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 leverage each other’s experience and networks. Mike Edwards joined the group as a co-founder and offered the available space at GrowLab, a Vancouver-based tech startup accelerator.
Within two weeks, 12 entrepreneurs jumped in on the opportunity, and by the end of April, over 30 entrepreneurs were working out of the space. Using the revenue from selling desk space, Ray bought more desks, but as demand for shared resources and learning grew, Launch and its business model had to evolve.
In September of 2012, Alex Chuang joined the group as a co-founder and helped Launch transform from a collaborative workspace into a tech hub offering a variety of essential startup programs and resources. 12 months later in April 2013, Launch established its new 12,000 sq.ft. home at the heart of Gastown in Vancouver.
Launch has come a long way since its inception in 2012, solidifying its position as western Canada’s top technology hub and an award-winning, globally recognized incubator. Launch’s success is a result of the resilience shown by our entrepreneurs, the dedication of our team and the support of our mentors, alumni, members, partners and extended networks.
As a not-for-profit organization, a lot of what Launch does is driven by the passion to facilitate the growing tech ecosystem in Vancouver. And in the process of doing so, we have seen some great entrepreneurial stories unfold in the last decade. From a few desks to helping thousands of founders from over 100 different countries through our Maple, Launchpad and Launch Your Startup programs, we come quite a long way over the past 10 years.
Our latest infographic Ten Years with Launch, reflects some of these success stories in numbers!
Follow the Launch network on social media and be a part of our growing community!
Launch Academy – Primary Launch channel covering news and information about our members, the Vancouver and Canadian ecosystem, and Launch programs and activities.
Twitter: @LaunchAcademyHQ Instagram: @LaunchAcademyHQ LinkedIn: @LaunchAcademyHQ Facebook:@LaunchAcademyHQ Youtube: @LaunchAcademyHQ Podcast: Bits & Bytes Podcast: Launch AMA AngelList: Launch-Academy
Launch Ventures – Parent company of Launch, covering news and information about investments, international partnerships, and news about our portfolio companies and the entrepreneurs in our networks. New Founder Journey Series exclusively on IGTV.
Twitter: @LaunchVC Instagram: @Launch.vc Podcast: Founder Journey LinkedIn: @LaunchVC Facebook: @LaunchVC
Traction Conference – Valuable source of information about our international events and webinars featuring high-profile speakers from Silicon Valley, focusing on growth marketing, sales, investments, and scaling and growing your business.
Twitter: @TractionConf_io LinkedIn: @TractionConf Facebook: @TractionConf Youtube: @TractionConf
LandingPad – Primary Launch channel for international companies interested in immigration and expansion and growth of your business into North America through Canada.
Twitter: @LandingPadHQ Youtube: @LandingPadHQ
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