Lab2Market

Discover and Validate the Business Potential of Your Research with Lab2Market

Lab2Market is a nationwide program that helps brilliant minds in graduate and postdoctoral programs reimagine their futures. Throughout the program, participants will discover a passion for entrepreneurship, build an entrepreneurial skill set, and connect with the network needed to help turn an idea into successful businesses. In collaboration with SFU Venture Labs, Innovation UBC is delivering two Lab2Market programs: Discover and Validate, to researchers affiliated with BC academic institutions. 

 

 

For students or researchers looking to explore entrepreneurial thinking

Lab2Market Discover is an online exploratory program that helps you discover entrepreneurship and the potential of transforming your academic research into a world-changing tech-focused business. 

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For UBC students, faculty and postdoctoral fellows ready to validate your idea as a business

Lab2Market Validate gives researchers the opportunity to critically test and evaluate their ideas in the entrepreneurial landscape. The program takes participants through the process of unlocking the business potential of a research idea – from meeting customers, building a network, and most importantly, developing entrepreneurial grit.

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What’s the difference between Lab2Market Discover and Lab2Market Validate? 
Lab2Market Discover is for exploring if entrepreneurship is a path of interest for you, while Lab2Market Validate is focused on testing and validating a market opportunity for your research invention. 

Program Lab2Market DiscoverLab2Market Validate 
Who it’s for
  • Early-stage academic entrepreneurs and researchers.
  • Streams specifically tailored to women, non-binary, and BIPOC students.
  • Open to current students and recent graduates in Canada pursuing STEM research 
  • Academic entrepreneurs who have already identified a market opportunity and are ready to validate their business idea.
  • Open to research teams composed of a graduate student (masters, Ph.D. or post-doc) and the principal investigator (PI)
Focus
  • Focuses on the initial exploration of market potential and entrepreneurial mindset. 
  • Focuses on testing and validating the viability of the innovation. 
Program component
  • Exploration: Helps participants understand the commercial potential of their research.
  • Training: Provides foundational knowledge in entrepreneurship, market research, and customer discovery.  
  • Networking: Offers opportunities to connect with facilitators, industry experts, and potential collaborators.  
  • Validation: Helps participants test their business model, value proposition, and market assumptions.  
  • Customer Discovery: Intensive customer discovery process to gather feedback and validate the product-market fit.
  • Mentorship: Access to experienced mentors who provide guidance and support throughout the validation process.  
Outcomes
  • Participants gain insights into whether their idea has commercial potential.  
  • Development of an initial business hypothesis and understanding of the market landscape.  
  • Foundation for deciding whether to pursue further commercialization efforts. 
  • A validated business model with a clear value proposition.  
  • Detailed understanding of the target market and customer needs.  
  • Preparation for further development, investment, or entering a more advanced commercialization program.
  • $15,000 stipend available per accepted applicant team. 
Cost
  • Free
  • Free

 
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Innovation UBC signature UBC Support Programs to Advance Research Capacity

Part of the VP Research & Innovation portfolio

Innovation UBC

103-6190 Agronomy Road
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z3
Tel 604 822 8580

UBC receives support for managing its research enterprise from the federal Research Support Fund.

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