News
Notes from the ecosystem.
Occasional writing on Western Canada's startup community: updates, event roundups, and what we're seeing.
Year in Review: Vancouver’s Tech Ecosystem, Global Stages, and Everything We Launched in 2025
2025 was the year Launch Academy turned 13 years old. We welcomed new companies into the Launch community…
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Launch Builders Demo Night Returns: A Packed Evening of Innovation at Global Relay Space
Launch Builders Meetup, November 19, 2025 After more than a year-long pause, Vancouver’s founders, innovators…
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Year in Review: Maple Bespoke Program, NextWave Podcast, and Other 2024 Highlights
In 2024, Launch Academy celebrated its 12th anniversary. The changes prompted by the IRCC announcement in May led us…
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Latest from Launch: BC Innovation Hall of Fame, Launch Builders Recap, & Members Milestones
Vancouver, BC, August 29, 2024 — From Launch CEO Ray Walia’s induction into the BC Innovators Hall of Fame…
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Launch CEO Ray Walia Inducted in BC Innovators Hall of Fame
Vancouver, BC, July 30, 2024 Ray Walia, CEO of Launch, has been inducted into the BC Innovators Hall of Fame. This prestigious accolade…
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From an AI-driven Music Discovery Engine to an App That Replaces Security Hardware: the Summer Edition of Launch Builders
Launch Builders Meetup, July 24, 2024 On July 24, 2024, Launch gathered…
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Update: Recent Changes to Canada’s Startup Visa Program
Launch Update: Recent IRCC Changes to Canada’s Startup Visa ProgramVancouver, BC, May 1, 2024 – In response to the recent announcement by the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)…
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From 12 Desks to 12 Years of Global Impact: Celebrating Launch’s Anniversary
!April is a special month for us as we celebrate 12 years of Launch! From our modest beginnings to our global reach, we’ve…
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Exploring the Latest Tech Products at Launch Builders: Event Recap
On March 27, 2024, founders, innovators and business minds gathered at Microsoft Vancouver for another packed Launch Builders.Launch…
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Launch Academy Support For Entrepreneurs on Display at INNOVATEwest
Launch Academy Support For Entrepreneurs on Display at the Inaugural INNOVATEwestVancouver, BC, March 8, 2024 – INNOVATEwest, a two-day, multi-sector tech and innovation conference & exposition where…
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Major Milestones and Exciting Announcements Set the Tone for Launch in 2024
Explore the latest happenings at Launch in 2024 – from engaging meetups to spontaneous events. We’ve got strategic…
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Six Demos Unveiled: A Peek into Our Latest Launch Builders Meetup
On January 24, 2024, tech enthusiasts, innovators, and entrepreneurs gathered once again at Microsoft Vancouver for yet another…
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Launch Continues to a Build Global Community With a Successful 2023
Year in Review: Launch Continues to a Build Global Community With a Successful 2023In 2023, Launch achieved several new milestones. We marked our 11th anniversary with gratitude for the enduring…
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Smythe LLP and Launch: Fostering Innovation in Vancouver’s Tech Ecosystem
Smythe has been Launch’s partner for over a decade, providing their unwavering commitment to nurturing innovation and…
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Launch’s Global Trade Mission Continues Across UAE, Japan, South Korea & Serbia
From Launch’s international trade mission across continents, groundbreaking demos presented at the Launch Builders…
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Top 5 Episodes from Launch.VC Founder Journey Podcast Season 4
Top 5 Highlights From Founder Journey Podcast Season 4: Uncovering the Hidden Aspects of a Startup Founder’s Journey As Season 4 of the Founder Journey podcast draws to a close, we celebrate the…
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Unlocking Success: Strategies for Finding Market Pull With Michael Yagudaev, Creative Flow AI
Unlocking Success: Strategies for Finding Market PullWhat if you can find product market fit in 5-days instead of 500-days? Michael Yagudaev shares his story and lessons of finding product-market-fit…
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Launch CEO Ray Walia Recognized in BIV BC500 Most Influential Business Leaders in BC
Ray Walia, CEO of Launch has earned a well-deserved spot among the 500 most influential business leaders in British…
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From AI Livestock Monitoring to Digital Clones: Latest Innovations Revealed at Launch Builders
Explore the forefront of technology and innovation with our recap of the Launch Builders Meetup held on…
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Latest from Launch: Canada’s Startup Visa, Sports Tech Revolution & Milestones
Latest from Launch: Canada’s Startup Visa, Sports Tech Revolution & Member MilestonesDiscover Vancouver’s top tech events, follow founder journeys and explore Canada’s appeal for international…
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Launch Builders Unites Tech Innovators and Entrepreneurs
