DMZ

There’s just ONE MONTH left to get involved in Canada’s biggest celebration of women in tech. 🇨🇦 Here’s how ⤵ – Apply to pitch your woman-led startup for a chance to win up to $100K in cash investments from The Firehood. – Nominate an inspiring woman driving innovation and positive change for the Women of the Year Award. – Mark your calendars for March 6—RSVP details are coming soon. FIND OUT MORE: dmz.to/wis2025    #WIS2025

Announcing a new $10,000 startup showcase for Black-led startups! Our next Black Innovation Breakfast, presented in partnership with Scotiabank, will feature ⤵️ – An expert panel discussion on The Future of AI and Inclusion – A $10,000 startup showcase, spotlighting Black-led startups in our ecosystem – A dynamic networking breakfast Don’t miss this opportunity to connect and celebrate Black innovation on February 6, 2025. REGISTER NOW: https://lu.ma/a65lofl9 

Nominate an outstanding Canadian woman for our 2025 Women of the Year award. Submit your nomination by January 19. 🔗: https://dmz.to/wis-25

Get up to $100K in cash investments for your woman-led startup at our Women Innovation Summit. Apply by January 19. 🔗: https://dmz.to/wis-25

Have a business idea you’ve been wanting to tackle? Get ready to make it happen in the new year with Launchpad for Entrepreneurs, powered by Desjardins. In 2024, over 2,700 entrepreneurs have grown their businesses with Launchpad! Don’t wait to bring your ideas to life. Start building your business today – for free, from home and at your own pace! Learn more at dmzlaunchpad.ca. 

✨ Expert-in-Residence Spotlight: Alnur Ismail  ✨ As a seasoned entrepreneur and senior executive, Alnur leverages his decades of hands-on experience to propel our startups forward. With a proven track record of shaping companies like Fourwalls Digital, a leading PropTech SaaS platform, his insight into product development and technology are invaluable– as noted by Erfan Rhimzadeh, CEO and Co-Founder of Abroadin. Want 1-on-1 support for your startup? Apply to our Incubator now: dmz.to/incubator25  

Last year, over $200,000 was invested in women-led startups at our Women Innovation Summit, thanks to The Firehood. ➡️ Lorian Taylor, of LyfeMD received $60,000 for her team’s innovative work transforming the management of inflammatory diseases. ➡️ Alison Smith, of Roga secured $40,000 for her non-invasive, wearable HealthTech solution to reduce anxiety. ➕The Firehood granted DMZ alum Tali Remennik a bonus cheque of $130,000 for Granularity, an AI-powered research platform for retailers and brands. This year, up to $100K in cash investments are available to support the next wave of women-led startups. 🚨 Apply to pitch by January 19 🚨 LEARN MORE: dmz.to/wis2025

We caught up with our incredible partners at our annual Startup Sleigh Day🎄 They shared valuable insights about the event, the startup ecosystem, and the unique connections between our founders and partners. Special thanks to: ➡️ Justin Litchfield, Expansion ➡️ Arthur Lam, Nexus Strategic Consultants ➡️ Moshe Mikanovsky, Rootquotient 💡 And all our amazing partners who make it possible! Discover how you can partner with #DMZConnect: dmz.to/connect

At DMZ’s PropTech Roundtable, an incredible story unfolded about the impact of perseverance and adaptability. After only 5 minutes, one founder’s PropTech pitch ended with a deflating “Thanks, but no thanks.” But instead of walking away, he pivoted. By showcasing his service model and emphasizing ongoing support, he was able to overcome initial resistance and completely win them over. That single moment of resilience has now set the stage for a potential multi-million-dollar deal. Stay tuned in 2025 for more #DMZConnect Roundtables – where partners, founders and VCs share top strategies that can support the success of Canadian startups. 🔗: dmz.to/connect   Kathy Kelly, Ted Killin

AI's impact could unlock $230 billion in value for Canada’s economy. I recently had the fantastic opportunity to attend the Google for Startups Canada Accelerator: Demo Day, which featured 14 incredible startups, including two from DMZ: Handy.ai and OPTT Health. Witnessing their journeys and celebrating their successes was inspiring, with all the startups showcasing remarkable innovations! A key takeaway from the panel discussion was their shared emphasis on using AI to fully understand your customers: Kory Jeffrey (Inovia Capital) highlighted that the most promising AI applications are driven by people who deeply understand their customer's pain points and those adding significant value to enterprise workflows. Natasha Walji (Google) discussed how AI tools in sales and marketing could dramatically enhance businesses' insights into their customers. She believes this shift could transform marketing from a cost center into a profit driver. Robin Orford (Google) further emphasized the need for businesses to communicate their unique value propositions. She stressed the importance of identifying and learning from your customer – understanding their use case for your solution and why it matters to them. But we’re encountering barriers in Canada that prevent us from turning our great ideas into impactful breakthroughs. Kory captured this sentiment perfectly with Winston Churchill's famous words. “Never waste a good crisis.” Reminding us that our biggest challenges can become opportunities, if we choose to rise to the occasion.