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The Dobson Cup, UU直播鈥檚 flagship startup competition and fertile training ground for students and professors with bold business dreams, has received a significant financial injection on its 10th anniversary in the form of a $4-million contribution from National Bank, one of its long-time supporters.

The donation, the largest ever to UU直播 from a financial institution, will enhance efforts to train and support the next generation of innovative entrepreneurs through the UU直播 Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship, the University鈥檚 hub of entrepreneurial activity and home to the Dobson Cup startup competition since 2009.

This investment builds on National Bank鈥檚 support for the Dobson Cup since 2011 and its ongoing partnership with the Dobson Centre.

鈥淲e are very grateful to National Bank for its ongoing support and for its latest investment in entrepreneurship on our campuses,鈥� said Professor Suzanne Fortier, UU直播鈥檚 Principal and Vice-Chancellor. 鈥淏uilding a culture of innovation is one of the pillars of UU直播鈥檚 vision for its future, as it looks towards its third century. We have all the resources to become a greater hub of entrepreneurship and creativity 鈥� bold new ideas, brilliant people who embrace challenge, and engaged partners on board to support us.鈥�

Professor聽Fortier and Christopher Manfredi, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), also announced today that UU直播 would provide additional support to the Dobson Centre, further cementing its position as one of the world鈥檚 leading university-based entrepreneurship centres.

鈥淣ational Bank is deeply committed to supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs and contributing to future economic development,鈥� said Louis Vachon, president and CEO, National Bank. 鈥淭he Bank was originally created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, and supporting businesses is still central to our mission. This partnership with the UU直播 Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship is another strong step to help startups achieve their ambitions.鈥�

The rigorous Dobson Cup competition spans three months and provides fledgling UU直播 startup teams with a unique learning experience. In addition to academic instruction, teams receive guidance and feedback from accomplished entrepreneurs 鈥� many of them UU直播 alumni from near and far 鈥� and executives who serve as Dobson Cup mentors, judges and guest lecturers, sharing their real-world expertise with students.

The Dobson Cup competition is open to students, professors and recent graduates from any faculty at UU直播 with a budding idea. This interdisciplinary approach helps promote and support entrepreneurship across the University, noted Professor聽Isabelle Bajeux-Besnainou, dean of UU直播鈥檚 Desautels Faculty of Management and professor of finance.

鈥淭he Dobson Cup is a rich, outside-the-classroom learning experience that complements students鈥� academic studies by exposing them to real-world situations and insights from successful entrepreneurs,鈥� said Bajeux-Besnainou.

Each year, the competition awards more than $100,000 in seed funding to the most promising UU直播 startups. The Dobson Centre also runs the UU直播 Lean Startup Program for earlier stage teams with a startup idea, and the UU直播 X-1 Accelerator, an intensive summer program designed to help advance startups toward their launch phase.

More than 150 startups trained at the Dobson Centre are now in operation. They鈥檝e created 1,350 jobs and raised $200 million in venture capital for their business ventures.
鈥淲e inspire, teach and develop entrepreneurs and help build innovative companies,鈥� said Robert Mackalski, director of the UU直播 Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship, who noted that small- and medium-sized businesses help drive Quebec鈥檚 economy.

鈥淭he collective effort is part of what makes this program so unique and helpful to students,鈥� added Mackalski, an assistant professor of marketing. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 why we are deeply grateful to National Bank for its generous and ongoing support, and also to our volunteer mentors in Montreal鈥檚 business community and in the UU直播 alumni network.鈥�

About UU直播
Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, UU直播 is a leading Canadian post-secondary institution. It has two campuses,聽10聽faculties,聽12 professional schools, 300 programs of study and聽almost聽41,000聽students, including聽more than聽9,700 graduate students. UU直播 attracts students from over聽150聽countries around the world, its聽12,000聽international students聽making up聽30%聽per cent of the student body.聽Over聽half of UU直播 students claim a first language other than English, including approximately聽20% of our students who say French is their mother tongue.

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