Accelerate Entrepreneur
Accelerate Entrepreneur supports student and postdoctoral entrepreneurs through research internships that develop, test, and refine start-up innovations to advance commercialization and get to market faster.
Funder: Mitacs
Due Dates: Rolling (Applications) | Within four months of the last internship unit’s completion (Extension requests)
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 develop, test, and refine their start-ups’ innovations for commercialization.
Key Information: Entrepreneurs must own and manage or operate an incorporated start-up housed at an approved incubator.
Description
Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur supports research and technology development at the core of start-up businesses. Open to entrepreneurs in any academic discipline, it funds internships that help pilot and test new products, services, or technologies, or improve existing ones. The initiative aims to help start-ups optimize limited budgets, advance commercialization, and get to market faster while entrepreneurs develop professional skills.
The program is designed for college, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral entrepreneurs, with recent graduates also eligible under specified conditions. Projects combine support from an approved incubator and an academic supervisor. They can scale from four months to a maximum of two years; further research may be proposed through a new application after discussion with a Mitacs Advisor.
