Founder Lab
Successfully Raising Capital Isn’t Just For The Few
Women-led ventures deliver results, generating stronger returns, driving innovation, and creating meaningful jobs. Yet in Canada, this proven engine of economic growth remains underfunded and underestimated. Founder Lab exists to change that.
If you’re a founder building a high-potential company and preparing to raise capital, your success isn’t just about your business; it’s part of a bigger story. Founder Lab helps you sharpen your strategy, strengthen your investor materials, and make the connections that position your venture to scale and thrive, contributing directly to Canada’s innovation economy along the way.
Applications are open for our upcoming fall Founder Lab cohort, running from September 25 to November 19, 2025, with Demo Day on November 19. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this transformative experience — apply by July 18, 2025.
Who is this course for?
The M51 Founder Lab is for women and gender-diverse people who are leading or co-founding companies headquartered in Canada, ideally, those planning to raise a pre-seed ($25k - $1.5M CAD) round within 6-8 months of applying.
Early-Stage Startups
For business models that are highly innovative, digital and/or scalable
Diverse Teams
For companies with at least one female founding member with equal shares
MVP
For startups with an existing MVP, ideally have initial traction and a business model
Ready to Raise
For teams focusing on demystifying the fundraising process and getting ready to take on all different types of investors
Here’s What Our Community is Saying
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![Kristyn Carriere Headshot]()
“As a founder who had not raised money beyond bootstrapping, I wanted to first understand some of the fundamentals and requirements to "get my house in order" and allow me to be ready to start my fundraising journey. This program delivered just that! I have the confidence to be able to speak to investors and prepare my business for its next steps. As well, it was valuable to work with a cohort of similarly staged businesses to progress through the program.”
Kristyn Carriere
Founder, 7 Summits Snacks -
![Headshot of Celeste Trujillo]()
“The Founder Lab has fundamentally changed how I approach my business and how I present it. The opportunity to learn from experienced Executives in Residence and fellow founders was incredibly valuable. I gained a deeper understanding of how to position my CPG business for success, set tangible milestones, and I am genuinely grateful for the growth and preparation this program has provided.”
Celeste Trujillo
Founder, The Better Butchers -
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“Movement51 gave us the chance to connect with a community of ambitious female founders and equipped us with practical knowledge on preparing and executing a successful fundraising strategy. The cohort's open discussions allowed us to dive deep into real challenges and learn actionable insights from each other's experiences. This program is ideal for founders who are new to fundraising and looking to gain confidence, and clarity as they develop a fundraising strategy for their business.”
Tianna Going & Sheena Virmani
Co-founders, LEWK -
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“The Movement51 Founder Lab was a terrific, empowering, and enlightening experience! It not only equipped me with knowledge of financial/business terminology, how to fundraise, and effectively tell a story - knowledge which I continue to utilize, the program also connected me with female founders from across Canada.”
Mercedes Korngut
Founder, Small Bits of Happiness -
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“M51 showed us the power of women-owned businesses. From connecting with other cohort members on weekly calls, to our pod meetups, and to The51 network, we really felt a part of a wider community. All of the sessions were engaging and beneficial to our fundraising process. We'd highly recommend this program to any other business owner looking to expand their wisdom capital and create lifelong connections.”
Jessica Bosman & Bryn Davis Williams
Co-Founders, DOUBL -
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“Before Founder Lab, I found the fundraising process intimidating. However, Founder Lab provided me with the right tools, knowledge, and a clear roadmap to navigate it effectively. After completing the program, I feel confident approaching investors, pitching my company, and securing my first round of funding. Founder Lab has been truly transformative for both me and my business.”
Janine Lam
Founder, Smart Home Gadgets
Want to Learn More?
Get an overview of what you can expect by joining one of our webinars - happening in the new year.
Get the Toolkit You Need to Raise
Your First Cheque
Everything you need to build your financing strategy from pre-seed to series A.
