Upcoming Student Entrepreneurship Opportunities

Are you a student interested in entrepreneurship and innovation? Apply to these three exciting opportunities open to undergraduate students this winter:

The Arena Pitch Competition

The Arena Pitch Competition is an exciting, high-energy, bracket-style pitch tournament modelled after the NCAA March Madness championship, with a $10,000 grand prize.

• Application Deadline: February 1, 2026
• Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students and recent alumni with a novel business idea
• Prizes: $10,000 for the winner, $5,000 for the runner up, $1,000 for the third and fourth place
• Format: Virtual
• Dates: March 3 – April 2, 2026

AquaHacking Binational 2026

AquaHacking is a 7-month ideation and acceleration program designed to develop early-stage water tech solutions and prepare the next generation of water innovators to take action.

• Info Session: February 11, 2026
• Applications Open: February
• Benefits: Mentorship, leadership training, workshops, and more
• Eligibility: Students and alumni who want to make a positive impact on freshwater systems; no business idea required.
• Dates: April – November 2026

The Hult Prize

The Hult Prize is a year-long program that challenges students to build for-profit startups that tackle global issues. Over five progressive phases, teams hone their ideas, receive mentorship, and compete to win $1M in seed funding.

• Application Deadline: February 15, 2026
• Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate student-led startup that aligns with a UN Sustainable Development Goal
• Prizes: $1 Million seed funding, mentorship, workshops, and more
• Format: Hybrid
• Dates: National Pitch Competition (April – May), Digital Incubator (June-July), In-Person Accelerator in London, UK (August), Global Pitch Competition (September)

Startup Survivor 

Startup Survivor is a structured, challenge?based accelerator running built to help students and alumni turn early?stage ideas into real, viable ventures.

• Eligibility Form Deadline: February 20, 2026
• Eligibility: McMaster University student or alumni
• Benefits: $5,000 in funding for every team, workshops, meetups, and networking opportunities, as well as access to coworking space and makerspace resources
• Opportunities: $30,000 Pitch Competition during McMaster Entrepreneurship Week
• Dates: May to August 2026

McMaster Student Seed Fund

MSSF supports students and alumni who have already validated their business idea and are ready to grow.

• Application Deadline: March 1, 2026
• Program Benefits: $10,000 in funding through milestone-based payments, one-on-one mentorship from a successful serial entrepreneur, and access to advisory from professional service providers, such as lawyers and accountants.
• Eligibility: McMaster University students and recent alumni who have completed or are enrolled in entrepreneurship programming.
• Dates: May to December 2026