Today, we’re excited to announce and introduce our 2021 Startup Global Pitch Competition semi-finalists! Startup Global, previously known as the Canadian Export Challenge, connects entrepreneurs who want to build globally-competitive businesses with a network of support, resources, and partners dedicated to their success.
As part of Startup Global, our Startup Global Pitch Competition gives founders the chance to win from a prize pool of $75,000 and in-kind support from program partners such as UPS, Export Development Canada, the Trade Commissioner Service, and more. Split into two categories, semi-finalists have the chance to win either $2,500 (startup category) or $5,000 (scaleup category). But that’s not all.
On top of that, the top 5 startup and the top 5 scaleup semi-finalists will be invited to pitch in the Grand Finale on October 21 for a chance to win an additional $5,000 (startup category) or $25,000 (scaleup category). But there’s still more. Presented by UPS, semi-finalists can also compete in the Startup Global Pitch Competition Peoples’ Choice Award where the winner will win $5,000 and a spot in the Grand Finale!
From eight provinces and 34 cities across Canada, we’re proud to share that half of our pitch applicants identify as a woman, 26% identify as part of the BIPOC and/or marginalized community, and 24% are based in remote and rural communities—that’s incredible. Now, please join us in congratulating and cheering on this year’s Startup Global 2021 semi-finalists:
Top 25 Scale-ups
Divineity Apparel and Homewares
Knnct
Top 25 Startups
Just Vertical
Krippit
Leap Grad
Rumbly
Startup Global (formerly the Canadian Export Challenge) is a series of digital pitch competitions, free professional advising, and educational initiatives meant to recognize the importance of exporting to the Canadian economy, celebrate those making waves in the global marketplace, and empower founders to take their ventures to the international stage. We connect a pan-Canadian cohort of entrepreneurs wanting to build global businesses with a network of partners dedicated to their success through workshops, bootcamps, pitch building, advisory support, digital resources and more—all packaged in an accessible and easy-to-use portal. This year Startup Global is presented in partnership with UPS, the Trade Commissioner Service and Export Development Canada, along with the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME), FITT, Mastercard, Inniskillin, Scotiabank, and Google Canada. For more information, visit https://www.startupcan.ca/explore/startup-global/.