Launch your business into the real world
Collide Launch is a 12-week summer accelerator that brings together members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem from across Canada to turn ideas into viable businesses.
Who’s It For? Undergraduates, graduates, certificate students, and faculty members eager to launch a business, and have conducted a minimum of 30 initial customer discovery interviews.
About the program
Launch provides participants an involved experience that:
▸ Strengthens the founder’s leadership skills
â–¸ Improves business acumen
â–¸ Helps run and grow their business
â–¸ Helps navigate how to finance a venture
Launch is modeled off of MIT’s delta v summer accelerator, and is delivered with support from the MartinTrust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship.Â
Through the Launch programs, early-stage venture teams benefit from extensive coaching from industry and ecosystem experts, fostering their development through a structured process of accountability. Participants engage virtually in weekly lectures and mentorship sessions, enhancing their skills and knowledge base.
Past teams have gone on to further their ventures at top accelerators around the world.
How it works
June – September | 10 teams | Receive up to $10,000 in milestone payments per team
Accelerate and refine your venture through expert-facilitated workshops on topics like market identification, product roadmapping, revenue modeling, and financial forecasting. Get insights and support from a range of successful entrepreneurs and industry experts to guide you through your idea development and testing stages.
September Onwards
Onwards and upwards! Use your newfound connections and momentum to push your venture to new heights. The Dal Innovates ecosystem will continue to stay behind you, cheering you on.
Why join the Collide Launch program?
Mentorship and Coaching: Industry experts and experienced entrepreneurs provide feedback and advice. 
Simulated “Board of Directors”: Accountability and real-world exposure through monthly simulated Board of Director meetings. Meet the founder council members.
Networking: Opportunities to develop connections with fellow entrepreneurs, funders, investors, start-up thought leaders, ecosystem players, and industry experts.
Opportunity to win cash prizes: On Pitch Day, teams will have the chance to compete for a prize pool of $9,000.
Mental Resilience: Mental resilience coaching to handle stress and anxiety.
Perks and benefits: Access to course materials, work space, personalized feedback, media mentions, eligible for co-curricular record (CCR) and others.
The Collide Launch 2025 cohort begins in May, with some pre-training sessions leading up to the core program. The core program will run virtually from June 2 to August 29. The program concludes with a Pitch Day at Dalhousie University, Halifax, in September.
Applications open – January 10, 2025
Applications close – March 2, 2025
Acceptance confirmed by – Early April
Orientation – May 14, 2025 from 10 – 11:30 amÂ
Pre-training Session – May 15, 2025 from 10 am – 12 pm
Kick off Event (in person) – May 23, 2025
Program – June 2, 2025 to August 29, 2025Â
Pitch day (in person) – September 24, 2025
Please note that there will be no programming during the week of July 14.Â
- Your team is composed of two co-founders who plan to participate in the program. (No single applicant or more than 2 co-founders.)
- At least one team member must be a current student, recent graduate (within two years), or faculty member from an Atlantic Canadian academic institute.
- Co-founders must commit to working on their start-up for the summer, for a minimum of 25 hours each per week.
- The program is funded, in part, through the Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (BSI) program. As a result, the main applicant must be eligible for Mitacs funding and participate full-time to qualify for the stipend.
- Teams should have conducted a substantial number of customer discovery interviews (50 minimum) to validate their idea.
- Teams must have a strong understanding of their current business model based on data from customers and stakeholders.
- Each venture dedicated to a specific idea can go through the Launch program only once.
To apply simply fill out the online application form and outline the following details:Â
- Your teamÂ
- Your ideaÂ
- The problem you are trying to solve, and what inspired you to solve this problemÂ
- Your proposed solution, and why you believe this solution might support a sustainable, stand-alone business.Â
Applications are reviewed by a team of evaluators. Shortlisted teams will be invited to interview with us during the review phase and will be confirmed by early April. Â
Please note: Applications should be written in a manner that does not reveal any proprietary information or disclose information that is not yet publicly disclosed or covered by a patent/provisional patent. Consider any information that you disclose to be non-confidential.Â
Info Session
What participants are saying
“It was a pleasure to sit on a board for the [Launch] program. Watching teams use the feedback the board provided to them to improve month by month was rewarding. It was incredible to see how the teams grew and learned as they brought their ideas to life”
– Catherine Love, board member @ Launch
“[Launch] is the ideal program for a start-up looking to test the waters with their exciting new idea. They set you up for future success by teaching you the strategies to discover more about your customers and your market. The team also helps you develop a strong business plan so by the time the program is over, you will be ready to the next stage of your start-up’s journey”
– Jared Hudson, Co-founder @ MyPAQ
Upcoming cohort
Applications for Collide Launch 2025 are open!
Please confirm your eligibility before applying.
The application deadline is March 2, 2025, at 11:59 pm Atlantic. Shortlisted teams will be invited to interview as part of the evaluation process. All applicants will be notified of the status of their application in April.
For any technical problems or queries regarding your application or eligibility, please reach out to Shivani Madhavan – project manager at shivani.madhavan@dal.ca
The Launch accelerators are made possible with the support of the Government of Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Mitacs, Springboard Atlantic, and with private sectors partners.
