Our Program

L2M Build runs for 12 months and is carefully designed to guide researchers through all phases of product development. Offering a curriculum developed by industry experts, mentorship from ex-startup founders and investors, up to $155,000 in funding, and a growing network of rising STEM entrepreneurs across the country – researchers will be equipped with everything they need to build a market-ready product for their ventures.

Phase 1: Plan [1 Month]

Participants will be welcomed into a community of like-minded and driven researchers from across the country as well as a vast national network of program alumni and ecosystem partners. Phase 1 will begin with an intensive 3-day in-person kick-off event in Toronto where participants will learn how to assess the value their product provides their customers, how to reduce their technology to practice and build a minimum viable product that their customers want, and how to budget and plan their product development roadmap. Participants will leave with an understanding of how to build their product.

Phase 2: Build [5 Months]

Over a 5 month period, participants will begin to execute their product development roadmap while engaging with their potential customers.

Teams will be matched with an advisor from a similar industry to provide just-in-time 1-on-1 support. Participants will also receive support from office hours with subject matter experts, group meetings with their fellow peers, and fireside chats with successful deep tech entrepreneurs.

Phase 3: Partner [4 Months]

Participants will now begin to think through partnerships, pilots, and fundraising. With a mix of remote lectures and continued 1-on-1 and group support, teams will work to validate their products and prepare for the next phase of business development. Phase 3 will conclude with 2 days in-person in Toronto where teams will demonstrate their product to the broader community. 

Phase 4: Integrate [2 Months]

Participants will be introduced to their local networks to receive additional support in the pursuit of their Phase 3 goals. 

Eligibility

Lab2Market Build is offered free of cost and is open to any Canadian research team working in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Disciplines. The program is run nationally and is currently hosted in Ontario.

Still have questions? Email us at info@lab2market.ca to request more information.