Launch Builders Meetup Unites Tech Innovators and Entrepreneurs Launch Builders Meetup held at Microsoft Vancouver on Sept 20, 2023, brought together a diverse group of individuals, all sharing a…
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Your Complete Guide to Canada’s Startup Visa [Updated 2024]
Discover the latest updates and essential information about Canada’s Startup Visa program in 2024. From eligibility requirements to…
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Success Stories, Innovation & Networking: Latest Highlights from Launch
Discover Vancouver’s top tech events, follow transformative journeys, and explore Canada’s appeal for international startup…
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Vancouver’s Top 15 Tech Meetups & Events: The Ultimate Networking List
Ray WaliaEveryone in the tech industry is still trying to find the right balance between getting back to the office, working…
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Launch BUILDERS Steal the Spotlight in an Exciting Month at Launch
Launch successfully hosted multiple events including Launch Builders & CxO Dinner Vancouver, celebrated the achievements of its…
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Minister Sean Fraser Unveils 6 New Strategies to Attract Tech Talent to Canada
Immigration Minister Sean Fraser Unveils Canada’s New Tech Talent StrategyCanada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser announced Canada’s first-ever ‘Tech Talent Strategy’ with…
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A Hong Kong Doctor turned Canadian Startup Founder — Fandy Ting, Ur Health Chart
Fandy Ting, a successful health practitioner in Hong Kong, came to realize that with a tech product, she could help a…
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Creating the World’s First Laundry Robot — Joshua Rabanne, Laundrx
Joshua Rabanne started his first business at 12 when he was selling nootropic tea to his fellow students before exams. Years later…
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Canada’s Startup Visa vs. United States’ International Entrepreneur Parole
What country comes to your mind first when you are thinking about the primary destination to build or expand a startup in…
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Startups From the UAE, USA, China & Lithuania Join Launch’s Latest Maple Cohort
We’re thrilled to showcase tech startups, from Edtech to Crypto, who have recently joined one of our latest Maple…
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Scale your startup with LaunchPad & AWS Activate
In November, we announced our partnership with Amazon, bringing support and perks to our Launchpad and Maple members. Along with access to the Amazon…
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2022 Year in Review
In 2022, we celebrated many successes: from reaching our 10th year anniversary, to launching over five types of programming. In 2023, we look forward to continue helping Launch…
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RBCx and Launch — Creating Pathways for Technology and Innovation in Canada
RBCx has been built by the Royal Bank of Canada to support tech companies with a full-service platform that provides access…
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These 9 Global Startups From Launch Are Set To Pitch to Over 250 Investors!
Each year multiple startups from all around the world join Launch programs such as Maple (Start-up Visa), LaunchPad, Launch…
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Creating DiamondHandBag a Digital-First Luxury Fashion Brand — Angel Pui, DiamondHandBag
Creating DiamondHandBag a Digital-First Luxury Fashion Brand — Angel PuiFrom creating a marketplace for weddings to launching a digital-first luxury brand, DiamondHandBag, Angel Pui, our guest from…
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Traction Conference 2022 – A Recap
After a hiatus of two years due to the pandemic, together with Boast.AI we were thrilled to host the 8th Annual in-person Traction Conference. Recognized as one of…
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A founder’s journey from Europe to China to now Canada — Lionello Lunesu, Defang Software Labs
A Founder’s Journey From Europe to China and Now to Canada — Lionello Lunesu, Defang Software LabsBefore moving to Canada and joining Launch Academy, Lionello Lunesu worked in the Netherlands…
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On Track To Disrupt Traditional Construction Management — Syed Ahmed, OnTraccr
For Syed Ahmed, launching his own startup was just a question of time. While working for Cisco Systems and Philips, he…
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“I Could Benefit the Entire Education Industry Through Technology” — Esther Szeto
Working as a teacher in inclusive schools for over 20 years, Esther Szeto noticed a lack of communication between…
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A Project Manager’s Journey From the Arctic to the Tech Industry — Nick Wilkinson
Bits & Bytes podcast is back for a brand new season! Hosted by your favourite Jean Yoon & Sam Chan from Launch, season…
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Launch 10 Year Anniversary 2012-2022
Launch Celebrates 10 Years!Launch was founded on April 1st, 2012, by Ray Walia, Roger Patterson, and Jesse Heaslip, three entrepreneurs who wanted to work with other like-minded entrepreneurs and…
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The Emergence of Vancouver as a Global Tech Hub
Centred around scenic mountains, abundant natural beauty and a world-class standard of living, Vancouver, Canada is much more than a great place to…
