Archive for Lazaridis Institute

Ten Diverse Technology Companies From Across Canada Selected For Lazaridis Scale-Up Program

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 13, 2017 by itnerd
The Lazaridis Institute at Wilfrid Laurier University has selected Canada’s 10 most promising technology companies to participate in the next cohort of the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program. This innovative program, now in its second year, provides high-potential firms personalized mentorship and working sessions with experts who have scaled globally competitive enterprises.

Scaling a technology company in Canada presents several challenges. Founders cite difficulty in recruiting experienced senior talent, accessing capital, and moving into global markets as among the major barriers to growth (source). The Lazaridis Scale-Up Program provides the connections, networks, knowledge and support tech companies need to create maximum value here, in Canada, while growing their companies globally.

The 10 selected companies for 2017/2018 are at pivotal stages, facing inflection points in their growth trajectories. Their technologies range from bionic knee braces and biopesticides, to digital marketing, groceries, tickets and transportation to name a few. The companies hail from cities from coast to coast across Canada. Four of the companies have one or more female founders and/or C-level executives.

The 10 companies in the second cohort of the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program are:
  1. Agendize Solutions (Montreal, Que.)
  2. Bus.com (Montreal, Que.)
  3. Dream Payments (Toronto, Ont.)
  4. Flytographer (Victoria, B.C.)
  5. 7shifts (Saskatoon, Sask.)
  6. Showpass (Calgary, Alta.)
  7. Spring Loaded Technology (Dartmouth, N.S.)
  8. Terramera (Vancouver, B.C.)
  9. Unata (Toronto, Ont.)
  10. Vendasta (Saskatoon, Sask.)
For the second year in a row, the Lazaridis Institute, which is run by the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University, will cover the costs of the Scale-Up Program.

Interested companies from across Canada went through a competitive selection process. A panel consisting of Canadian and American venture capitalists and ecosystem leaders reviewed detailed applications submitted via the national scale-up data platform powered by Hockeystick. Third-party analysis provided by Bytown Consulting helped the panel to assess each firm’s potential for growth. Short-listed applicants were invited to take part in video interviews, from which the top 10 companies were chosen.

Over the past year, companies in the first cohort of the program saw significant growth in revenue, improved the efficiency of their processes, and advanced their capabilities in areas ranging from sales and marketing, to operations, product and talent management, to finance, leadership, and delivering a pitch. Companies indicated that the most valuable elements of the program were practical knowledge that they could apply immediately to their organizations, and crucial relationships with tech leaders from across North America.
The next cohort of the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program begins October 19 in Toronto, with program weekends to follow in Ottawa, Vancouver, New York, and Palo Alto, Calif. Find out more at www.scaleupprogram.ca.

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Lazaridis Institute Accepting Applications For 2017 Scale-Up Program

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 25, 2017 by itnerd
The Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises at Wilfrid Laurier University announced it is now accepting applications for the second cohort of the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program. The program gives 10 Canadian scale-up technology companies the opportunity to fast-track their growth by working with experienced mentors and experts from around the world. The second cohort will begin in October 2017.
 
The Lazaridis Scale-Up Program focuses on a specific national challenge: the need for more globally competitive technology companies in Canada, and the jobs and economic benefits that come with them.
 
The companies that participated in the first year of the program benefited from 1:1 mentorship from executives with scaling experience who were specifically chosen for each participant based on their industry and current challenges.
 
The program opens up market opportunities and prepares companies for their next round of financing. The upcoming 2017/2018 program includes one weekend module each month between October 2017 and February 2018. A final weeklong session will take place in March 2018.
 
Weekend module themes in 2017:
  • What does it take to scale?
  • Scaling leadership
  • Product
  • Customer acquisition and scaling sales
  • Finance and operations
  • Global growth
 
The Lazaridis Institute is using Hockeystick for its applicant management process, as part of the first phase of the national scale-up data platform announced last month.
 
Applications for the next cohort of the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program will be open until June 30, 2017. The Lazaridis Institute is holding a series of information sessions across Canada for potential applicants. A listing of events can be found at http://lazaridisinstitute.eventbrite.com
 
Find out more about the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program at www.scaleupprogram.ca.

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Lazaridis Institute In Search Of 10 Great Canadian Tech Startups

Posted in Commentary with tags on September 17, 2016 by itnerd

Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis Institute helps 10 Canadian tech startups grow into globally competitive enterprises

Application deadline for Canadian Scale-Up Program on September 23

The Canadian Scale-Up Program has two offerings that aren’t widely available in Canada right now:

  1. Access to practical knowledge about how to scale a company, delivered by people who have successfully scaled a company (or several companies) themselves
  2. Connections to a deep network of tech executives, VCs and influencers in Silicon Valley who will provide a bridge for our participants and make it easier for them to access capital and make connections to expand in the US and internationally

The program has been designed so that founders/CEOs of promising tech companies work directly with people who have actually had the experience of scaling a global company successfully.  One weekend a month for 5 months, founders/CEOs will gather in a different city (Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Vancouver).  Four to six experts will be brought in each weekend to work with founders on topics ranging from talent management and growth metrics to global markets, global supply chains, and transfer pricing.  The exact mix of topics will depend upon the needs and interests of the companies in the cohort.

Eligible applicants are headquartered in Canada, about three-years-old, have found a problem/solution fit, have received some market validation in the form of customer traction, and may have graduated from an accelerator or incubator program.

In addition to the experts acting as “instructors” on the weekends, there will be 10 mentors who will work with the 10 companies in the cohort.

The program will begin in Waterloo in November and conclude with a week in Silicon Valley in April 2017, with each module focusing on a theme:

Kick-off weekend

Waterloo – November 3 – 5

This brings together all of our participants to meet, set expectations and get started on their plans to scale. Special guests will share their insights.

 

Leadership

Toronto – December 1 – 3

Scaling begins at the top – with the leaders of your company. Topics include leadership for scaling a business, building a corporate culture, organization design for growth, talent management and growth metrics.

 

Product

Montreal – January 5 – 7

Topics design thinking, product management, the customer experience and cross-cultural communications.

 

Customer acquisition

Vancouver – February 3 – 4

Sales at a global scale – it’s a whole new game.
Topics include building a global brand, selling at scale, marketing and market analytics, and global market access.

 

Finance and operations

Ottawa – March 3 – 4

Topics include financing scale-ups, transfer pricing, global operations, IP and risk/crisis management.

 

Funding

Silicon Valley – April 3 – 7

Six months into the program, participants will meet with executives and prominent VCs in Silicon Valley. Topics include funding growth, boards and governance, dealing with big companies, and mergers and acquisitions.

For more on the Canadian Scale-Up Program and the Lazaridis Institute, please visit www.scaleupprogram.com.

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