The LAUNCH program (previously Ready2Launch) is a summer accelerator for students and researchers who are committed to growing their ventures. Launch is a 12-week immersive program that brings together members of the Canadian entrepreneurial ecosystem to turn ideas into viable products. Past teams have gone on to further their ventures at top accelerators around the world.
Our goal is to develop innovators and entrepreneurs. We do this through a process of accountability by helping participants to achieve the milestones they set for themselves.
This summer (2023) Dal Innovates is offering three cohorts of the Launch program; Lab2Market Launch Atlantic, Lab2Market Launch National Health cohort, and the Atlantic Dal Innovates Launch cohort. Learn more about each cohort below.Â
Accelerate and refine your venture through workshops on Customer Problem, Product Value, and Business Model.
Get insights and support from a range of successful entrepreneurs and industry experts to guide you through your idea development and testing stages.
Onwards and upwards! Use your newfound connections and momentum to push your venture to new heights. The Launch ecosystem will always stay behind you, cheering you on.
Mentorship and Coaching: Industry experts and experienced entrepreneurs provide feedback and advice. Meet the founder council members for the 2023 cohorts
Simulated “Board of Directors”: Accountability and real-world exposure through monthly simulated Board of Director meetings
Networking: Opportunities to develop connections with fellow entrepreneurs, funders, investors, startup thought leaders, ecosystem players, and industry experts
Funding: Up to $15,000 of equity free, no strings attached funding and chance to win $10,000 in cash prizes
Mental Resilience: Mental resilience coaching to handle stress and anxiety, along with one year subscription to headspace app
Perks and benefits: Access to course materials, work space, personalized feedback, media mentions, and others
The Atlantic Lab2Market Launch cohort is open to undergraduate and graduate level  researchers, post-docs, faculty, and recent grads from universities in Atlantic Canada who are pursuing a research-based venture.Â
The Atlantic Dal Innovates Launch cohort is open to undergraduates, graduates, post-docs, faculty, and recent graduates from universities in Atlantic Canada who are pursuing ventures in all disciplines.Â
The National Health Launch cohort is dedicated for health, pharma and bio-based technologies from undergraduate and graduate researchers, post-docs, faculty, and recent graduates from across Canada who are pursuing a health research-based venture.
Note: Most cohort sessions will be combined, with some additional tailored curriculum based on focus (research commercialization and health).
March 13th 2023 – Applications openÂ
April 9th 2023 – Applications close
April 28th 2023 – Acceptance confirmed byÂ
June 2nd 2023 – Program kick offÂ
September 22nd 2023 – Pitch DayÂ
Dates applicable to all cohorts
To apply simply fill out the online application form and outline the following details:
The team
Their idea
The problem they are trying to solve, and how they were inspired to solve this problem
Their proposed solution, and how they believe this solution might support a sustainable, stand-alone business.
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 the end of April. The Lab2Market Launch program runs virtually from June 2 to August 31. The program concludes with a Pitch Day at Dalhousie University, Halifax on 21 September, 2023.
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.
Teams must contain at least two members and no more than five members.
All team members should be founders or founder-level (so don’t list any interns or others who are not committed to becoming full-time entrepreneurs through this project).
At least one participating team member must be a current student, post-doctoral student, or recent graduate (i.e. graduated within the past two years as of March 2023) of an Atlantic Canadian academic institute (or Canadian academic institute in the case of the National Health Cohort).
Teams must commit to working on their start up for the summer, for a minimum of 25 hours each per week (roughly 10 hours of workshops, 15+ hours of asynchronous time) and must present at the Pitch Day event in September.
Teams must have some understanding of the entrepreneurial process and must demonstrate familiarity with common frameworks including Disciplined Entrepreneurship, Lean Startup, Business Model Canvas, and the like.
Teams should have done initial customer discovery to validate their idea (a minimum of 50 interviews).
Teams must disclose in their application all sources of funding that the team has received.
There are no restrictions on whether a team has funding going into Lab2Market Launch, however, be advised that we are looking for teams that can significantly gain from the program — we’re not just taking the teams that are the closest to being full-fledged companies.
* Participants interested in the National Health cohort must be working on a health-based venture.
Sign up for an info session March 24th from 1-2pm ADT or March 29th 2-3pm ADT.Â
“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
Applications for L2M Launch 2023 are now closed. Meet the 20 teams in the 2023 Launch cohort!
Questions about applying? Contact George.wu@dal.ca
Lab2Market Launch is made possible by the support of the Government of Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Mitacs.
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