Accelerator

Invest Ottawa, Venture Path Accelerator

Ottawa, ON, Canada

Ottawa's economic development agency accelerator for post-MVP startups with early revenue, based at Bayview Yards.

Location:
Ottawa, ON, Canada
Stages:
Seed

What you need to qualify

  • Canadian-owned company with a headquarters or at least 1 full-time founder in the National Capital Region
  • Offers an innovative, product-based solution (hardware or software)
  • At least $100K annual revenue OR $1M capital raised to date
  • At least 40% year-over-year growth in revenue or headcount

Eligibility

Eligible stages
All stages
Countries
Global, subject to the provider’s eligibility and approval

How to apply

  1. 1

    Check the four eligibility criteria

    The IO Accelerator page states the fit test directly: Canadian-owned with a head office or one full-time founder in the National Capital Region, an innovative product-based solution in hardware or software, at least $100K annual revenue or $1M raised to date, and at least 40% year-over-year growth in revenue or headcount.

  2. 2

    Submit the application in the IO Accelerator portal

    The Apply button on the programme page points at Invest Ottawa's SurveyMonkey Apply portal, investottawa.smapply.io/prog/accelerator_application/. That is the only submission route the page publishes, and it needs a portal account.

  3. 3

    Contact the programme manager with questions

    The page names Megan Maltby, Manager, Accelerator Programs and Investor Relations, as the contact for enquiries about the programme.

Frequently asked

Companies that are Canadian-owned with a headquarters or at least one full-time founder in the National Capital Region, offer an innovative product-based solution in hardware or software, have at least $100K in annual revenue or $1M raised to date, and are growing at least 40% year over year in revenue or headcount.

Through the Apply button on the IO Accelerator page, which opens Invest Ottawa's SurveyMonkey Apply portal at investottawa.smapply.io. There is no email or PDF route published.

Invest Ottawa publishes no deadline and no cohort dates for the IO Accelerator, on either the programme page or the Venture Path overview. Check the application portal for the current window rather than planning around a date.

Support on finding product-market fit, connections to angel investors and venture capitalists plus help navigating funding programmes, market intelligence and research, desk rental at Bayview Yards, SaaS tool discounts and perks, and access to a specialised advisor network. Invest Ottawa does not offer a cash investment through this programme.

It is the third step of the Venture Path sequence, after IO Ignition and IO Flex and before IO ScaleUp, which is aimed at companies past $2M in revenue.
General

Browse more like this: Startup accelerators in Canada

Related programs

MassChallenge

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Equity-free accelerator + non-dilutive cash prizes

Antler

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~$100K–$250K for ~10% + a 6-month residency

500 Global

San Francisco, United States

A $150,000 investment for a 6 percent stake, plus a four month in-person program in Silicon Valley.

We have not been able to confirm a deadline for this one. Check the official page before you start.

Do I qualify?

2 things decide this one. Check yourself against them before you spend time on the form.

Stage
Seed
Where it runs
Canada. In person, so you need to be able to take part there
What you give up
No equity stated
Deadline
Not confirmed. Check the official page

That is the rulebook. What we cannot show you here is whether your startup clears it, how this ranks against the other programs you qualify for, and what to fix if you do not.

Check what I qualify for

Five questions, about a minute, no account needed.

Last verified against the official page. Report an error

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