Take the next step to transform your invention into impact through Venture Founder
Venture Founder is a 16-week program that supports UBC’s community of UBC students, faculty, staff and researchers who want to build transformative ventures based on their innovative solutions to critical (and often global) problems. The program offers experiential workshops to define and validate your venture opportunity, support from our experienced mentors, and covers foundational and operational topics to establish a viable startup company and build your team’s capacity in leadership, management and business skills.
Interested? Apply now.
Applications for our next cohort are open! Apply below by May 16 for our Fall 2025 cohort.
Venture Founder has two cohorts a year, starting in February and September. Stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter.
In Venture Founder, we'll guide you to define and validate your venture opportunity and to begin to build traction in your venture’s industry.
Program Highlights:
- Mentorship and support: Access to over 250 mentors in our Mentor Network who will encourage you to push the boundaries of your thinking and help ensure you have the necessary building blocks of your venture opportunity.
- Session Topics: Define and validate your venture opportunity covering fundamental and operational topics such as:
- Defining your venture business model and crafting a compelling story
- Refining your value proposition(s), including defining initial market segments and the customer buying process)
- Estimating the market potential by using top-down and bottom-up market sizing methodologies
- Developing and practicing effective hypothesis testing techniques
- Building the core ingredients and fluency in financial literacy
- Learning the basics for team building, branding and marketing, and storytelling
- Duration: 16 weeks
- Format: Weekly virtual workshops for 3.5 hours, with in-person sessions during session 5, 10, 15 and 16.
- Commitment: Teams can expect to spend 25-35 hours on your venture with hands-on support from multiple mentors and Innovation UBC support staff.
The Application Journey
1. Application
The application form involves in-depth questions ranging from your team composition and initial traction, to understanding your value proposition, technology and funding situation. Submitted applications are then reviewed by our evaluation team.
2. Interview
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview with our team to discuss your solution and interest in being part of the program. Following this, candidates will be notified whether they are invited to join the cohort.
3. Onboarding
The Venture Founder journey begins with onboarding, including an orientation and social events to meet the wider cohort, our team and mentors, along with a review of the curriculum syllabus and expected commitment.
4. Schedule
The Venture Founder experience consists of 16 weekly 3.5 hour sessions, which take place online with the exception of sessions 5, 10, 15 and 16 taking place in person.
Ready to start your journey? Apply for Venture Founder. Applications close May 16, 2025. Apply now
