Platform Calgary, Careers in Technology and Innovation (CITI), and the Calgary Innovation Coalition are presenting a new program designed to help early-stage hardtech founders move their physical technologies toward commercialization.
Venture Foundations: Advanced Manufacturing is a free, eight-week, in-person program for Calgary-area founders building hardware, robotics, advanced manufacturing technologies and other physical products.
The program addresses challenges that are not always covered by software-focused startup programs. Hardtech companies typically face longer prototyping cycles, complex manufacturing decisions, intellectual property considerations and different capital requirements.
The need for specialized support is increasingly evident as Calgary’s hardtech ecosystem grows. Connected-safety company Blackline Safety has built a global business from the city, while liquid-cooling pioneer CoolIT Systems was acquired by Ecolab this year in a transaction valued at approximately $4.75 billion.
Beginning October 15, Venture Foundations will bring together a small cohort of eight companies for five applied workshops hosted at Platform Calgary, SAIT and the Life Sciences Innovation Hub.
Sessions will cover business modelling, customer discovery, prototyping and manufacturing, intellectual property, and funding readiness and growth strategy. Each workshop is designed to produce practical outputs that founders can immediately apply to their ventures.
While Platform Calgary, CITI and the Calgary Innovation Coalition are leading the initiative, workshop and ecosystem partners—including SAIT, the Life Sciences Innovation Hub, ElevateIP and UCeed—will contribute specialized expertise and resources to individual sessions.
The program is intended for early-stage ventures at approximately Technology Readiness Levels 1 through 3. Ideal applicants will bring strong technical, research, industry or domain expertise and be ready to test their assumptions with customers and strengthen the commercial side of their business.
No previous funding or advanced commercialization progress is required.
Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of their customers, business model and commercialization path, along with a product-validation plan, guidance around manufacturing and intellectual property, and a roadmap for funding and growth.
Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis until September 23, with a maximum of eight companies selected. Calgary founders can learn more and apply online.
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