McMaster University has received $300,000 from the provincial government to expand entrepreneurship programming for startups.
The investment comes from Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) as part of their postsecondary funding program, which was created to enhance commercialization efforts within Ontario’s postsecondary sector and drive economic growth.
The funding for McMaster will be used to expand the Startup Survivor program. Hosted by the Forge, the four-month innovation program and pitch competition supports McMaster student and alumni entrepreneurs as they work to launch and grow their ventures.
The Clinic will be a key partner in program development, creating more cohesive and scalable pathways for Startup Survivor participants to develop, protect and commercialize innovative ideas. Part of the DeGroote Heersink Hub, the Clinic is McMaster’s health innovation hub focused on training the next generation of innovators.
With support from IPON and the Clinic, the Forge will double the number of yearly program participants from 10 to 20 teams — providing $230,000 in funding directly to startups — and broaden access to IP education and mentorship. IP education is directly embedded in the Startup Survivor program, ensuring participants develop foundational competencies in IP strategy, ownership, protection and commercialization.
The funding comes just weeks after McMaster released the Accelerating Commercialization and Entrepreneurial Activities (ACE): Future Directions for McMaster University summary report, which identifies key pathways to enhance the university’s long-term impact on Canada’s innovation economy.
Leigh Wilson, associate director of New Ventures at the McMaster Industry Liaison Office, says the IPON investment will help strengthen Ontario’s innovation pipeline.
“Startup Survivor is one of many opportunities available to McMaster entrepreneurs that’s helping to create a robust pipeline of discovery-driven innovations and highly skilled entrepreneurial talent in engineering, life sciences, health sciences and business,” Wilson says.
“This funding from IPON will help us attract more program participants within and beyond the McMaster campus so we can support these Ontario-based innovators as they work to develop strong, defensible IP strategies for their companies.”
McMaster PhD student Manak Bajaj won first place at the 2025 Startup Survivor Pitch Competition for Wonder Guard, a technology that makes it easier to detect urinary tract infections. Bajaj will talk more about his venture at this year’s Made at Mac Celebration.
Ready to bring your business idea to life? If you’re an entrepreneurial student or recent graduate from an Ontario postsecondary institution, you can apply for Startup Survivor. Applications are due March 29, 2026. Apply here.
Interested in connecting with McMaster startups and learning more about entrepreneurship at Mac? Join us at the third annual Made at Mac Celebration on April 1, 2026. Register here.
