For ventures driving innovative solutions that challenge the status quo through disruptive technologies, ideas and trends.

CORE supports UBC entrepreneurs who are building solutions founded in technology and innovation, helping to develop their startup through practical business training and deep mentorship to launch ideas into thriving companies capable of shifting industries. CORE ventures will learn to rapidly iterate and pivot their innovations as they develop and validate product-market fit. 

Program Overview

Venture Founder: CORE, helps validate and shape your venture's potential, working with seasoned industry instructors, experts and mentors to catapult your venture into a scalable company. 

Venture Founder: CORE will help develop the vision for your venture and a compelling value proposition through ecosystem analysis, competitive landscape analysis and business model hypothesizing. You’ll develop a compelling story for your venture, articulating the problem you’re solving while discovering your market.

Ventures in CORE are seeking development support and guidance in areas including, but not limited to; hardware, software, consumer packaged goods and technology applications ranging from AI and robotics to agritech, fintech, edtech, gaming, and many others. 

The CORE series of mentor-enabled workshops helps teams identify a viable and valuable start-up opportunity, guiding the Venture Founder team through venture creation with a focus on team building, technology development, market traction, and financing through the 4T’s Venture Playbook.

Eligibility 

Team
  • The application comprises of at least two foundational team members who are receptive and welcoming of coaching and advice that may be contrary to the teams’ thinking or opinions. A ‘foundational team member’ is an individual who:
    • is listed as a team member on the Venture Founder application, and
    • is committed to investing significant personal time pursuing the venture opportunity that is the subject of the Venture Founder application, and
    • is committed to attending all weekly Venture Founder workshops, and
    • is a shareholder of the venture if the venture is incorporated, or contemplates that they will be a future shareholder if or when the venture is incorporated.
  • At least one foundational team member must be a UBC student, faculty member or staff member, or a recent UBC alumni (graduated within the last 5 years). Ideally, student foundational team members are within 12-18 months of completion of their degree (so they can commit to building the venture after completion of their studies). 
  • Applicants must be driven, motivated and have the bandwidth to pursue a startup venture with entrepreneurship@UBC. 
  • Applicants can articulate a vision for the venture whereby the venture success includes scalable growth (vs a lifestyle business).

 

Tech
  • A Proof-of-concept demonstrated in a model or setting accepted by peers, partners or potential customers. Teams that have not progressed beyond the raw idea stage may apply, and will be considered on a case by case basis.
  • See TRL definitions here to estimate the level of development of your innovation. A TRL of at least Level 3 is recommended, but TRL Level 1 will be considered for software ventures.

 

Traction
  • Applicant has an understanding of their competitive landscape; If the venture opportunity that is the subject of your Venture Founder application replicates or is similar to a business model or a product that already exists, then you must explain in your application how your venture idea is competitive (i.e. better) or different, and how your venture is going to successfully compete with the companies and/or products already in development or in the market.
  • Applicant has an understanding of the elements of their business model based on comparables and some market sizing.
  • If your venture is solving a student problem — meaning your customer and/or user is initially university students, you must explain how your vision for the solution can eventually scale to include customers beyond the  student segment.

 

Treasury
  • Applicants should be able to describe in basic terms how the venture will generate revenue. There is no expectation of revenue generation in the Venture Founder stage.

 

Interested in learning more?

Get in touch with CORE Stream Lead and Lead of the Social Venture Studio, Angela Hamilton.

Get in touch

Get in touch

Connect

Explore our programs

Learn more

Locations

We are located across UBC Point Grey and Robson Square Campus. Learn more about our locations

We acknowledge that the UBC Point Grey and Robson Square campuses are situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations.

About us

entrepreneurship@UBC propels UBC innovations out into the world through venture creation, providing UBC students, researchers, faculty members, alumni and staff with the resources, networks, and funding they need to succeed.

We are a part of Innovation UBC in the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (VPRI) portfolio

Arrow An arrow indicating direction.