University of Toronto students eager to turn a cool business idea into a viable company - including those dreaming of launching things into space - will want to check out U of T Acceleratorfest 2025.
Among the main attractions at the free annual event on Sept. 17 at the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus is Rahul Goel, CEO of rocket startup NordSpace, which is trying to launch Canada's first commercial rocket.
A PhD candidate at the U of T Institute for Aerospace Studies (UTIAS) in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, Goel is scheduled to speak around noon as part of the Desjardins Speakers Series.
"He's going to talk about leveraging the University of Toronto ecosystem," says Jon French, director of University of Toronto Entrepreneurship (UTE). "He'll talk about the trials and tribulations and the grit needed to be a successful founder and his vision for a sovereign Canadian space program - even more relevant at this geopolitical moment."
Goel started his first company, a hybrid and virtual event software business called PheedLoop, with support from The Entrepreneurship Hatchery in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, where he also completed his undergraduate degree. NordSpace also received support from the Creative Destruction Lab at the Rotman School of Management.
If all goes according to plan, Nordspace aims to launch the first commercial liquid rocket in Canadian history from a custom-built spaceport in Newfoundland and Labrador later this month.
Beyond Goel's talk, Acceleratorfest attendees will have plenty of opportunity to explore U of T's vast entrepreneurship ecosystem, which includes accelerators across the university's three campuses.
"For current or aspiring entrepreneurs, this is the one-stop shop," says French of the event, which made its debut last year.
"This is the place where you can get your questions answered, learn about the differences and the benefits of all the different hubs and programming across U of T."
French notes that U of T's accelerators have been asked to perform "reverse pitches" - a twist on the normal format where entrepreneurs sell their startup to investors and others.
"We flipped the script," he says. "They've got one minute and one slide to talk about the value proposition of being part of their accelerator."
There's plenty to pitch. Entrepreneurs from the U of T community have created more than 1,500 venture-backed startups. And, in the past five years alone, they have raised over $14 billion and created more than 20,000 jobs.
Attendees can also visit trade-show-style booths hosted by accelerators - as well as event sponsor Desjardins - to learn more about the support available to help bring their business ideas to life. There will also be tours of the Schwartz Reisman Innovation Campus that include the campus's 24-7 ONRamp co-working space, dry labs - with tools for 3D printing and soldering, among others - and even a food lab inside the Faculty of Arts & Science's Centre for Entrepreneurship.
In the spirit of the back-to-school season, French says the event is designed to be a fun and engaging way for budding entrepreneurs to connect with startup resources.
"It's called Acceleratorfest," he says. "So, we've added a few things to make it feel a little bit more like a festival."
That includes a photo booth by Zakar Photobooth and ice pops from Happy Pops - both U of T startups.
"The University of Toronto is a big place," French says. "We do this event to help our young entrepreneurs navigate an incredible but complex and vast ecosystem at the university."
