Sweet Pharma Day

The company « Sweet 16 » with the best presentation will receive a prize of $25,000, the runner-up will receive a prize of $15,000, and there will also be a “Coup de cœur” prize worth $10,000.

Companies must provide a two-page executive summary and a short presentation (a maximum of five slides) describing their cutting-edge technology, therapeutic targets, and points of differentiation. Applications must be submitted via the form that will be available soon, no later than Sunday, February 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern Time). Participating pharmaceutical companies will select the 16 companies chosen to participate, who will be notified by March 20, 2026.

To be eligible for the 2026 Sweet Sixteen cohort, each applicant startup must:

• Be a Canadian biotechnology company (therapeutic, diagnostic, biotools, or other biotechnology application).
• Demonstrate strong commercial potential and stand out through innovation or a promising project.
• Being in the early stages of development, i.e., “pre-Series A.”
• Be prepared to collaborate with industrial partners.
• Not have previously won a Sweet BioPharma Day award.

The selected start-ups must comply with the following rules:

• One representative per company: In-person attendance is mandatory and at the company's expense.
• Preparation and active participation: Sweet 16 contestants must prepare their presentation as an 8-minute pitch followed by a 3-minute question and answer period.
• Comply with the schedule of deliverables once selected
• Presentation in English