• Must have a business idea

• Must be able to attend all in-person sessions

• Team must have at least one founder that is a current student, faculty member or researcher at the University of Ottawa

• Be able to articulate and prove there is a gap / problem through customer and partner conversations and market research.

• Be able to build a Minimum Viable Product of the offering

• Have message market fit for the solution (customer conversations, stakeholder conversations, industry conversations, etc).

• Team must have at least one founder that is a current student, faculty member, researcher or alumni (within 5 years) of the University of Ottawa

• Be able to articulate and prove there is a compelling gap / problem

• Demonstrate the ability to deliver on their product / service

• Having a working Minimum Viable Product / prototype

• Have early product market fit (first sale, pre-order, etc).

• Has considered their go-to-market strategy and able to provide a high-level overview

• Driven, coachable leadership team

• Have dedicated and committed team members who can move the business forward. Ready to participate in a milestone-based program

• Startup is incorporated

• It is expected that founders in this circuit can commit their full attention to their startup. Therefore, at least one founder cannot hold a full-time job outside of running their company.

• Team must have at least one founder that is a current student, faculty member, researcher or alumni (within 5 years) of the University of Ottawa

• Be able to demonstrate growth in company (increased sale, increased interest in investment, etc).

• Have dedicated and committed team members who can move the business forward

• Startup is incorporated

• Team must have at least one founder that is a current student, faculty member, researcher or alumni (within 5 years) of the University of Ottawa

Founder Qualities:

• Has an Idea

• Passionate

• Availability

• Commitment

Founder Qualities:

• Professionalism

• Open-mindedness

• Self-Discipline

• Persistence

• Defined Problem to Solve

Startup Qualities:

• Defining their Customer Segments

• Validation

• Early Product Market Fit

• Able to articulate the initial business model and assumptions made, with clear plan to test those assumptions.

• Ability to take action

Indicators for Success:

• Have a Minimum Viable Product

• Pilot with Minimum Viable Product

• Conducted Market Research

• Have feedback from customers / partners / stakeholders

• Have a tech lead or path to find a tech lead.

• Understanding of competition in the market.

Founder Qualities:

• Ambition to Succeed

• Dedication

• Passion

• Coachable

Startup Qualities:

• Sound Business Model

• Knowledge of Competitors

• Proof of Customer Discovery and Validation

• Working Prototype

Indicators for Success:

• Proof of Concept in Simulated Environment

• Team Roles & Responsibilities Established

• Pilot with Prototype

• If a patentable invention, clarity on Freedom to Operate or path to protection established.

• Problem definition validated.

• Customer segments identified.

• Demonstrate customer or investor traction.

• Have a tech lead (when applicable)

Founder Qualities:

• Persistence

• Execution

• Focus on Growth

Startup Qualities:

• Strong Team in Place

• Diverse Set of Skills on Team

Indicators for Success:

• Selling Product

• Have spoken with investors and received positive feedback

• Developed a sustainable business and financial model

• Operating runway and plan for growth trajectory

• Team has a vision for the venture’s scalable strategy or “exit”