How much funding can be received?

Get access to services designed specifically to prepare your company for investment and rapid growth, including how to craft a compelling pitch, connecting with investors, and putting in place a long-term capital strategy to support rapid growth and the s

Financing terms and conditions

The Capital Investment Program does not provide direct financing but rather offers strategic advisory services to assist companies in enhancing their fundraising capabilities. This program focuses on connecting founders with potential investors and helping them develop a comprehensive capital strategy.

Eligible projects & activities

The Capital Investment Program by ventureLAB supports activities that help scale-ready companies develop a long-term capital strategy to fuel rapid business growth. It focuses on improving founder/investor dynamics and providing comprehensive support throughout the fundraising journey.

Refinement of investment pitches with the help of experienced Advisors.
Connecting founders with strategically-aligned investors through a vast network of partners.
Providing platforms for founder showcases such as Demo Days and Investor Cafés.
Facilitating introductions to investors and navigating the term sheet negotiation process.
Data curation for due diligence to ensure thorough preparation for funding rounds.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 120,000

Scaling up operations and enhancing production efficiency with new machinery and process optimization

$ 40,000

Launching a customer feedback initiative to enhance product features and user satisfaction

$ 85,000

Implementing a new technology development project to enhance product functionality and performance

$ 50,000

Developing a new marketing strategy to increase online presence and expand market reach

$ 100,000

Conducting market traction development for expanding into the US market with tailored strategies and partnerships

$ 70,000

Creating a go-to-market strategy for a new eco-friendly product line targeting environmental-conscious customers

Eligibility criteria of the ventureLAB — Capital Investment Program program

Eligibility for the Capital Investment Program is determined by specific requirements concerning the company's team, traction, technology, and go-to-market strategy.

Experienced, diverse team with multiple full-time co-founders capable of executing the growth strategy.
Companies must have demonstrable market traction, recurring market revenue, and customer response, although earlier-stage companies and pre-seed ventures may also be supported.
Utilization of innovative, defensible technology that addresses a significant problem.
Identified the correct segment of customers to target, possesses a reasonable plan to reach this segment, and demonstrates an understanding of the sales cycle.

Who is eligible?

This program is best suited for companies that are ready to scale and are looking to develop a long-term capital strategy to support rapid business growth. It focuses primarily on supporting founders who experience unconscious bias, barriers to equal opportunity, and historic under-representation. Additionally, the program is open to earlier-stage companies and pre-seed ventures seeking support to establish market traction and growth strategies.

Who is not eligible

Companies without demonstrable market traction
Companies lacking recurring market revenue and customer response

Eligible expenses

This program supports companies in their growth by assisting them throughout the fundraising process. It focuses on building a robust capital strategy and fostering interactions between founders and investors to facilitate business scaling.

Refinement of investment pitches for scale-ready companies.
Facilitating introductions with strategically-aligned investors.
Supporting negotiations during the term sheet process.
Organizing Demo Days and Investor Cafés for founder showcases.
Focusing on inclusive support for BIPOC and women-led ventures.

Eligible geographic areas

This program does not specify any eligible geographical areas for companies applying for the grant within the provided information. Eligibility likely depends on other criteria outlined by the funding body or hosting organization, ventureLAB.

Eligibility criteria of the ventureLAB — Capital Investment Program program

Experienced, diverse team with multiple full-time co-founders with the track record to execute the growth strategy.
Companies must have demonstrable market traction, recurring market revenue, and customer response.
Innovative, defensible solution solving a significant problem.
Identified the correct segment of customers to target, reasonable plan to reach this segment, understanding of the sales cycle.

How to apply to the ventureLAB — Capital Investment Program program

Visit the official ventureLAB Capital Investment Program webpage.
Click on the "I'm Interested" button to begin the process.
Provide essential details about your company and interest in the program.

Eligibility Check

Ensure your company meets the program eligibility requirements, including team experience, market traction, technology innovation, and go-to-market strategy.

Contact ventureLAB

Reach out to ventureLAB at their contact information, such as hello@venturelab.ca or visit their address if necessary, for further instructions on the application process.

Follow Up

Engage with the advisors listed if required for guidance on completing your application.
Participate in any preliminary discussions or meetings necessary to outline your capital strategy and pitch refinement.

Additional information

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

There are no fees for participating in the program, and no equity is taken in the participating companies.
Participants get access to a global network of mentors, investors, partners, and other entrepreneurs.
Advisory support is strategic and tailored based on the company's investment readiness stage.
Regular events like Demo Days and Investor Cafés offer platform opportunities for founder showcases.

Documents and links

ventureLAB — Capital Investment Program

Apply to this program

Funding AI commercialization and adoption in Northern Ontario businesses