Five Startup Canada Communities have been awarded with the first-ever round of investment from the Startup Canada Ecosystem Investment Fund. The Fund launched in Spring 2015 and invests in high-impact, entrepreneur-driven initiatives that connect and strengthen local startup communities across Canada.
Funding was awarded to Startup Canada Community projects based on the ability of each project to fuel an environment and culture for entrepreneurial growth and success, and foster new opportunities and greater connectivity of entrepreneurs to support, investment, customers and supply chains.
“Each region of Canada has unique economic, environmental, and cultural traits that can be leveraged to make it a launch pad for high impact startups and a landing pad for investment,” said Victoria Lennox, CEO of Startup Canada. “With investment from the Startup Canada Ecosystem Investment Fund, communities from coast-to-coast are optimizing strengths and filling gaps to build a cohesive, active startup ecosystem that makes their communities great places to start, scale and anchor companies.”
The first cohort of projects receiving investment include:
- Raising awareness of entrepreneur support in Sault Ste. Marie, with a comprehensive ecosystem mapping project undertaken by Startup Sault;
- Building entrepreneurial leaders in Nanaimo through a Startup Nanaimo unConference;
- Kick-starting the development of a co-working space in Prince George, under the leadership of Startup Prince George;
- Establishing an entrepreneurial scholarship at the University of New Brunswick in connection with Startup Fredericton.
- Heightening awareness of Startup Charlottetown through signage and a permanent home base at The Spot entrepreneurial hub.
The Startup Canada Ecosystem Investment Fund and Startup Canada Communities are core programs of Startup Canada, a national organization recognized globally as a best practice in fuelling grassroots entrepreneurship.
“This bottom-up approach to investing in building a connected entrepreneurial ecosystem across Canada arms and mobilizes startup community leaders with the common goal of building ecosystem capacity for startup support and growth,” said Shauna Harper, entrepreneur and community leader in Prince George, BC. “This investment will help us to grow our partners and stakeholders, membership, reach and most importantly, create local economic impact by supporting our entrepreneurs.
The Fund is supported by Intuit QuickBooks, TruShield Insurance and UPS, industry leaders committed to strengthening the national entrepreneurship ecosystem in Canada through grassroots startup communities. Projects will be completed by October 2015.
For more information, please contact:
Kathryn Forrest
Communications & Marketing Manager, Startup Canada
1-844-782-7801 ext. 106
press@startupcan.ca