Founders Fast Track
Accelerate your business in 6 weeks
Innovation Factory’s Founders Fast Track is an intensive training program designed to equip your start-up as you embark on your first fundraise with the essential tools, resources, and skills you need to succeed.
Successful companies will be notified by April 22, 2024. The program will begin May 1, 2024.
Innovation Factory’s Founders Fast Track is an intensive training program designed to equip your start-up as you embark on your first fundraise with the essential tools, resources, and skills you need to succeed.
Sign up to receive a notification when applications open for the next cohort.
About Founders Fast Track
Apply to participate in this unique and interactive 6-week training cohort. Founders Fast Track features a comprehensive curriculum at no cost and covers critical topics such as customer development, pitch preparation, funding strategies, and market trends. Eligible start-ups will have access to mentorship, network-building activities, and educational workshops.
Founders Fast Track culminates in a speed pitching event where your company will have the opportunity to connect and pitch to a minimum of three angel or pre-seed/seed stage investors.
The top 10 best-performing start-ups, based on scores from the investors, will be offered an exclusive invitation to pitch for cash prizes and more at Innovation Factory’s flagship competition, LiONS LAIR, in front of an audience of 300+ people.
6 week program schedule
Week 1 – Kick off: Meet and greet and program run down.
Week 2 – Perfect your pitch: Learn the do’s and don’ts of pitching, build your 5-minute pitch, and more.
Week 3 – Growth mindset: Everything sales and marketing!
Week 4 – Panel session: Moving the Needle: From one founder to another
Week 5 – Investment readiness: Everything you need to feel ready to take on investment.
Week 6 – Protect your idea: Learn the ins and outs of IP
Investor speed pitching day – At the end of the cohort training, each company will have the opportunity to pitch to a panel of judges from early-stage investment groups to receive feedback, build early relationships and for a chance to qualify for the LiONS LAIR Gala Pitch Competition.
Please see the application form for the current cohort program session dates.
Who should apply to Founders Fast Track
You should apply to Founders Fast Track if your business:
- Is past proof of concept
- Is in the start-up to SME stage of business
- Is an innovative and scalable technology, product or service
- Falls within one of the following sectors: Life science, information and communication technology (ICT), advanced manufacturing, smart transportation and/or cleantech, and social innovation
- Is ready to engage with our training sessions and expert mentors
- Is able to participate and engage with us at our Hamilton office location
Interested? Sign up for notifications
Sign up to receive a notification when applications open for the next cohort.
LiONS LAIR Pitch Competition
LiONS LAIR is an annual competition presented by Innovation Factory and brings together the entrepreneurship and innovation community in the Hamilton-Halton region. The competition gives innovators the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of our city’s top business experts – the “LiONS” – for a chance to win big prizes.
Cohort participants
Check out who has gone through the program already! Click to learn more about their innovative technologies and solutions.
Innovator spotlights
Find out how Founders Fast Track and LiONS LAIR have helped these innovators take their business to the next level.
