Product grants
CA$2,000
What would CA$2,000 let you try? A first prototype or a test with the people who might use it is a good place to start.
Apply for the product grantTell us what
you’re building
Building a startup in Canada? Whether you need funding, a hand finding your first customers or someone to talk through an IP question, we’d love to hear from you.
Funding for
your next step
Choose the option that fits what you’re building. You can apply for either investment directly, even if you haven’t received a grant.
Investment + resources
CA$10k–25k
If you’ve started testing your product, tell us what you’ve learned and what you’d try next. Investment can come with mentorship and introductions.
Apply for CA$10k–25k
Larger cheques
CA$50k–100k
For teams seeing signs of demand. Show us what customers are doing and what a larger cheque would let you deliver.
Apply for CA$50k–100kHow we help
Tell us where you could use a hand. You can ask for any of this support alongside funding or before you’re ready to raise.
Ask about program supportGo-to-market mentorship
Work with a mentor to choose your first customer group, test a price or plan a pilot.
Intellectual property
Bring your questions about who owns your code, designs or brand. We’ll help you prepare for a conversation with an IP professional.
Fundraising connections
Program teams get exclusive invitations to fundraising opportunities we arrange. We can help with your pitch and introduce you to angels or VCs when both sides want to meet.
Student introductions
Have a project your team can supervise? We’ll review the role and introduce you to interested students with their permission. You choose whom to interview.
Propose a student roleWhat we look for
What we’re
interested in
AI for
everyday work
We’d like to hear about AI that helps with a real task, whether that means less admin, a clearer answer or an easier way to get something done. Tell us who you’re building for and how it would help.
It’s okay
to be early
You don’t need revenue or a finished product to say hello. An idea, a few customer conversations or an early prototype is enough to start. Tell us what you’ve learned and what you’d like to try next.
Start a conversation
The student program
Curious about
startup work
Meet a startup team working on something you care about. Explore paid roles, school placements and opportunities to volunteer where the work qualifies.
Explore the student programBefore you
say hello
We look for teams based in Canada and building their business here, especially in AI, Tech, Healthcare and Fintech. Idea-stage teams can apply for a product grant before incorporating. We consider pre-seed and angel investments, and early seed teams for a larger cheque.
We offer CA$2,000 product grants and consider investments of CA$10,000–25,000 with resources or CA$50,000–100,000 for teams with stronger signs of demand. A grant takes no equity and doesn’t need to be repaid when used as agreed. For investments, we generally use a SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) and work out terms with each company before signing.
You can apply directly for any of the three amounts. You don’t need to start with a grant. Tell us what you’re asking for and why. If you’re unsure, you can say so on the form.
Yes. Tell us where you’re stuck. We can help you plan a launch, talk through an intellectual property question or find a mentor. Teams in our program also get access to private fundraising introductions and can propose roles for students. We make introductions when both sides are interested.
People based in Canada who are enrolled in a postsecondary program or graduated in the past 12 months can join our private list. Startups in our program can propose a supervised role. If it’s a match, the student sees the tasks, hours, location and pay first and chooses whether we introduce them. The startup decides whom to interview.
Yes, where the role qualifies. Helping a startup team at a charity event is one example. Day-to-day company work, like shipping features or supporting customers, is normally paid. We review the actual duties, who benefits and which rules apply before introducing anyone. A placement arranged through a school has its own requirements.
No. You’re welcome to get in touch while you’re still figuring things out. An early prototype, a few customer conversations or a clear explanation of the problem gives us a place to start.
Choose Share your startup to send a short introduction. A deck is optional. Save the reference on your confirmation screen. We read introductions ourselves and email you if we’d like to talk about a next step.
For teams building in Canada
Tell us about
your startup
A short introduction is a good place to start. Tell us what you’re building and where some help could make a difference.