First NY Retail Startup Tour opens new doors for Dobson Centre startups
The McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship recently launched its first virtual New York City Retail Startup Tour with the goal of connecting Dobson entrepreneurs to key players in the New York investment community. Planned in collaboration with the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation du Québec, the flagship event is already creating new business opportunities for participating startups.
Interius Farms reaches new heights in vertical farming
Desautels alumni Jonnie Lawson (BCom’20) and Tristan Zeman (BCom’17) are hard at work to make sustainable, year-round produce accessible to Canadians through indoor vertical farms. Over the summer, their innovative hydroponic growing system won first place at the annual McGill Dobson Cup start-up competition. As they expand into a larger growing facility in Montreal, they’re not slowing down anytime soon.
Dobson Cup winner uses AI to help railroads cut costs, reduce environmental footprint
As a student at McGill, Dev Jain (BEng’19) launched a company aimed at introducing North America’s 650 railways to industry-disrupting innovation. This year, RailVision Analytics won first place in the Innovation Driven Enterprise category of the McGill Dobson Cup. Now, Jain aspires to raise more than $1 million to commercialize and expand his business.
Dobson startup rated top invention in Quebec
McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship startup Sensequake (McGill X-1 Accelerator 2015) has been recognized as one of the top inventions in Quebec in 2020.
McGill among world’s leading universities for female founders
McGill University has been named in the top 25 undergraduate programs for female founders in the 2020 PitchBook University rankings.
Empowering startups to thrive during the global crisis
The pandemic has created many challenges for small businesses, but McGill University’s startup incubator has been given a boost thanks to a generous $3-million gift from the John Dobson Foundation.
Dobson Cup participant Sonder raises US$170M during current health crisis
Despite an economic downturn that brought the travel industry to a near standstill, Dobson Cup participant and McGill’s first unicorn Sonder has raised US$170-million to stay ahead of the curve.
Read more
Accelerate your startup with the Dobson Centre
The McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship is now accepting applications for the 2020 X-1 Accelerator program. The X-1 Accelerator is a world-class program designed to accelerate early traction McGill startups towards investment readiness and launch. This year, the 10-week intensive program will be held virtually.
Thirty-two teams set to compete at the Dobson Cup finals
After two days of deliberation, 32 teams have been selected to compete in final round of the McGill Dobson Cup, powered by National Bank, on March 30, 2020.
Last week, 95 teams pitched their startups to 30 judges who were tasked with choosing eight finalists for each division: health sciences, social enterprises, small & medium enterprises, and innovation-driven enterprises.
McGill Dobson Cup names 2020 semi-finalists
The McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has announced the semi-finalists in the upcoming McGill Dobson Cup 2020, powered by National Bank. The semifinal pitches will take place from February 11–12, before the final pitches on March 30.
Read more
McGill unicorn Sonder sets its sights on Montreal
McGill unicorn and hospitality startup Sonder has reserved premises in downtown Montreal as it makes plans to set up shop in Canada. If the move is successful, this could bring more than 500 jobs to the city within three years.
Learn more
Recap of McGill Startup Tour 2019
The McGill Startup Tour (formerly Demo Days) is about developing the McGill entrepreneurship ecosystem, showcasing the success’ of our start-ups, and promoting our highly beneficial program.
The tight-knit program was centered on three elements
Dobson Centre sits among world’s best university business incubators
The McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has secured a spot in UBI Global’s Top 20 University Business Incubators for 2019–20.
According to UBI Global, the universities that made the list surpass their global peers in regard to the value they provide their innovation ecosystems and client startup programs.
Dobson startup tour showcases Desautels entrepreneurial spirit
In fall, the McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship went on the road as part of its annual Startup Tour. The six-week tour provided an opportunity for 10 teams to generate a buzz around their projects and network with industry experts and potential investors.
Sonder Becomes Dobson Centre’s First Unicorn
Sonder, a hospitality startup founded by former McGill student Francis Davidson, is now a billion-dollar company. Sonder competed in the 2014 McGill Dobson Cup Startup Competition, where it attracted the attention and investment of judge Tim Tokarsky (BSc ’99).
Read more in the McGill Reporter
