Harry W. MacLauchlan (1926–2002) combined his entrepreneurial initiative, work ethic, business judgment, and people skills, with a deep commitment to his family, community, and province. The MacLauchlan family has endowed an award to help advance and encourage entrepreneurial students at UPEI to build innovative ventures that will grow and benefit Prince Edward Island communities.

The Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program - Panther Pitch

The Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program is dedicated to the development of students having an entrepreneurial outlook who will create and lead new ventures on PEI.

This year, the Panther Pitch took place on April 7, after two months of preparation from participants. Out of 71 students representing 29 different business concepts, 9 companies were selected as finalists to pitch in the final event. Finalists from the group not only got a chance to win a share of the $68,000 prize money, but also gain invaluable experience, mentorship, and networking opportunities within the PEI startup ecosystem.

Categories and prizes

This year, we had a remarkable $68,000 in prize money available to support and propel Panther Pitch participants' entrepreneurial ventures.

Students also had the chance to apply to pitch for funding to help develop their projects. There was a substantial $43,500 available for this purpose. This funding aimed to provide tangible support for the development and growth of their entrepreneurial endeavours. Recipients of the pitch funding included:

• GreenGuard Solutions: $15,500
• Float & Putt PEI: $10,000
• NoteSwap: $10,000
• Purely PEI: $8,000

Finalists also competed for one of three pitching awards. Each pitching award was valued at $2,000:

• Most Effective Slide Deck Award: Purely PEI
• Q&A Specialist Award: Co-Net
• Dynamic Pitch Delivery Award: TechLend

In addition to pitch funding and awards, there was an additional $18,500 available for entrepreneurial awards.

Each entrepreneurial award has a 1st place prize of $2,500 and a 2nd place prize of $1,000. Each student company was allowed to apply for three out of five of the award categories:

Most Innovative Venture

• 1st Place: LimbRise
• 2nd Place: Alpha Engineering & GreenGuard Solutions

Positive Impact Award

• 1st Place: Eatzy Choice
• 2nd Place: LimbRise

Best Market Research

• 1st Place: TechLend
• 2nd Place: LimbRise

Best Financial Plan

• 1st Place: Convergence Consulting
• 2nd Place: Eatzy Choice

Scalability Excellence Award

• 1st Place: TechLend
• 2nd Place: Co-Net

As part of the student company's participation and preparation, they had the opportunity to attend sessions focused on helping them strengthen their business ideas and prepare their applications. These sessions included:

• Business Model Canvas Design
• Business Plan Strategy
• Speed Networking
• Financial Fundamentals
• Elevator Pitching
• Risk Mitigation
• Pitching Fundamentals

Congratulations to all teams involved, and we look forward to bringing the Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program back in the 2026 Winter semester!

For any inquiries, please reach out to us at hwm_startups@upei.ca.