Dal Innovates and Lab2Market Announce 20 Teams in Launch Summer Accelerator
Meet the next generation of students and recent graduates turning their ideas into viable businesses.
HALIFAX, NS (June 6, 2023) Dalhousie University and Lab2Market proudly welcome 20 ambitious entrepreneurial teams to the 2023 Launch summer accelerator. The teams, comprising of 43 students and recent graduates from 14 post-secondary institutions across Canada, will form, build, and grow their ventures over the next 12-weeks.
New this year, Dalhousie University is offering the Launch program to three cohorts: an Atlantic Research Cohort for research-based ventures and a National Health Cohort for health-based ventures in partnership with Lab2Market; and a general Atlantic Cohort through Dal Innovates to support those with diverse areas of study.
“Lab2Market Launch has fast become a go-to destination for Canadian researchers and innovators, and it’s evident in seeing the caliber of ideas in our 2023 cohorts,” said Dr. Alice Aiken, vice president, research and innovation. “Dalhousie University is proud to empower motivated and courageous students in launching their ventures.”
“We are beyond excited to be in Lab2Market Launch. We believe that the training, connections, and experience that we will gain in this program will help HerBiome Skincare Inc. grow and be a successful sustainable venture,” says Julie Anne Dayrit, a 2023 Lab2Market Launch Atlantic cohort member, who previously participated in the Lab2Market Validate program where she established the market for her product.
Meet the teams by downloading the full press release here.
The Launch program is based off MIT’s delta v accelerator, and will see teams conduct primary market research, define their beachhead market, learn about customers and user’s needs, validate, and quantify the product value proposition for customers, build their founding team, develop their business model, and make progress on starting their venture. Teams receive tailored instruction, mentorship, and coaching from successful entrepreneurs and industry experts, a Founder Council comprised of business leaders, and $15,000.00 in funding.
As part of the national Lab2Market suite of programming, participants benefit from Dalhousie’s innovation ecosystem while also receiving access to the broader network and curriculum offered by the national Lab2Market program.
Launch is offered by Dalhousie through Dal Innovates, the entrepreneurial hub for at the university supporting students and faculty across Atlantic Canada and the country to learn innovation and entrepreneurial skills and attitudes. Teams can go on to participate in Creative Destruction Lab and other accelerators around the world. Program alumni include 3D BioFibR, HOLLO Medical, PragmaClin Research Inc., and Zen Electric just to name a few.
Dalhousie’s Lab2Market Launch cohorts are made possible with support from the Government of Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Mitacs, Springboard Atlantic, Build Ventures, Morrision Park Advisors, and I-INC through the Future Skills Centre.
Interested future applicants and mentors can find more information at lab2market.ca.
About Lab2Market:
Lab2Market is a national suite of programs that gives academic research teams the practical skills to spark their passion for entrepreneurship, validate their ideas, and successfully launch innovative new businesses. Funded by the Government of Canada, Mitacs, NSERC, and the Ocean Startup Project, the program is based on the immersive, entrepreneurial I-Corps training program in the United States, and the leading ICURe accelerator program in the United Kingdom.
Learn more at www.lab2market.ca.
About Dalhousie University:
Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of the university’s 20,000-plus students coming from outside the province. Dal’s 6,000 faculty and staff foster a diverse, purpose-driven community, one that spans 13 faculties and conducts more than $200 million in research annually. Part of a cluster identified as one of the world’s top international centres in ocean research, the university proudly celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2018.
Learn more at www.dal.ca.
