Venture Hub

Explore the hub where we spotlight the ideas, people, and trends shaping the future of entrepreneurship. From startup news and ecosystem analysis to founder journeys and investor perspectives, this is where the pulse of the startup world lives -
especially for those building and scaling in Canada and beyond.

How to Win Your First Enterprise Customer in Canada (Without a Big Network)
Tips & Lessons Rafay Zia Tips & Lessons Rafay Zia

How to Win Your First Enterprise Customer in Canada (Without a Big Network)

How to Win Your First Enterprise Customer in Canada (Without a Big Network)

Landing your first enterprise customer is hard. doing it in a new country, with no network? harder.

Canadian enterprises move slower than startups. they expect structure, credibility, and context. if you're a new founder from outside the country, it can feel like a wall.

Here's how to break in, without warm intros or a big name behind you.

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What Does an MVP Actually Look Like? (With Real Examples)
Tips & Lessons Rafay Zia Tips & Lessons Rafay Zia

What Does an MVP Actually Look Like? (With Real Examples)

What Does an MVP Actually Look Like? (With Real Examples)

Early-stage founders hear it all the time: "Just build an MVP."

But what is an MVP really? It’s not a half-built product or a stripped-down app. It’s the simplest version of your idea that lets you test the most important assumption, whether someone will use or pay for it.

In real life, MVPs come in all shapes and sizes. Here’s how smart founders built real MVPs, fast, lean, and focused.

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How Atlantic Canada Is Supporting Regional Tech Innovation
Industry Trends Rafay Zia Industry Trends Rafay Zia

How Atlantic Canada Is Supporting Regional Tech Innovation

How Atlantic Canada Is Supporting Regional Tech Innovation

In July 2025, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) announced over $2.5 million to support technology-driven projects in public infrastructure, environmental management, and workplace applications. These projects reflect a broader trend: Atlantic Canada is positioning itself as a region for applied technology development and real-world application.

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Build vs. Buy: A Real Startup Dilemma for Early-Stage Founders
Tips & Lessons Rafay Zia Tips & Lessons Rafay Zia

Build vs. Buy: A Real Startup Dilemma for Early-Stage Founders

Build vs. Buy: A Real Startup Dilemma for Early-Stage Founders

You’ve just landed your first pilot customer. You’ve got $50K in the bank, a part-time developer, and 6 weeks to show something real.

The customer wants a dashboard, notifications, and some kind of reporting. You’re wondering: should we build all this custom? Or hack it together with Airtable, Zapier, and Google Sheets?

Welcome to the "build vs. buy" dilemma. Every early-stage founder hits this wall. And the right decision isn’t always obvious.

Here’s a grounded way to think through it, based on real startup experience.

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Webinar Series: Building a Strategic Technology Roadmap with Harel Lichtenstein
Webinar Series Rafay Zia Webinar Series Rafay Zia

Webinar Series: Building a Strategic Technology Roadmap with Harel Lichtenstein

𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗶𝗻

What does a clear, intentional technology plan look like for a startup?

In our latest session, Harel Lichtenstein, MASc, P.Eng., shared a structured approach to building technology roadmaps that support long-term business goals. Drawing on more than a decade of experience in both hardware and software at companies like Intel, Microsoft and Marvell, Harel outlined what it takes to move from vision to execution.

Highlights from the session included:

  • The key elements of an effective technology plan

  • Aligning technical development with strategic business outcomes

  • Frameworks for defining milestones, KPIs and resource needs

  • Methods for integrating design, staffing and budgeting into roadmap planning

This session offered founders a toolkit for turning complex product ideas into actionable and measurable plans. Thanks to Harel for bringing these insights to our startups and helping them think strategically about their technology path.

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Canada’s AI Compute Access Fund: Fueling the Next Wave of Innovation
Industry Trends Rafay Zia Industry Trends Rafay Zia

Canada’s AI Compute Access Fund: Fueling the Next Wave of Innovation

Canada’s AI Compute Access Fund: Fueling the Next Wave of Innovation

Canada is making a decisive move to strengthen its AI ecosystem.

Through the launch of the AI Compute Access Fund, the federal government is investing up to $300 million to help AI-focused startups and scale-ups access the cloud computing power they need to grow. The fund is part of Canada’s broader Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, a national initiative aimed at boosting domestic innovation, productivity, and global competitiveness.

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Prioritize Cost-Effective Innovation – Achieve More with Less
Tips & Lessons Rafay Zia Tips & Lessons Rafay Zia

Prioritize Cost-Effective Innovation – Achieve More with Less

Prioritize Cost-Effective Innovation – Achieve More with Less

Innovation is the lifeblood of every startup, but it doesn’t have to come with a hefty price tag. Prioritizing cost-effective innovation means finding smart, resourceful ways to push boundaries while keeping expenses in check. In a lean startup environment, every dollar should drive creativity and impact without draining your runway.

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Webinar Series: Navigating the Canadian Fintech Ecosystem
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Webinar Series: Navigating the Canadian Fintech Ecosystem

Today, our startup founders joined an engaging session with Mark Sam to explore the fundamentals of Canada’s fintech landscape.

Mark Sam is the Founder & Managing Director of Major Street Enterprises, a boutique consulting firm that helps digital banking and fintech executives grow open banking, embedded finance and AI enabled revenues. He previously led Plaid’s Canadian growth and held senior roles at BCG and Accenture. He shared practical insights into how Canada’s concentrated banking sector, evolving regulatory environment, and upcoming innovations like open banking are shaping the market for fintech entrants.

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Canada's FinTech Revolution: How Open Banking Will Change the Game
Industry Trends Rafay Zia Industry Trends Rafay Zia

Canada's FinTech Revolution: How Open Banking Will Change the Game

Canada's FinTech sector is booming, driving innovation across digital payments, lending, wealth management, and more. However, the most significant leap forward is still on the horizon: open banking. This emerging regulatory framework will enable secure data sharing between banks and fintech startups, fundamentally reshaping Canada’s financial landscape.

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How AI is Empowering Individual Entrepreneurs in 2025
Industry Trends Andrea Meade Industry Trends Andrea Meade

How AI is Empowering Individual Entrepreneurs in 2025

As Canada advances its leadership in AI and inclusive innovation, supporting AI-enabled solo entrepreneurs can unlock a new wave of agile, diverse, and scalable startups. By lowering barriers, these tools empower greater participation from international and underrepresented founders, strengthening Canada’s innovation ecosystem.

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How to Validate a Business Idea Using Vibe Coding.
Tips & Lessons Andrea Meade Tips & Lessons Andrea Meade

How to Validate a Business Idea Using Vibe Coding.

You do not need a technical background or a DEV team to validate an idea. You need curiosity, hustle, and the right tools. With Vibe Coding, you can validate a business idea using no-code tools, customer conversations, and low-risk experiments. Start small. Learn quickly. Build only when there is a real need to solve.

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Canada’s Winning Edge: How Diversity and Immigration Fuel Startup Growth
Industry Trends Andrea Meade Industry Trends Andrea Meade

Canada’s Winning Edge: How Diversity and Immigration Fuel Startup Growth

Canada’s approach to talent and immigration has become one of its greatest strengths in building a thriving startup ecosystem. By embracing inclusive policies and encouraging diversity, Canada is not only welcoming skilled professionals from around the world, but it’s also unlocking new levels of innovation and business potential.

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