DMZ Demo Day, a pitch contest kicking off June 26, has been announced.

The event, which will take place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre (Maple Leaf Gardens) in Toronto, will award more than $300,000 in cash prizes to Black founders, students, women, and international entrepreneurs.

“The DMZ has been 13 years in the making. As our largest event yet, Demo Day represents a true homecoming for every startup, investor, and partner that has been a part of our story,” Abdullah Snobar, executive director of the DMZ and CEO of DMZ Ventures. “Further, hosting this event at the iconic Maple Leafs Gardens — a venue that has defined historic moments in Canadian sports and seen the world's most legendary entertainers take the stage — feels powerfully symbolic. Where once the greatest stood, the next generation of innovators will stand.”

The DMZ is a startup incubator program based at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) that equips tech entrepreneurs with the skills needed to launch startups. Since 2021, the organization has distributed more than $2.9 million in grants to founders involved with its programming. Moreover, it has helped over 776 startups raise $1.95 billion in capital and create more than 4,890 jobs in more than 10 countries, including Japan, Egypt, Vietnam, India, Jordan, and Jamaica, a statement reads.

Dignitaries, executives, and newcomers will be in attendance. The event will also feature sessions about funding opportunities and resource guides.