Why is Canada such an exciting place for entrepreneurs?
Beyond innovation funding and R&D tax credits, Canada is home to some of the world’s most innovative, entrepreneurial, and—perhaps most importantly—hungry founders and dreamers.
Bringing these innovators together and helping them launch their products and services is at the core of what drives the FounderFuel team.
Led by General Manager Katy Yam, FounderFuel is a four-month accelerator program that connects founders with experienced mentors, intensive networking, and expert coaching, all leading up to Canada’s largest Demo Day, happening this year on July 11.
Katy—who is also a Partner at Real Ventures—joins the podcast along with Lisa Séguin, Real Ventures’ Director of Marketing and People and FounderFuel’s Program Manager, to talk about the broader Canadian tech ecosystem, their 2023 startup cohort, and the strong partnerships they’ve built over the years that have made both Montreal and Canada a true hub for innovation.
What sets the 2023 FounderFuel program apart? For the first time since its launch in 2011, it’s backed not by one, but three different VC firms—Real Ventures, Panache Ventures, and Inovia Capital—who have teamed up to support this year’s outstanding startups.
This spirit of collaboration is what inspired FounderFuel from the very beginning, giving Canadian entrepreneurs a homegrown path to growth—instead of having to look to Silicon Valley VCs, which had become the default for many Canadian founders.
Lisa and Katy break it all down in this episode, including some of the standout brands that have come out of FounderFuel and what to expect at this year’s Demo Day.
See the complete 'Fantastic 7' lineup from the 2023 Founder Fuel startup cohort on their blog.
Listen to this interview and more conversations with innovative founders on Boast’s YouTube Channel.
Both the Canadian federal and provincial governments offer a wide range of innovation funding through tax credits and grants, giving founders access to non-dilutive capital to extend their runway.
In our guide, we break down the most popular government-backed funding programs and show you how to start leveraging them to grow your business.
