Fuel Your Venture’s Growth. Drive Canada’s Prosperity.

Founder Lab is fully funded to ensure that the most promising women-led ventures can access the strategies, networks, and tools they need to raise capital and scale — with no cost or equity required to participate.

The Founder Lab runs in a hybrid format. All core programming takes place virtually, with the in-person Demo Day scheduled for November 19, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta. 

Applications close on July 18, 2025, at 11:59 pm Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). 

Founder Lab is designed for early-stage women-led ventures across Canada that are preparing to raise pre-seed/seed capital within the next 6–12 months. The program is best suited to founders who are actively building toward scaling their companies — with a focus on market opportunity, strong execution plans, and the ambition to contribute meaningfully to Canada’s innovation economy.

That’s absolutely fine. Founder Lab welcomes ventures with diverse founding teams. To be eligible, the venture must be women-led (meaning at least one co-founder who identifies as a woman holds significant ownership and plays an active leadership role). If your company meets this criterion, your full founding team is welcome and encouraged to participate. 

Yes, co-founders from the same venture are welcome to participate together in the program. All participating team members will benefit from the core workshops and learning sessions focused on fundraising strategy, financial modeling, governance, and pitch preparation. The program also offers dedicated peer sessions designed for women founders, creating space to share insights and experiences specific to navigating entrepreneurship and securing capital. 

You do not need to be incorporated at the time of application. However, while incorporation isn't required at application, ventures demonstrating commitment to growth, including early product development, customer validation, and fundraising preparation, tend to gain the most from the program's specific focus on scaling and investment readiness. 

Founder Lab provides a structured approach to fundraising. Participants will develop an investment-ready pitch deck and data room, strengthen their governance and financial strategy, and gain access to targeted investor networks through Demo Day and curated introductions. We focus on giving you the tools, insights, and connections to run an effective fundraising process. 

Founder Lab alumni have collectively raised over $50 million. The program is designed to equip ventures for fundraising success, scale operations, and contribute directly to Canada's economic growth and innovation ecosystem. 

Once they have been informed, shortlisted candidates will be called in for an interview (conducted remotely). The Movement51 team makes admission decisions after the interview.

Successful applicants clearly articulate the problem they are solving, provide data-backed market insights, and demonstrate early traction through partnerships, funding, or customer validation. A compelling narrative that connects your business vision to real-world needs combined with innovation, scalability, and a strong understanding of your target market will strengthen your application. 

Once submitted, applications cannot be edited. However, if you are invited to the interview stage, we will request any key updates or changes at that time. 

Each Founder Lab participant will be paired with a mentor and an accountability partner. In addition, founders will benefit from the support of the Movement51 and The51 communities, as well as curated connections to investors and experts. 

Participation in Demo Day is included as part of the Founder Lab program, and there is no fee to take part in the event itself. Founders are responsible for their own travel and accommodation to attend in person.

We recognize that travel costs may be a barrier for some founders. While we aren’t able to cover these expenses at this time, we are actively exploring ways to reduce this challenge in future.