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How to Attract Investors’ Attention – Shafin Diamond Tejani
Serial entrepreneur and investor Shafin Diamond Tejani joined us recently for our ‘Ask Me Anything’ session moderated by Sam Chan, VP of…
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Creating Unique Travel Experiences with LocalAdventures
Born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Daniel Peña CEO & Cofounder of LocalAdventures had always been a fan of the outdoors. Although after…
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Build No-code Apps in 90 Seconds with Pineapple – David Cruz
Joining us on the latest Bits & Bytes episode is David Cruz, the winner of the recently concluded Launch.vc Pitch Competition 2021, founder…
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Pineapple – No Code App Builder Wins Launch.VC Pitch Competition 2021
Pineapple – No Code App Builder Wins Inaugural Launch.Vc Pitch Competition 2021Launch.VC and Launch Academy in partnership with MEP Business Council & Boast.AI is thrilled to announce that David…
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6 Startups to Vie for $20,000 at Launch.Vc Pitch Competition 2021
Launch.VC and Launch Academy in partnership with MEP Business Council & Boast.AI are presenting their first-ever pitch competition to…
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A ‘Supplierscave’ for Unused Industrial Products and Services
Have you ever wondered what goes into the operations behind big infrastructure projects like building a bridge or an underground railway…
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A ‘Bored Ape’ That Turned My Life Around Overnight – Swickie
The latest Bits & Bytes episode features Swickie, she talks about her NFT journey, NBA Top Shot, the rise of Kiki, a Bored Ape Yacht Club…
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15 Communities to Know in Vancouver’s Tech Ecosystem – William Johnson
William Johnson has known about Shopify since the e-commerce company was just a handful of people working from coffee shops and…
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The Need for More Diversity in the Tech Industry – Amy Tom
Our latest Bits and Bytes podcast features Amy Tom, senior editor and podcast manager at Hacker Noon. Having worked previously in the…
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Entrepreneurs Must Know When to End It – Adam O’Donnell
This month’s Bits & Bytes podcast features San Francisco-based startup mentor and entrepreneur Adam O’Donnell. Adam currently works at Zendesk…
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Vancouver’s Not-So-Stereotypical Accountant – Alfred Zagloul
Our latest Bits & Bytes podcast features Vancouver-based CPA Alfred Zagloul, specializing in performance management and accounting services…
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The Canadian Advantage For Startups Looking to Scale Globally
The decision for a founder to move their business away from their home country can be daunting, especially for older entrepreneurs who…
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News Release: LaunchPad Incubator Program Adapts to the Hybrid Work Environment
Launch’s LaunchPad Incubator Program Adapts to the Hybrid Work EnvironmentProviding up to 100 companies with grants totalling $120,000 in reduced program fees & up to $300,000 in startup perks for…
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When ‘Afternoon T’ met ‘Bits & Bytes’ – Chris Hobbs
Chris Hobbs believes that Vancouver’s talent has the potential to lead the way in Canada and build some of the greatest and the most impactful…
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News Release: Launch Your Startup, providing $100,000 in scholarships to aspiring entrepreneurs
Launch Your Startup Providing $100,000 in Scholarships to Aspiring EntrepreneursVANCOUVER, BC (May 18, 2021) – Ray Walia & Launch Academy are giving away $100,000 worth of scholarships for their…
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Top 7 Recruitment Tips for Startups with Andy Hu
Andy Hu believes recruitment is one of those industries where you can make a difference not only for your company but also for candidates. Jean Yoon &…
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Nigerian Startup Engulf VR Setting Up For Canadian Expansion
Meet Our Maple MembersAs we continue to welcome international startups virtually through our Maple Program. The latest addition to our…
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The Journey to Becoming Vancouver’s Top Food Influencer – Emma Choo
With over 100,000 followers on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube combined, Emma Choo is the most recognized food blogger in Vancouver!…
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F*#k Bad Coffee! Meet Vancouver’s Favourite Coffee Snob
Urban dictionary’s most decent description of a ‘snob’ is someone who thinks they’ve got better taste than others in most things. Usually, we…
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The Pivot From Payso to Finn AI – Nat Cartwright’s Journey
What felt like overnight, Nat Cartwright went from traveling business class and meeting heads of states to handing out Payso cards in…
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Launch Milestones – 2020 Edition
Launch Milestones: 2020 EditionLaunch has come a long way since its inception in 2012, solidifying its position as western Canada’s top technology hub and a globally recognized incubator. Launch’s…
