drive to find out what is possible and the commitment to go all in.
The Innovation Fellowship is open to any Ontario university or college student, recent graduate, or researcher working on a novel, research-driven innovation, process, or invention. The ideal fellow is committed to the work, to learning, and to advancing their research for meaningful impact. The ideal fellow is also coachable, welcoming challenge and discomfort, and able to turn hard feedback into forward momentum. Every fellow receives a $10,000 stipend for the duration of the program. Fellows should expect to commit an average of 25 hours per week, inclusive of lab work, with hours varying week to week depending on stage and program activities.
The Fellowship runs across four streams, each designed to meet you exactly where you are in your commercialization journey. You will select your stream based on your technology maturity and commercialization stage. In each stream, you will learn through lectures delivered by subject matter experts, weekly mentor sessions with experienced entrepreneurs and peer-to-peer scrum sessions. Fellows in Streams 3 and 4 will also participate in mock board meetings, where a panel of founders, operators, and industry leaders will challenge your thinking and hold you to the same standard as a board of directors.
All programming will be delivered virtually. Fellows will have access to full incubation and in-person hot desks at the IBZ at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), as well as access to subsidized lab space (life sciences, chemistry, fabrication) via the TMU Zone Learning Network*. The Fellowship closes with a Demo Day, August 26, 2026, a mandatory, in-person pitch competition, to showcase what you have learned and built over 13 weeks and compete for a total of $18,000 in prizes.
*allocated on a case-by-case basis
Find your stream:
To be eligible for the IBZ Innovation Fellowship: Powered by IPON, you must:
Stage 1 — Application Form
Select your stream and complete the application form by May 6th, 11:59PM.
If you are working with a principal investigator/faculty supervisor, you must submit a letter of support written by them, confirming their:
Stage 2 — Interview
Selected applicants will be invited to a virtual interview with a panel of experts during the week of May 18th. For fellows applying to Streams 3 and 4, all team members must be present, including your Principal Investigator/faculty supervisor (if applicable).
Successful applicants will be notified of their Fellowship status by May 22, 2026.
April 8: Applications Open
April 22: Info Session
April 29: Info Session
May 6: Applications Close
Week of May 18: Interviews
May 22: Decisions Sent
Week of June 1: Program Starts
August 26: Demo Day and Fellowship ends
All applications are assessed on the following:
The $10,000 stipend is awarded to the primary applicant and is yours to use however best supports your work — whether that's paying yourself, your team, or project expenses.
For team applications, the team is considered a single participant. Teams will receive one stipend, awarded to the primary applicant, and are free to distribute funds however best serves the team.
No, you do not need a patent or formal IP protection in place to apply. You are, however, required to follow your respective institution's IP policies, which may require you to disclose any existing inventions to your tech transfer office before joining the program, and to continue disclosing as new inventions arise during it.
Yes. Faculty members are eligible to apply. However, the same expectations apply to all fellows: the ability to commit an average of 25 hours per week to the program, inclusive of lab work, with hours varying week to week depending on stage and program activities.
Join us at one of our info sessions on April 22nd @3 PM or April 29nd @1 PM to learn more about the streams.
Torrey Sirdevan
Deep Tech Specialist, Innovation Boost Zone
tsirdevan@torontomu.ca
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