Validate your idea as a business
Lab2Market Validate (L2M Validate) is a 4 month program to help researchers validate their ideas with the purpose of finding business/commercial value.Â
Why does L2M Validate exist?
We are on a mission to empower our researchers to think like entrepreneurs.
 Every year, Canada spends more than $700M+ in applied research from coast to coast, with only a handful of ideas reaching the market. We are here to change that. We empower researchers who aren’t satisfied with just publications and awards – but instead would like to grow their ideas to the point of market adoption.
We’ve built the L2M Validate Program with the researcher in mind
Our team has built companies that relied on commercializing research and knows what it takes to convert research ideas into business offerings. We’ve designed our programming to help you succeed, and build the next great business.
Here’s how
- Training from innovation leaders
- Opportunity to assess product-market fit
- Access to mentors, industry experts, and funders
- $10,000 in funding.Â
- Opportunity to speak to potential customers
If you’ve got a brilliant idea but don’t know where to start, watch this info session. Dr. Michael Carew shares his insights on Lab2Market Validate and choosing the program that’s right for you.
Upcoming Cohorts
Lab2Market Validate Atlantic Fall 2025
This fall, Dalhousie University and the University of New Brunswick will offer a Lab2Market Validate cohort open to researchers, postdocs, and faculty from universities across Atlantic Canada in all subjects of research.Â
Lab2Market Validate Atlantic Fall 2025Â
- Applications Open: April 2, 2025
- Applications Close: May 23, 2025
- Virtual Info Session: May 7, 2025 from 12:00 – 1:00 pm
- Pre-program (4 weeks) Begins: September 29, 2025
- Core Program (8 weeks) Begins: October 21, 2025
- Core Program Ends:Â December 9, 2025
- Post-Program (4 weeks):Â January 2026
Lab2Market Validate is offered free of cost and is open to any researcher (Masters, Ph.D., and Postdocs) in Canada. The 16-week program is a full-time commitment broken into the following phases:
- Phase 1: Pre-Program (4 weeks)
- Phase 2: Core-Program (8 weeks)
- Phase 3: Post-Program (4 weeks)
Lab2Market Validate Fall 2025 is an industry agnostic cohort for Master, PhD, or PostDoc students within Atlantic Canada. Applicants must be eligible for Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (BSI) program.
What participants are saying
“Many of us have inspiring concepts, innovative ideas or have been engaged in novel scientific research which can be beneficial to society. However, what I was lacking was proper guidance and knowledge on how to become an entrepreneur. Lab2Market is one of the greatest opportunities I have received to make myself confident in commercializing my research in future.”
– Surangi Dharmawansa, Dalhousie University
“Lab2Market changed our short-term priorities completely. What started as a hardware project ended up being a software project as it became clear where the demand was. …Now we are better equipped to focus our efforts thanks to the customer discovery process taught through Lab2Market.”
– Dr. Kyle Briggs, University of Ottawa
Lab2Market Validate Alumni
Dr Crystal Sweeney, Founder of PureSpire Biomonitoring Technologies
Where Ideas Meet Impact: Analytical toxicologist builds startup to help firefighters manage risk of carcinogen exposure
Dr Rafaela Andrade, CEO of Myomar Molecular
Dal postdoc wins Mitacs entrepreneurship award for world’s first at‑home test to measure muscle health
Meet the 22 Health Research Teams Taking Part in Lab2Market Validate this Winter 2024
Dalhousie University and the University of Toronto came together to host a joint cohort for researchers in health innovation.
18 New Atlantic Canadian Research Teams Dive into Research Commercialization with Lab2Market Validate Program
The teams comprised of students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty members focused on science and technological innovation.
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Questions? Not sure if you should apply? Contact Dr. Michael Carew at mwcarew@dal.ca
Lab2Market is made possible by the support of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Mitacs
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