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Bits & Bytes Ep. 8 — Just Try It: How We Went from Architecture, Kinesiology & Hospitality to Tech
In this special episode of Bits & Bytes, Sam asks the questions, and Jean sits on the interviewee…
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Bits & Bytes Ep. 7 — How Battlefy Became One of the First eSports Companies Before the Industry Existed
In this episode, Sam and Jean hopped on a call to catch up with Justin, CTO & Co-founder of one…
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The Importance Of Reeducation In Sparking Economic Recovery
Featured in Forbes | CouncilsLaunch’s Co-Founder and CEO Ray Walia is a regular contributor to Forbes Business Council. Recently he wrote…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Joshua Rabanne, Chu Paper (eCommerce)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 4 of our Maple Program. In an ongoing Maple…
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11 Local Entrepreneurs Reveal What Entrepreneurship Means to Them
Being an entrepreneur is a source of pride, but the word entrepreneurship often varies from person to person. In honour of…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Yulbin Kim, TREX (Info Tech, LaaS, ML)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 4 of our Maple Program. In an ongoing Maple…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Andrii Plakhotnyi, Hand2Note (SaaS)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 4 of our Maple Program. In an ongoing Maple…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Seongbeom, Benecoding (CyberSecurity)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 4 of our Maple Program. In an ongoing Maple…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Jing Li, Tracemetric Software Development Inc. (Mobile Advertising, SaaS)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 4 of our…
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Launch Alum Covalent Raises $3.1M
Launch Alum Covalent Raise $3.1MToday, our alumni Covalent announced that they’ve raised $3.1 million in oversubscribed funding, which they’ll use to advance product and market development to cement…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Eagle Chan, iStem AI Inc. (Machine Learning/AI, Education)
Meet Our Maple Member: Eagle Chan, iStem AI Inc. Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 4 of our Maple Program. In an ongoing Maple Member…
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Launch Alum Thinkific Raises $22M To Help Course Creators
Today, our alumni Thinkific announced that they’ve raised a whopping $22 million to help course creators! This funding will be used to fuel…
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Bits & Bytes Ep. 005 — The Challenges of First-Time Entrepreneurship with Naomi Van Halteren (LunaVR)
On this episode of Bits & Bytes, hosted by Launch’s very own Programs Manager Jean Yoon, we’re…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Ashish Nayyar, PushAssist (Info Tech, SaaS)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 4 of our Maple Program. In an ongoing…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Amitt Sharma, VDO.AI (Machine Learning/AI, Digital Advertising)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 4 of our Maple…
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Life After Launch: LunaVR
In an ongoing Life After Launch series, we interview various alumni about how they’re doing and what they have been up to since their time at Launch. Who are you? My name is…
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Meet the Launch Team: Camille Bonnet
The Launch team is growing! Join us in welcoming the newest member of our Programs Team, Camille Bonnet! Tell us a little about yourself I’m originally from…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Igor Debatur, Uploadcare (PaaS)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 4 of our Maple Program. In an ongoing Maple Member…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Lee Benson, Blueprint Ventures (SaaS)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 3 of our Maple Program. In an ongoing Maple…
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The Benefits of Canada’s Startup Visa Program Everyone Overlooks
In the past few weeks, there have been a number of setbacks involving immigration policies and in particular H1B visas, happening in…
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Traction Conf Webinar Series June 2020: Actionable strategies and tactics for supercharging your growth
Traction Conf Webinar SeriesActionable strategies and tactics for supercharging your growth As…
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Ask Me Anything: Alex Benjamin from 4A Capital
As part of our Launchpad program, we host exclusive live Ask Me Anything sessions with mentors from the tech ecosystem monthly for our members. For this…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Harry Yang, Skyclass Information Limited (International Education & AI)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 3 of our…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Ahmad Movahedian Attar, ClearAd (Media & Advertising)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 3 of our Maple Program. In an…
Read → Ask Me Anything: Boon Ng from Innovation Canada
As part of our Launchpad program, we host exclusive live Ask Me Anything sessions with mentors from the tech ecosystem monthly for our members. For…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Kevin Manship, Gamer One (Gaming)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 3 of our Maple Program. In an ongoing Maple…
