The Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) today announced the launch of its third Canadian Startup Market Accelerator program.
The Accelerator is a partnership between WTIA, Global Affairs Canada, and Trade and Invest British Columbia, and will prepare 10 B2B SaaS companies for expansion into the U.S. market.
“Our third Canadian Startup Market Accelerator brings together some of the most promising B2B SaaS companies across several sectors including AI, energy, fintech, security, and more,” said Michael Schutzler, CEO, WTIA.
“Participants in the program will receive expert mentorship and access to investor networks to help rapidly accelerate their expansion into the U.S. market. B2B SaaS companies continue to make their mark on the world stage and we are proud to partner with Global Affairs Canada and Trade and Invest British Columbia to fuel opportunities for Canadian startups.”
Among the ten Canadian startups participating are four from British Columbia:
Panevo – Vancouver’s Panevo combines over 100 years of sustainability and energy management experience with innovative technology solutions that enable industry to gain valuable insights, avoid losses, maximize savings, verify performance and ensure compliance.
Asset Market – Nanaimo’s Asset Market is a software and services platform that seeks to accelerate the delivery of smart and connected services to society by making it faster and easier to deploy the equipment needed to make these services work.
Bandit Labs – Vancouver’s Bandit Labs is a B2B SaaS startup that has created predictive customer service chat analytics to increase customer engagement, agent productivity, and revenue generation.
Locelle – North Saanich’s Locelle is a platform created to develop and retain women in the workplace. Through tailored 1:1 mentor matching, live leadership sessions, and data-driven solutions, Locelle delivers personal and professional growth to women at work.
The virtual Startup Market Accelerator includes workshops on sales, fundraising and other stage appropriate topics, customized to the individual organizations. The program also provides mentorship and coaching designed to help with localization efforts and U.S. go-to-market strategies. Founders will receive introductions to local companies for market validation, and local community leaders and investors.
“Canada is home to some of the fastest growing tech talent pools in North America. Coast to coast across Canada, from major cities to small towns, we are witnessing a transition to an innovation economy driven by the current generation of exciting Canadian startups and entrepreneurs,” said Brandon Lee, Consul General of Canada in Seattle.
“Washington State is one of the epicenters of software development globally, and we’re excited to partner with WTIA and Trade & Invest BC on this B2B SaaS Market Accelerator that will help equip these 10 Canadian software companies with the tools they need to fast-track their expansion in the United States and abroad.”
The Canadian Startup Market Accelerator runs through October 2021.
Photo by Thom Milkovic on Unsplash
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