Vancouver, Nov. 5, 2015 | Thanks to a new partnership between Startup Canada and four co-working spaces – Cowork Penticton, Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre, Launch Academy and Revelstoke Coworking – entrepreneurs now have more co-working opportunities in British Columbia. These entrepreneur hubs are recipients of Startup Canada’s Startup Space Fund, the non-profit organization announced yesterday.
The announcement comes after a call-for-proposals was issued by Startup Canada in early September to partner with grassroots, entrepreneur-led co-working spaces, incubators, and makerspaces across Canada to create or provide physical spaces for Startup Canada Members to start and grow their businesses.
“The partnerships established through the Startup Canada Startup Space Fund will give entrepreneurs living in and travelling to British Columbia easy access to innovative places to work,” said Victoria Lennox, CEO of Startup Canada. “It’s another step forward in connecting entrepreneurs to local support and showcasing what the province has to offer.”
The announcement was made Nov. 4 during Startup Canada’s #EveryEntrepreneur Tour stop in Vancouver, which connected entrepreneurs with new opportunities to start and grow their companies, and provided a platform for entrepreneurs to voice needs and calls-to-action to advance entrepreneurship in the region.
The spaces will be made available to entrepreneurs through the Startup Canada Passport, a component of the Startup Canada Membership Program, which launches in 2016. The spaces were chosen based on regional demand, the innovative nature of the space, and additional benefits provided to Startup Canada Members.
The Startup Canada Startup Space Fund is one of four Startup Canada Investment Funds. As Startup Canada travels the country with its #EveryEntrepreneur Tour, the organization will announce further recipients of the Startup Canada Startup Space Fund, the Startup Canada Retail Startup Fund, Startup Canada Women Entrepreneurship Fund, and the Startup Canada Community Investment Fund.
The Startup Canada Startup Space Fund is supported by Intuit QuickBooks, TruShield Insurance, TELUS and UPS, industry leaders committed to strengthening the national entrepreneurship ecosystem in Canada through grassroots startup initiatives.
For more information or to schedule interviews, please contact:
Kathryn Forrest
Communications & Marketing Manager, Startup Canada
Quotes from the recipients
Cowork Penticton: “We are extremely excited that Cowork Penticton will be a part of the StartUp Canada Passport program. A desk awaits the Startup Canada members and we look forward to welcoming them into our community. Startup Canada is doing great things by helping to stitch together our national entrepreneurial ecosystem with this initiative. Penticton was recently identified by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business as the second most entrepreneurial city in Canada so it is particularly wonderful to enhance the support offered to startups in our region. ” – Jennifer Vincent, founder of Cowork Penticton
Foresight Cleantech Accelerator Centre: “Foresight CAC is excited to be creating startup space in our Surrey location through the Startup Canada Startup Space Fund. We look forward to becoming an anchor space for Startup Canada members while further helping foster an innovation ecosystem and we look forward to eventually becoming a Startup Canada Community.” – Neil Huff, Managing Director, Foresight CAC
Launch Academy: “We are so excited to be partnering with Startup Canada to offer Canadian entrepreneurs a convenient way to directly plug into the local ecosystem in Vancouver. The most valuable thing you can offer an entrepreneur is the ability to learn from and work alongside other entrepreneurs — this program will make connecting to the startup community faster and easier.” – Maggie Chan, Community Manager at Launch Academy
Revelstoke Coworking: “More entrepreneurs are wanting a work-play balance in a smaller city. Revelstoke fosters the growth of business in a modern work facility with fiber internet and outdoor playground at your doorstep.” – Jean-Marc LaFlamme, founder of Revelstoke Coworking
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada is a grassroots network of more than 100,000 entrepreneurs and more than 500 like-minded organizations that support entrepreneurs and small businesses as the voice of Canada’s startup community. Learn more at startupcan.ca.