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Supporting “Shape The Future” a new virtual event series on how VR/AR can transform the world
Launch Academy is excited to support a new virtual event series called “Shape The Future” produced by…
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Life After Launch: Siply
In an ongoing Life After Launch series, we interview various alumni about how they’re doing and what they have been up to since their time at Launch. Who are you? I’m Tom…
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Esports is the Guiding Star for Media and Entertainment
Amidst all of the COVID chaos, one thing is certain, business as usual will not be the same moving forward. There were already a number of…
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The State of Vancouver and BC’s VR/AR Ecosystem Report
Launch Academy is proud to be a partner to support Dan and Alex’s work on this in-depth report on the state of Vancouver and BC’s VR/AR…
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Life After Launch: TalentMarketplace
In an ongoing Life After Launch series, we interview various alumni about how they’re doing and what they have been up to since their time at Launch. Who are you?…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Tong Shen, Cool Wifi (Connection/Network)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 3 of our Maple Program. In an ongoing…
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Life After Launch: CozyCal
In an ongoing Life After Launch series, we interview various alumni about how they’re doing and what they have been up to since their time at Launch. Chris & Kat…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Karl Chan, Heymandi (Online Dating/Social Networking)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 3 of our Maple Program. In an…
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Mobilizing VR/AR talent impacted by COVID-19
Launch Academy is proud to support the Vancouver VR/AR Association and Shape Immersive’s COVID19 response program to mobilize the VR/AR industry’s talent…
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Impact of Maple 2017-2020: Infographic
Maple MilestonesSince becoming a designated organization in late 2017, we’ve welcomed almost 50 companies into our Maple Program, helping global entrepreneurs expand their businesses into North…
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Data Makes the World Go Around
A lot of people don’t know this about me but I’m actually a CPA (Certified Professional Accountant). Numbers have always been a big part of my life. Growing up, whenever…
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Meet Our Maple Member: Mignesh Parekh, Karmakarah Technologies (Gaming)
Every few months we welcome multiple international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 3 of our Maple Program. In an…
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Impact of Launch Academy 2012-2019: Infographic
Impact of Launch Academy 2012-20198 Years of MilestonesWe’ve visualized some of our milestones from the last 8 years. One that we are most proud of is the 1000’s of people we helped #failfast as they…
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How to Invest in esports
Ever wonder what the buzz about esports is? One of our Maple members and newest Canadians (pending immigration), GamerOne recently wrote a piece on Hackernoon detailing 5…
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Maple Welcome Social Recap (January 2020)
Every few months we have the pleasure of welcoming international startups to Vancouver, as they begin Phase 3 of our Maple Program. Most of them leverage…
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ICYMI: CEO Ray Walia chats with Brand India Studio about the Start-up Visa Program
New Start-up Visa Interview with Launch CEO, Ray Walia Back in November 2019, our CEO Ray Walia visited India to help…
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Welcoming Our 7th Maple Program Cohort to Vancouver!
Welcoming our 7th Maple Cohort to CanadaSince 2017, Launch Academy has been helping international tech companies going through Canada’s Start-up Visa Program successfully land in Vancouver and not…
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How International Startups Can Raise Funding in North America
Building a Solid Foundation in Canada for your Start-UpBased on Fortune’s Unicorn list in 2016, 39 of the top 100 unicorns are actually…
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ICYMI: Maple alumni DataTrue share their journey to Canada with Innovate BC
Maple alumni DataTrue were recently interviewed by our friends at Innovate BC about how they’ve transitioned from their…
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Gaining access to the US market via Canada: Building a Solid Foundation in Canada for your Start-Up
Gaining access to the US market via Canada Building a Solid Foundation in Canada for your Start-Up This is the first article of a 3-part blog series aimed to guide international entrepreneurs who are…
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Celebrating National Entrepreneurs’ Day 2019 with Launch Academy Members & Alumni
National Entrepreneurs’ Day, first recognized in 2010, is meant to celebrate all of the triumphs and breakthroughs of…
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Start-up Visa FAQ Series: If I don’t work with Launch Academy, can I still apply for the Start up Visa Program?
