Cyber Challenge
Frequently Asked Questions
Program
Each Cyber Challenge will run for approximately eight months from start to finish and is broken into two stages. Stage One is six weeks, and Stage Two is six months.
The Automotive and Life Sciences Cyber Challenges began in September 2024.
The Advanced Manufacturing and Smart Infrastructure Cyber Challenges will launch in Spring 2025.
The Mining and Law Enforcement Cyber Challenges will begin in Fall 2025.
This Cyber Challenge is hybrid. Participants will have access to webinars, networking sessions, one-on-one mentorship opportunities, and online learning modules, all of which will be curated to foster their development as they progress throughout the Challenge. In-person components include Orientation Days, Pitch Days, Sales Bootcamps and Demo Days.
The Cyber Challenge is only offered in English. Participants must be able to comprehensively read and write in English.
We welcome applications from startup or scaleup companies who fit the following criteria and have:
- Applicant must be a company incorporated in Ontario, or in Canada but is doing business in Ontario with a permanent establishment in Ontario.
- The proposed project must be carried out in Ontario.
- Companies must ensure they have the rights to commercialize their technology in all parts of Ontario.
- Applicants must be a small or medium sized enterprise, with less than 100 employees.
- Companies must have 1 or more team members with full-time commitment to the business.
- Companies must hold the underlying IP rights or demonstrate an ability to obtain or secure the rights associated with the technology and demonstrate they intend to work towards protecting any currently unprotected IP.
- TRL 6 or greater as attested by applicant and validated through screening.
- Companies must provide a product development timeline that reasonably aligns to the expectations of the incubator program.
- Minimum Viable Product developed, in-market or about to launch.
Ideal Cyber Challenge participants are small to medium-sized companies in the cybersecurity, IT, or software development industries, who are Ontario-based or have a presence in Ontario and are past the ideology stage of their product development.
For each sector challenge, 10 companies will be invited to participate in Stage One and five companies per sector challenge will be selected to move into Stage Two.
Relevant industry partners across all aspects of the sector supply chains and value chains will be participating in each Challenge as mentors, advisors and experts. Individuals and organizations will be participating to inform participants on procurement processes, regulatory landscape, business-critical cybersecurity concerns, sales cycle, and industry trends amongst many other topics.
Application
The application process for the Cyber Challenge is a three-step process:
- Application Form Submission
- Screening Call
- Panel Presentation
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply online through our portal at https://cybersecurecatalyst.ca/cyber-challenge/.
Applicants will be screened by the Cyber Challenge team and eligible candidates will be invited to a panel presentation, which will take place with the Catalyst Cyber Challenge team and industry experts. Our team will review each application and communicate a decision via email.
Applicants should expect to receive information about next steps a minimum of one-week prior to program launch.
Yes. We understand many founders have products that can be applied within a variety of sectors. If you are not accepted into one of the Cyber Challenges you have applied for, you are welcome to apply to a future Challenge.Companies are welcome to apply to multiple Challenges, but may only be able to participate in one Cyber Challenge due to overlapping schedules. Stage 2 participants of prior Cyber Challenges will be ineligible to apply to upcoming Cyber Challenges.
Companies may apply to multiple Challenges, but may only participate in one Cyber Challenge. Should this change as the Challenges progress, we will contact those who express an interest in participating in multiple Challenges.
This would be decided on a case-by-case basis. The Cyber Challenge team will connect with any companies who may be eligible to apply to a future challenge if they did not progress to Stage Two.
Finances
Participation in the Cyber Challenge is free — no equity is taken from participating companies. Our mission is to support growth and success.
General
We work directly with industry partners within six specific sectors (Automotive, Life Sciences, Smart Infrastructure, Advanced Manufacturing, Law Enforcement, and Mining) who will be guiding participants on how to adapt their solution for success in each industry. Founders will have the opportunity to pitch their products to industry partners, with the goal of securing product testing and sales opportunities.
Other
Please contact the Cyber Challenge team at cyberchallenge@torontomu.ca.
Please contact the Cyber Challenge team at cyberchallenge@torontomu.ca.
