Research and Scholarship 23-24
Startup Survivor Awards $75,000 in Funding for McMaster Entrepreneurs
In its third year, the Startup Survivor program attracted over 80 teams (140+ applicants) of McMaster students with innovative business ideas across all Faculties. To support these initiatives, $75,000 was awarded in funding to 10 startups and 23 students who cumulatively spent 3,220 hours of experiential learning working to commercialize their startups with the support of mentorship, workshops and resources.
Building a Home for Entrepreneurship at McMaster and in the Community
A comprehensive knowledge base has been developed to simplify the process of information sharing between The Forge community and within other McMaster departments and resources: MILO, Entrepreneurship Academy, The Clinic, MACcelerate, Innovation Minor and more. The Forge also shares an extensive database with these units to unify our collective goal of growing an established home for entrepreneurship at McMaster University and for the greater Hamilton community.
Strengthening McMaster’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
The Forge has established relationships with over 315 startup companies, 60 mentors, 70 professional service providers and 40 startup-ecosystem partners, including the City of Hamilton, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, Mohawk College and Innovation Factory. These partnerships span local, national and global startup communities. Each individual or group contributes substantial value, both monetarily and in-kind, to the development and progress of the startups in McMaster’s ecosystem. This collaborative effort not only supports innovation and entrepreneurship but also contributes significantly to the economic growth of the Greater Hamilton Area.