There are a few requirements to consider when applying for Canada’s Start-up Visa…
Read →Start-up Visa FAQ Series: How will being a part of the Start-up Visa Program affect my co-founders and team?
Applying for Canada’s Start-up Visa Program: Issues That Can Affect Co-Founders and Team MembersWhen you’re part of a successful company in your home country, you often have other stake-holders to…
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Start-up Visa FAQ Series: Why do I need a ‘Letter of Support’?
Applying for Canada’s Start-up Visa Program: Getting a Letter of SupportYou can read different government websites for more information about what a letter of support is, but you’re reading this…
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ICYMI: New Ventures ISI Grant Webinar
As a part of our Maple Program at Launch Academy, we connect our member companies with industry advisors and keep them up-to-date on the different local and…
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Start-up Visa Program’s Designated Organization Map
Understanding Canada’s Start-up Visa Program OptionsUnderstanding your options Canada’s Start-up Visa Program can get a bit complicated. We’re here to help simplify a few things for you! Let’s start…
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New Maple Cohort: Oco Has Landed!
OCO HAS LANDED!We are excited to announce another successful Startup Visa company has landed at Launch Academy! Join us in welcoming Andrey Lavrov, co-founder of Oco. Andrey, originally from Russia…
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New Maple Cohort: ClickSitter Has Landed!
CLICKSITTER HAS LANDED!We are proud to announce another successful Startup Visa landing. Join us in welcoming Luciana Pereira and Taric Andrade, Co-founders of ClickSitter. Luciana and Taric come…
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New Maple Cohort: Bloombase Has Landed!
BLOOMBASE HAS LANDED!We are happy to announce another successful Startup Visa (Maple) landing originally from Redwood City in the heart of the Silicon Valley! Join us in welcoming Sean Xiang CEO &…
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New Maple Cohort: Flair Has Landed!
FLAIR HAS LANDED!We are happy to announce another successful Startup Visa (Maple) landing originally from New York! Join us in welcoming Mezyad AlMasoud, CEO of Flair. Mezyad AlMasoud is a skilled…
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Launch Academy CEO, Ray Walia, nominated for TIA Person of the Year
The BC Tech Association has announced their finalists for the 2018 Technology Impact Awards (TIAs), highlighting some of the best…
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New Maple Cohort: EditionGuard Has Landed!
EDITIONGUARD HAS LANDED! We are happy to announce another successful Startup Visa landing! Join us in welcoming Turgay Birand CEO of EditionGuard. Turgay has been a software entrepreneur for almost…
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Keeprop Has Made Their Way To Canada Via the Start-up Visa Program!
KEEPROP HAS MOVED TO CANADA VIA STARTUP VISA Big welcome to Bosko Milosavljevic CEO of Keeprop! Bosko moved his company from Serbia to Canada through our Startup Visa program and is now working out…
Read → New Maple Cohort: Our 2nd Start-up Visa Company Has Landed!
Our Second Startup Visa Company Has Landed! Our Startup Visa program is ramping up and we’ve now welcomed our second company, DataTrue, all the way from Australia. DataTrue is an international leader…
Read →Exciting news from our members Talent Marketplace!
Exciting News for TalentMarketPlace! Our member TalentMarketplace has been accepted into the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP), an initiative aimed at bolstering innovation in Canada. This…
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Our First Startup Visa Company Has Landed!
