LEvel up
Inspiration and advice for scaling your tech business
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Ready to take your tech company to the next level?
We’ve asked successful entrepreneurs, industry advisors, and leaders in the tech ecosystem to share their stories and their best advice — so you have the inspiration and guidance you need to scale your own tech business. Whether you’re interested in the candid journeys of founders in the enterprise software, consumer software, or hardware space, or you’re looking for general advice from industry experts, you’ll find it all here.
Applications are now open for Tech Undivided Cohort 4
- 6-month program for women-led tech companies
- Access resources to scale your businesses and compete globally
- Applications close on August 31, so apply today!
Entrepreneurs with enterprise software
"You can’t be afraid of failing in this line of business. You have to adopt a mindset that it’s absolutely key to growing and learning, because once you make a mistake it’s unlikely you’ll make it again. It’s the most expensive training school you’ll ever have.”
“The barriers to entry have never been lower to become an entrepreneur. As such, I think everyone should measure the cost of inaction, recognize failing is part of the process, and avoid spending too much time on decisions that can be reversed.”
“In every job I had prior to starting my own business, I felt like I was reinventing the wheel for that company. I was always repeating myself, and I thought, this could be a service I could provide.”
"For women and people of colour especially, we often find ourselves asking permission or waiting for opportunities to come up — but when you go out on your own you give those opportunities to yourself."
"My biggest advice is to keep asking questions and remember that a strong network is the most valuable thing a start-up can have — you can’t build a business in isolation."
Helping women-led tech companies access resources to grow and scale.
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Canada’s only lab and incubator for hardware and semiconductor-focused solutions.
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Entrepreneurs with consumer software
“I don’t have a business background, but I’m passionate about learning, and having good advisors available to use, to help unblock you, to brainstorm with, and correct you along the way is incredibly valuable to any start-up.”
“I spent a lot of time learning about and trying to understand what technologies could exist in the future. There was a lot of not knowing and having to learn from the ground up.”
“There weren’t a lot of accelerators helping woman founders — not just with business advice, but with tech advice as well. When my friend told me about the Tech Undivided program, I eagerly applied.”
"One of the biggest mistakes many women make is to think small — and I strongly believe that if you have an idea you have to go big and you have to go bold."
Make a home for your company at the ventureLAB Innovation Space
- Choose from a hybrid offer of membership options.
- Access a community tailored to support high tech companies.
- Become part of an innovation cluster in hardware, health, and enterprise software.
- Conveniently located just 20 minutes north of downtown Toronto, minutes from the highway.
Entrepreneurs with hardware solutions
“In a way, having something to focus on through this time was a great distraction for me — it took me away from my suffering and pain.”
“I don’t know everything, and I will ask anyone who will listen to me to help me figure something out.”
“Understanding cleaning has become a lot more important, and while I used to spend time explaining why infection prevention was important, since COVID-19, I no longer have to do that.”
Advice from industry experts
"We know success is a culmination of focus and relentlessness, and I think one of the biggest challenges in growing a company is developing that laser focus."
We asked the experts: What is the most overlooked variable when companies are scaling?
Resources from ventureLAB
PROTECT YOUR IP
Protecting the Right IP
How to define your IP portfolio and be proactive about protecting it — without wasting time and money »
Building Your IP Strategy
You’ve got your IP. Now what? Consider these four objectives (and get some help from a professional) »
Filing for a Patent or Trademark
Understand a few key timeframes, including how long it takes to secure protections, when each aspect of a protection comes into place, and when certain protections crystalize »
UNDERSTAND THE ECOSYSTEM
How ventureLAB is building a diverse, equitable tech ecosystem
It’s not just important that we have a diverse pipeline of founders: we need to ensure that every organization fosters an equitable and inclusive organization that believes in creating equal opportunity — particularly for underrepresented groups »
Four ways to accelerate growth in Canada’s tech industry
ventureLAB President and CEO Melissa Chee shares her thoughts on how Canada can drive new innovations that will help solve global challenges »
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