Once again, the Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Toronto Metropolitan University and Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX) showing just how invaluable and important they are to Canada's cyber community with launching a new program called the Cyber Challenge.
The program aims to empower and support startups and SMEs to solve industry-specific challenges in six sectors. The sectors identified include:
Automotive
Life Sciences
Smart Infrastructure
Advanced Manufacturing, Law Enforcement, and Mining.
The program is already getting underway by accepting applications for the Automotive and Life Sciences sectors for Fall 2024. Additional applications for the other sectors in 2025.
The Cyber Challenge takes place over either months, with two stages:
Stage one, ten startups accepted within six weeks for:
Solution proposal sprint to support the development of proof-of-concept
Receive technical and business advice to support proposal development
Pitch the proof-of-concept to industry professionals
Stage two, five startups selected to:
Receive $20,000
Connect with industry experts to help guide the project
This includes intellectual property support
Demonstrate product with sectoral partners
Eligibility for the program is relatively low compared to other programs, which likely indicates they placing significant emphasis on the solutions being offered. A screenshot of the eligibility is included below, but the requirements are broadly that you are a Canadian business in Ontario, and have rights to use or own underlying IP rights.
This will be a program to watch as the Catalyst has already been leading the way in supporting some of Canada’s leaders in cyber. I’ll have my fingers crossed they had a “defence” sector to this program sometime in the future.
Be sure to check out the website and share it: https://cybersecurecatalyst.ca/cyber-challenge/