Accelerate Entrepreneur
Accelerate Entrepreneur supports student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs through research internships in their own start-ups to develop core technologies, products, or services and advance commercialization.
Funder: Mitacs
Due Dates: Rolling (Applications accepted anytime)
Funding Amounts: $15,000 per 4–6-month internship unit; $20,000 option for new postdoctoral applications; projects up to two years
Summary: Funded research internships help student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs advance their start-ups’ core technologies, products, or services toward commercialization.
Key Information: Applicants must own and help manage an incorporated Canadian start-up housed in an approved incubator.
Description
Accelerate Entrepreneur is a Mitacs initiative supporting entrepreneurs in any academic discipline through research internships in their own start-ups. It helps undergraduate, graduate, college student, and postdoctoral entrepreneurs develop the research or technology at the core of their businesses while building professional entrepreneurial skills. Eligible recent graduates can also participate at their academic institution’s discretion.
The program supports piloting and testing new technologies, products, or services, improving existing offerings, and advancing commercialization while making effective use of limited budgets. Projects combine academic supervision with support from an approved incubator. The proposal must be research that expands the knowledge base relevant to the business and academic community—not simply consulting or completing a development task.
