Driving Change Through Entrepreneurship
This year, our community reached new heights, testaments to the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of our ecosystem’s brightest minds.
Our commitment to purpose-driven entrepreneurship has earned international recognition. For the second consecutive year, the Dobson Centre was named one of the Top 10 Best Incubators/Accelerators in the World by the Prix Galien USA and was also recognized by ACEEU as one of the Most Globally Engaged Universities.
Being honored by the Prix Galien, one of the highest distinctions in life sciences, reflects our founders’ profound impact in pioneering solutions for a healthier future.
Energizing Global Collaboration
This past year, our focus was on expanding international influence by creating meaningful partnerships, facilitating networking opportunities, and then matching startups with investment theses aligned to their goals.
This global strategy has solidified our network, enabling successful international operations, growing intellectual property, and showcasing the impact of our innovation on a global stage.
Leading the Change for a Sustainable Future
With a steadfast commitment to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, we have created a space that fosters collaboration while championing environmental responsibility. For the second consecutive year, we hosted the Canadian Hult Prize, the world’s largest impact entrepreneurship competition. One of our teams advanced to the Global Final Top 8, an achievement we are proud to celebrate.
Our programs are designed to meet the evolving needs of founders.
We are committed to delivering world-class programming at every stage, ensuring a founders-first approach with global success in mind.
Our 2026 Ecosystem in Numbers
The McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has supported thousands of ventures throughout the years:
690+
active startups
13,000
jobs created
$4.6 Billion
raised in funding cumulatively
35
countries of operations
624
active patents
98
universities represented
Since 2019, we are proud to report that more than 50% of our startups have at least one woman co-founder.
Fueling Growth during Pivotal Fundraising Stages

Funding raised by Dobson startups over the years
x11 since 2019
| Funding raised |
Year |
| 3 Million |
2011 |
| 12 Million |
2012 |
| 50 Million |
2013 |
| 100 Million |
2014 |
| 130 Million |
2015 |
| 200 Million |
2016 |
| 250 Million |
2017 |
| 320 Million |
2018 |
| 400 Million |
2019 |
| 1,5 Billion |
2020 |
| 2,8 Billion |
2021 |
| 3,6 Billion |
2022 |
| 3,7 Billion |
2023 |
| 4,1 Billion |
2024 |
| 4,4 Billion |
2025 |
| 4,6 Billion |
2026 |

Dobson startups by funding tier raised
To date 20% of startups raised over $5M
| # of Dobson Startups 2025-2026 |
# of Dobson Startups 2024 |
# of Dobson Startups 2023 |
Startup funds |
# |
| 63 |
58 |
48 |
Less than 10 Thousand |
307 |
| 122 |
125 |
111 |
10 to 50 Thousand |
| 64 |
57 |
52 |
50 to 100 Thousand |
| 81 |
84 |
76 |
100 to 500 Thousand |
186 |
| 43 |
42 |
35 |
500 Thousand to 1 Million |
| 79 |
76 |
67 |
1 to 5 Million |
170 |
| 27 |
39 |
19 |
5 to 10 Million |
| 39 |
45 |
33 |
10 to 100 Million |
| 29 |
33 |
29 |
Greater than 100 Million |
29 |
Reshaping Industries

Breakdown of Dobson startups by industry and the related contributions to UN SDGs
| Industry |
Generated Patents |
% |
| Agriculture & Food SDG 2, SDG 12 |
20 |
4.77% |
| Biotechnology & Therapeutics SDG 3, SDG 16 |
30 |
9.17% |
| Climate & Environmental Impact SDG 6, SDG 7, SDG 13, SDG 14, SDG 15 |
63 |
8.62% |
| Consumer Technologies & Retail SDG 8, SDG 13 |
114 |
20.37% |
| Education SDG 4, SDG 8 |
38 |
6.42% |
| Health & Medical Technologies SDG 3, SDG 5 |
146 |
23.67% |
| Manufacturing SDG 9, SDG 10 |
18 |
3.49% |
| Not-For-Profit & Social Purpose Organizations, SDG 1, SDG 5, SDG 13 |
47 |
7.71% |
| Pure Technologies SDG 11, SDG 16 |
44 |
11.93% |
| Other SDG 8, SDG 10 |
53 |
3.85% |

Breakdown of active patents owned by Dobson startups by industry
Total of 624 active patents
| Industry |
Generated Patents 2023 |
Generated Patents 2024 |
Generated Patents 2025 |
| Agriculture and food |
2 |
3 |
2 |
| Education |
59 |
148 |
3 |
| Not-For-Profit & Social Purpose Organizations |
5 |
15 |
10 |
| Other |
20 |
40 |
11 |
| Pure Technologies |
4 |
10 |
54 |
| Health & Medical Technologies |
1 |
4 |
62 |
| Consumer Technologies & Retail |
12 |
17 |
90 |
| Biotechnology & Therapeutics |
1 |
8 |
118 |
| Climate & Environmental Impact |
1 |
5 |
128 |
| Manufacturing |
4 |
8 |
146 |
Dobson’s Global Footprint
The Dobson Centre is connected with 316 ecosystem touchpoints.
Our startups operate in 35 countries and partner with 98 universities.

49 Universities
in the Americas
14 Universities
in Europe
24 Universities
in Africa
11 Universities
in Asia
Legend
[Red] Partner university
[Tan] Country of Activity
[ .... ] Ecosystem touchpoint country