Invest Ottawa Ignition Program

IO Ignition is a 10-week bootcamp for entrepreneurs looking to validate a tech startup idea and establish a strong business foundation. To be eligible, applicants should be willing to test assumptions, be focused on tech or tech-enabled products, have engaged with customers or made initial sales, and seek to expand their network with other founders.

• Willing to test assumptions
• Focused on tech or tech-enabled products
• Engaged with customers or made initial sales
• Seeking to expand network with other founders

Who is eligible?

Eligible companies for the IO Ignition Program are early-stage startups looking to validate a tech startup idea and build a solid business foundation. They should be in the tech or tech-enabled product space and have started engaging with customers or making initial sales.

• Early-stage startups
• Tech or tech-enabled product companies
• Companies that have started talking to customers or have initial sales

Eligible expenses

There are eligible expenses for this grant. The program offers discounts on business essential software as a service (SaaS) tools that help accelerate growth. Some eligible expenses include:

• Legal services
• Finance and accounting tools
• Equity management software
• Insurance services
• Sales and marketing tools
• Project management software
• Website design services

IO Ignition Program evaluates and selects applicants based on specific criteria to ensure a suitable fit for the bootcamp.

• Relevance of the startup idea to the tech industry
• Previous engagement with customers or initial sales
• Desire to challenge assumptions and build a network
• Fit with the Venture Path trajectory