Scientific research at Canadian universities—especially at U of T—inspires big innovation ideas. Early-stage entrepreneurs need dedicated, high-quality wet lab space and equipment to mature their intellectual property (IP) and attract external investment. But this space is scare and often too expensive. And that’s where we come in. SpinUp bridges the translation gap, providing early-stage life science founders access to highly subsidized wet lab co-working space, equipment, and infrastructure in University of Toronto Mississauga’s (UTM) new science building. Here, startups can focus their funds on developing their IP and strengthening their business case. Founders can tap the research strengths of a world top-twenty university and the commercial savvy of a world top-five university entrepreneurship network.
Industries
Focus Areas
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Services Offered
Programs
Wet Lab Co-working Space
incubatorBiosafety level 2 wet lab space with dedicated 6x5ft lab bench unit and fume hood, subsidized at more than 50% below market standards for terms up to two years
Mentorship Programs
otherMentorship programs run by one of the world's top five university-managed business incubators
Programming and Workshops
eventNetworking events, practical workshops, entrepreneurship workshops, seminars, pitch competitions, and venture showcases
EDI Support
otherWorkshops in equity and anti-racism to support healthy lab culture and promote ventures owned by scientists from equity-deserving groups
Transition Planning
otherTailored transition planning to help companies scale up
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Located at University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) New Science Building. Offers shared life science equipment including cell and tissue culture capabilities and chemical storage. Provides office space with dedicated desk and bookable meeting room. Weekly office hours held Fridays 2-3:30 pm EST. Part of U of T's entrepreneurship network, ranked top-five globally. Membership terms available up to two years.
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BAI Type
Foundations & Ecosystem-Building
Sector-agnostic (broad industry focus). Flexible accountability (community-oriented, earlier-stage).
This classification is inferred from available data. Organizations can self-classify using the typology framework.
Entity Type
University-backed (ie. the University is the formal entity)
Operating Regions
Ontario (ON), National (all of Canada)
University of Toronto Mississauga