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 Program, including:

  1. Have a qualifying business
  2. Get a letter of support from a designated organization
  3. Meet the language requirements
  4. Bring enough money to settle

Most of those requirements require your company to do a bit of homework and preparation before coming to Canada and can be done on your own. But getting a letter of support from a designated organization will require you to team up with a Canadian organization, like Launch Academy.

Launch Academy is a designated organization. Do you need to work with us to be eligible for the Start-up Visa Program?

Absolutely not. There are a number of designated organizations across the country that you can work with. But not all organizations are created equal, and you should definitely do your research before requesting to work with a specific one.

What factors should you consider?

When you’re deciding what program or VC to work with, some important things you should consider are:

  • Location: would you need to move somewhere specific to work with this designated organization? Would you want to move there?
  • Price: Do you need to give up equity? How much? Is there a program fee?
  • Network: Would working with this designated organization increase your network in Canada? In North America? Globally?
  • Resources: What types of tools and resources will you be given, or will you need to figure everything out on your own?

What can Launch Academy’s Maple Program offer?

  • Location: We’re in Vancouver, one of the largest and fastest-growing tech hubs in Canada and North America.
  • Price: We’re a non-profit and don’t take equity in our companies. We require a program fee, paid off throughout our programming.
  • Network: We offer exclusive invites to quarterly CxO Summits, connecting Founders, C-Suite and VC’s from across North America. We also offer Office Hours with some of the brightest minds in tech startups.
  • Resources: We offer 1-on-1 mentorship with a dedicated lead mentor assigned based on your business needs. We provide assitance for everything needed to successfully land and launch in Canada for everything from incorporation to real estate needs.

About Launch Academy’s Maple Program

At Launch Academy in Vancouver, we work with tech companies who are established in their home country and looking to expand into the North American Market. We’ve been a designated organization since 2017 and have been helping companies land in Canada and launch their existing product or service since 2012. We don’t take equity in companies participating in our Maple program, but charge a program fee in exchange for our programming, access to extended resources and ample networking opportunities with Founders and VCs through our exclusive events and webinars.

If you’d like to find out more about Launch Academy’s Maple Program, find out more at launchacademy.ca/maple