The M51 Founder Lab supports early-stage women and gender-diverse founders become venture ready
The Founder Lab is an intensive, 9-week, hybrid program that helps talented and motivated founders to learn how to fundraise with confidence.
What’s the importance of a data room, a five-year forecast, and investment-ready pitch deck? From mock investment scenarios to calculating your pro-forma cap tables, we’re here to demystify the entire fundraising journey.
After completing the m51 Founder Lab, you will walk away with a tailored playbook for your business that includes…
A financing strategy roadmap
A data room and due diligence checklist
Tactics to evaluate and negotiate financing terms as a Founder
A 5-year forecast on your business and unit economics
A pitch deck that can raise capital
A roadmap to develop your governance board of advisors or directors
Not the Accelerator Programs you Remember
Our immersive and welcoming courses are the only learning programs of their kind. All classes are led by accomplished founders, angels and venture capitalists, and combine traditional lectures with hands-on learning to help you build your playbook.
Apply your new knowledge immediately
The program runs over an eleven-week period with 60-90 minute virtual sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, culminating in a demo day.
Module 1
The Capital Landscape
Module 2
Crafting Your Story
Module 3
Investor Pitch Deck Fundamentals
Module 4
Governance & Human Capital
Module 5
Navigating Funders
Module 6
Financial Roadmap to Scale
Module 7
Fundraising Vehicles, Venture Math, & Valuations
Module 8
Economics of the Term Sheet & Capitalization Tables
Module 9
Negotiating as a Founder
And Last But Not Least—
Demo Day
Startups will present in person to an audience of Canadian angels and venture capitalists
Answers to the Questions You Didn't Know You Had
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Our Founder Lab is completely free to founders. No cost or equity involved! Our goal is to support more women and gender-diverse people who are early in their founder journey.
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We understand the power of in-person so we have made this program hybrid. All sessions will take place virtually except for the first session and wrap-up event. The first session and wrap-ups event will take place in person in Calgary, Alberta.
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All applications close on January 31, 2025 at 11:59 pm Mountain Standard Time.
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Pre-seed to seed early-stage founders are invited to apply, and invited participants will be grouped into cohorts of 20 people. All who apply (even those not selected for this year's cohort) will be invited to attend the wrap-up event at the end of the cohort, which features industry experts, Alumni, VCs and angel investors.
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To participate in the Founder Lab you can be at the “idea stage” all the way up to the seed stage. That said, founders who get the most value out of the program typically have a team, have begun developing a product(s), and may have already received capital from friends and family.
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Co-founders from the same team are welcome to attend together. Each team only needs to submit one application. We will ask for co-founder details in the application.
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Complete all questions with as much detail as possible, avoid jargon and buzzwords, and use plain language. Thoroughly explain why you’re passionate about solving the problem you aim to solve. Make sure to review the course topics and ensure that what you’re looking to achieve aligns with what is being offered. That said, if there are additional topics you would like to cover please include them and we’ll see what we can do about adding them in. And, finally, be honest! We want to get to know you and your company.
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We understand that things are always changing for startups, but once you have submitted you won't be able to edit any of your responses. However, if you advance in the application process, we’ll also ask for any updates and changes.
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All founders must submit an application through the application portal on the Movement51 website. Founders will be informed that they have been shortlisted for the interview stage on a rolling basis as applications are reviewed by the team.
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.
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As a founder in the lab, you’ll have access to the following:
A mentor who can help answer questions and make connections
An accountability buddy, who can help bounce ideas off of and work through exercises with
The Movement51 and The51 teams and community
The Founder Lab wouldn’t be possible without our Sustainable Funding Partner:
Join the mailing list for the Founder Lab!
Building your business? Scaling your startup? Start here.
Check out our collection of blog posts to help you navigate fundraising and scaling your startup: advice on submitting a successful accelerator application, getting inspired by past cohorts crushing it in our Founder Lab, and more.