Metro Vancouver’s economic development agency recently released a reporting profiling the innovation ecosystem of the region.
In the report, Invest Vancouver identified more than a dozen accelerator-style organizations operating in the broader Vancouver area.
The report defines an Accelerator as organization that “offers programs to give developing companies access to mentorship, investors, and other support that help them become stable, self-sufficient businesses.”
The 14 accelerators identified by IV span a variety of cities, including Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, New Westminster, and Maple Ridge.
Below, we highlight a handful of the accelerators impacting innovation in BC. Check out Investment Vancouver’s report for the full list.
Creative Destruction
Creative Destruction Lab’s Vancouver chapter is based at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.
CDL delivers an objectives-based mentorship program for early-stage, science-based, technology companies.
The Lab currently operates six specialized stream: Advanced Therapies, Biomedical Engineering, Cancer, Climate, Compute, and Minerals.
entrepreneurship@UBC
Also out of UBC, entrepreneurship@UBC provides students, researchers, faculty members, alumni and staff with the resources, networks, and funding.
UBC is one of the world’s top 40 research universities with 80,000 students, faculty, and staff, as well as nearly $800 million in annual research funding.
Part of the Innovation UBC network, entrepreneurship@UBC supports UBC entrepreneurs and ventures to generate social and economic impacts in BC and around the world.
Foresight Canada
With BC offices in Port Coquitlam, Foresight is a Canada-wide accelerator with the mission of accelerating the growth and impact of clean-tech ecosystems.
Foresight’s programs such as Earth Tech 2050 support clean-tech companies from validating business ideas and launching products through to growing and scaling, as well as investor showcase and ecosystem building events.
The annual Foresight 50, a spotlight on the most promising Canadian clean-tech ventures poised for investment, is another popular affair.
SFU VentureLabs
VentureLabs at Simon Fraser University accelerates science- and technology-based companies that have solid value propositions with potential to scale up.
Programs are tailored to each company’s needs and services connect entrepreneurs with experienced mentors and a network of resources focused on tackling the challenges and complexities faced by tech innovators.
Launch Academy
Launch is a Vancouver-born entrepreneurship facility that helps Canadian founders build their businesses through education, mentorship, metrics, and networking opportunities.
Founded in 2012 on the values of innovation, opportunities, and accountability, Launch Academy functions as a soft landing pad for founders and aims to continue building a vibrant ecosystem and economy where new jobs are created and new markets are discovered.
New Ventures BC
New Ventures BC’s mandate is to encourage and develop entrepreneurship and innovation
across the province’s startup technology sector by offering education, mentorship, networking, cash prizes, grant funding, and recognition.
The organization is iconic in the region for having spent more than two decades awarding startups through the annual NVBC Competition presented by Innovate BC.
Zen Launchpad
Zen Launchpad is a North Vancouver-based accelerator focused on helping innovative startups and entrepreneurs to grow and scale, offering coworking spaces, R&D support, mentorship, and advisory services.
Since 2013, Zen has provided support to early-stage companies in British Columbia.
This year the organization partnered with Spring Activator to offer access to the Canada Startup Visa program.
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