UpStart Concordia is a free, 2-day entrepreneurship competition for Canadian university engineering and computer science students, offering a $1,200 top prize for innovative solutions.
UpStart is an innovative entrepreneurship competition presented by the Gina Cody School Entrepreneurship Society. It invites engineering and computer science students from all universities to come together, learn new skills, and apply their entrepreneurial strategies to solve existing problems. The competition provides a platform for students to develop a business model canvas and pitch their product or service to a panel of experienced judges, gaining insights from industry professionals. It's designed to foster creativity and problem-solving within an entrepreneurial framework. Participants will engage in a two-day event, working collaboratively to find solutions, create mockups, and build a comprehensive business model. The competition culminates in a pitch presentation, allowing students to showcase their ideas and receive feedback. UpStart aims to equip students with practical entrepreneurial experience, facilitate valuable connections, and provide an opportunity to test their innovative solutions in a competitive environment.
Participants must find a solution to an existing problem, work on a mockup, build a business model canvas, and pitch their product or service to a panel of judges. The project must be developed entirely during the competition.
Any engineering or computer science student from a Canadian university is eligible to participate. Teams can have a maximum of 4 people.
Answers below are best-effort estimates from the most recent application cycle. Values marked ~ or (est.) may shift year-to-year — confirm specifics on the official scholarship page.
An entrepreneurship competition is an opportunity where students get together and develop innovative solutions to tackle real-world problems.
UpStart will be held at Concordia University (JMSB Conference Center) on February 7-8, 2026.
UpStart is a 2-day competition, beginning at 9am on Saturday and ending 7pm on Sunday.
It's free! UpStart is entirely free for all attendees.
Any engineering or computer science student from a Canadian university is eligible to participate.
Yes, just email the team name and members to technology.gces@ecaconcordia.ca.
UpStart 2026 will exclusively be held in-person at Concordia University (SGW Campus).
Teams will be composed of 4 people maximum.
There will be a networking event and a Discord channel to meet other participants. Organizers will also pair up anyone who can't find a team before the event.
No. In the interest of fairness, participants are not allowed to begin working on their project prior to the start of UpStart. However, you are free to familiarize yourself with all the tools and technologies you intend to use beforehand.
Please reach out to contact.gces@ecaconcordia.ca for any additional concerns.