Two weeks ago we welcomed our first Startup Visa company. The Startup Visa Program is targeting foreign entrepreneurs with the skills and potential to build…
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Life after You Launch [Launch Talk]
In celebration of Launch Academy’s 5 year anniversary, we brought back some of our original startups to talk about life after you launch! Building a startup is no…
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Launch Academy Companies Raise Over $57M In Funding
Over the past three years, Launch Academy has achieved some incredible milestones, from securing our first twelve startups on day one to hosting…
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THE ART OF THE PITCH
Crafting a pitch is an art — it takes time, practice and multiple revisions to craft your perfect business pitch. But by investing time and effort into crafting your pitch, you…
Read → Vancouver is THE Place for Startups
4 REASONS WHY VICTORY SQUARE VENTURES IN ANCHORED IN VANCOUVER. Note: This post was originally posted on Medium by our CEO, Ray Walia, on September 28th, 2015. As…
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The Quick and Dirty Guide to Launching Your Startup
HOW TO GET EARLY USERS INSTANTLY WITH LIMITED TIME AND MONEY Note: This post was originally posted on Medium by our Chief Strategy Officer, Alex…
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Grouplend CEO Kevin Sandhu’s Advice for Entrepreneurs
This week, we have a special #LaunchCrew alumni, Kevin Sandhu, returning to Launch Academy to host a Lunch ‘n’ Learn. Grouplend is a…
Read →How to Hack Your Way Into Getting An Investment Deal
“ASK FOR MONEY, GET ADVICE. ASK FOR ADVICE, GET MONEY TWICE”. HOW TO HACK YOUR WAY INTO GETTING AN INVESTMENT DEAL WITH AN INVESTOR Note: This…
Read →WHERE VANCOUVER’S TECH ECOSYSTEM GOES FROM HERE
Compass recently published its second report on the global startup ecosystem. The report is the result of more than 200 interviews with entrepreneurs…
Read →Launch Academy and Boast Capital Announce Traction
ConferenceLast week, we announced that we’re partnering with our friends at Boast Capital to host Canada’s largest gathering of growth experts…
Read →Cascadia Summit Closes Startup Week
Cascadia Summit Closes Starup Week with a Bang Vancouver, BC, Nov 24, 2014 – On Friday, November 21st Launch Academy, Plug and Play Canada and Boast Capital drew a crowd of over 500 investors…
Read →LEAP COHORT #2 ENDS WITH A BANG
THE LEAN ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM: A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVEThis fall, I had the pleasure of participating in the Launch Academy Lean Entrepreneur program, partnered with Emily Carr University and…
Read →LEP COHORT #2 ENDS WITH A BANG
Our own John Gray’s latest recap of our Lean Entrepreneur Program, check it below! This is the way the world ends Not with a bang but a whimper. – (The Hollow Men) T.S…
Read →RECEIVE $100K AND MORE FROM GOOGLE CLOUD PLATFORM
FOR STARTUPSSomething big just happened… We’re SUPER excited to announce that we’ll be joining our accelerator friends Y Combinator, 500Startups…
Read →APPLY TO PITCH AT CASCADIA SUMMIT!
APPL TO PITCH AT CASCADIA SUMMIT 2014!Cascadia is a premiere startup event where the most promising startups from Western Canada and the US showcase to an audience of over 500 investors…
Read →GROWTH HACKATHON IN WHISTLER
Come hack Whistler with two days of IoT innovation and networking at North America’s top resort. Date: August 20 – 21, 2014 Location: Fairmont Chateau Whistler, BC The…
Read →500 STARTUPS’ PREMONEY CONFERENCE
GUEST POSTLast week Ray Walia and I had the opportunity to attend the PreMoney Conference by 500 Startups. It was one of the largest gatherings of investors and…
Read →THE LEAN ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM – What’s the deal?
