Join us for Falcons’ Fortunes on April 15, 2026!
Watch six rising entrepreneurs pitch their breakthrough cancer innovation.
Who will win the $100,000 Ernsting Entrepreneurship Award?
FACIT’s annual Falcons’ Fortunes event features six Ontario entrepreneurs vying for the $100,000 award in the province’s only pitch competition specifically showcasing cancer breakthroughs. Join us and put on your investor hat to vote for your favourite pitch presentation to win the Audience Choice award.
Now in its 13th year, Falcons’ Fortunes is FACIT’s premier event to celebrate and grow the entrepreneurial spirit within the cancer research community. FACIT is cultivating entrepreneurial scientists who will drive a culture of commercialization to accelerate the transformation of Ontario’s cancer research into Ontario-made solutions to improve patient care.
Falcons’ Fortunes
April 15, 2026 | 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM (doors open at 2:30 PM)
Vantage Venues, Garden Hall – 16th floor
150 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario
Agenda
2:30-3:00 pm Doors open
3:00-3:30 pm Opening remarks & Keynote
3:30-5:55 pm Pitch competition
5:55-6:00 pm Closing remarks
6:00-8:00 pm Networking reception & Announcement of winners
Master of Ceremonies
Brian Bloom
Co-founder, Chairman & CEO
Bloom Burton & Co.
Featuring
Keynote
Coming soon
Pitch Competition
Six Ontario entrepreneurs will each have 10 minutes to deliver their best pitch on their cancer innovation, followed by 5-minutes of Q&A with the judging panel.
Entrepreneur Finalists
Falcon Judges
Maura Campbell
President & CEO, OBIO
FACIT Board Director
Jung-Kay Chiu
Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
Elizabeth Douville
President & CEO
IRICoR
Joel Liederman
President
ELARAD Venture Management
Prizes
- $100,000 Ernsting Entrepreneurship Award as selected by the judging panel.
- Audience Choice Award as voted by attendees.
For additional details about the pitch competition, please click here.
Who should attend
FACIT welcomes all community members, including investors and funders, patient partners, and scientists, who are interested in learning about next-generation cancer innovations being developed in Ontario and supporting local rising star entrepreneurs.
RSVP for Falcons’ Fortunes
Seating is limited. All guests must RSVP. No walk-ins will be permitted.
To register directly on the Eventbrite site, click here.
Falcons’ Fortunes
April 15, 2026 | 3:00 – 8:00 PM (doors open at 2:30 PM)
Vantage Venues, 16th floor (Garden Hall)
150 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario
Sponsor
Thank you to Norton Rose Fulbright Canada for sponsoring the networking reception.
Naming of the Ernsting Entrepreneurship Award
In 2016, the Falcons’ Fortunes prize was named the “Ernsting Entrepreneurship Award” in honour of Dr. Mark Ernsting, Senior Biomedical Engineer at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research whose life was tragically cut short in December 2015. Mark exemplified the entrepreneurial spirit that FACIT strives to build and support within Ontario.