LEAN ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAM – WHAT’S THE DEAL?Fun fact: on average, an MBA costs upwards of $40,000 and two years of your life in exchange for a few funky letters at the end of your email signature…
Read →THE 2013 STUDENT STARTUP CHALLENGE: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
We had some amazing success stories emerge from our 2013 Student Startup Challenge. Today, both Cognilab and HelpHub have grown from simple…
Read →SLINGSHOT TO OFFER FREE PLANS TO ALL LA MEMBERS
SLINGSHOT TO OFFER FREE PLANS TO ALL LAUNCH ACADEMY MEMBERS!Yup, you heard it right. We’re super stoked to announce our latest partnership with Slingshot, who will be offering all Launch Academy…
Read →LAUNCH ACADEMY WELL-REPRESENTED AT PLUG AND PLAY’S STARTUP SHOWDOWN
With over 15 companies pitching for $25,000 in investment and three months in Silicon Valley, it’s no doubt that the competition was…
Read →LAUNCH ACADEMY MEMBERS DOMINATE AT ANGELHACK
Yup, that’s right. Banning together in a room full of 70+ hackers, three of our Launch Academy companies joined forces to kill the competition at the…
Read →90 DAY ONLINE MARKETING CHALLENGE
In today’s day and age, if company’s ignore social media marketing they are limiting their business from reaching the full potential it is capable of achieving…
Read →CASCADIA SUMMIT 2012 – PART 2
CASCADIA SUMMIT 2012 PART 1 Launch Academy and GrowLab have yet again set the stage in Seattle with Cascadia 2012. Entrepreneurs, investors, and tech experts from across Vancouver, Seattle, Portland…
Read →CASCADIA SUMMIT 2012 – PART 2
CASCADIA SUMMIT 2012 PART 2 The second part of the Cascadia Summit was an exclusive breakfast fireside chat with Bill Bryant from DFJ Venture Capital, and Ty and Terry from Heckler Associates. Both…
Read →IRON HACKER 2012: GET YOUR HACK ON!
Calling all Hackers! Launch Academy will be running “Iron Hacker“, its first hackathon, on December 8th,2012. Iron Hacker is a day-long hackathon in the mould of…
Read →FOCUS AND GETSH!TDONE!
Here is a great article by Clay Johnson on How to Focus and in the Launch Academy world… GETSH!TDONE! HOW TO FOCUS by Clay Johnson Most of the people who click on this article…
Read →LAUNCH ACADEMY DEMO DAY!
Here ye! Here ye! Launch Academy‘s 2nd Demo Day is almost here! Demo Day is a single day event to be held on November 20th, 2012, where tech start-ups from all over B.C…
Read →KARMAHIRE TURNS GOOD KARMA INTO STARTUP SUCCESS
KarmaHire has maintained an impressive momentum for a startup company. First a successful virtual career fair, then they were announced as one of three…
Read →ANGELS & INVESTORS CONNECT IN LAUNCH ACADEMY
Today, some of Vancouver’s top angels and investors congregated in our meeting room to hear local startup pitches. The event was hosted by our partners…
Read →STARTUP TOOLS: UNBOUNCE
This is part of our startup tools series that will feature products and services aimed at helping startups and entrepreneurs. Right now the criteria is that the company is B2B…
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32ND ANGEL FORUM NAMES MIKE EDWARDS BC ANGEL INVESTOR OF THE YEAR
The 32nd Angel Forum took place on Tuesday, October 16 at Harbour Centre in Vancouver. With over 100 entrepreneurs, investors and…
Read →MENTOR SESSION RECAP: IGOR, CEO OF MOBIFY
Igor Faletski, co-founder and CEO of Mobify, stopped by our office to chat about lessons learned bootstrapping and pricing products. Our members drew as much…
Read →BATTLEFY LAUNCHES TO SUCCESS & RECOGNITION
Jason Xu and Justin Wong have been gamers since they can remember, which provides a strong foundation for co-founding a gaming startup. The two founders…
Read →MENTOR RECAP- RAISING MONEY: THE SH*T NOBODY TALKS ABOUT
This week we were pleased to have Karl, an entrepreneur who has worked on financing a number of ventures around the world, speak with us about…
Read →STARTUP TOOLS: ZENDESK
This is the first in a series of startups tools posts that will feature products and services aimed at helping startups and entrepreneurs. Right now the criteria is that the…
Read →LAUNCH ACADEMY MEMBER SPOKAL WINS DRAGON’S DEN
The newly-branded Spokal team (nee netlek), Alexandra Skey, Chris Hrica and Chris Mack, received their well wishes from fellow Launch Academy members…
Read →BRITISH COLUMBIA HAS GREATEST STARTUP ACTIVITY
A new report by the CIBC suggests that the next decade might see the largest amount of Canadian startup activity on record. Currently, British Columbia…
Read →FEATURED FOUNDER: ALEX CHUANG, WEEVE
Right after I graduated with my degree in Masters in Management at UBC, I decided to embark on the journey of entrepreneurship. I had zero experience in doing a…
Read →#LPGROW12WRAP UP
#LPGROW12 WRAP UPIt’s hard to believe it was 5 years ago Danny Robinson and Maura Rodgers hosted the very first Launch Party event in Vancouver. 12 events later, LP has helped launch over 100…
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