Lazaridis Institute accepting applications for 2017 Scale-Up Program

The Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises at Wilfrid Laurier University announced it is now accepting applications for the second cohort of the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program. The program gives 10 Canadian scale-up technology companies the opportunity to fast-track their growth by working with experienced mentors and experts from around the world. The second cohort will begin in October 2017.

The Lazaridis Scale-Up Program focuses on a specific national challenge: the need for more globally competitive technology companies in Canada, and the jobs and economic benefits that come with them.

“Our first cohort of companies was incredible, and we learned a lot together,” said Kim Morouney, executive director of the Lazaridis Institute. “Everything we do is built around the specific companies in the cohort, but the mission remains the same: we want to identify the top scale-up firms in the country and give them access to the resources they need to grow their businesses and create value in Canada. We look forward to meeting our next Lazaridis 10.”

The companies that participated in the first year of the program benefited from 1:1 mentorship from executives with scaling experience who were specifically chosen for each participant based on their industry and current challenges.

“After just six months, we’re a different company than when we started,” said program participant Jordan Kyriakidis, president and CEO of QRA Corp. “We have more of a direction and a focus on where we want to go.

And we feel like we have the tools to actually get there.”

The program opens up market opportunities and prepares companies for their next round of financing. The upcoming 2017/2018 program includes one weekend module each month between October 2017 and February

2018. A final weeklong session will take place in March 2018.

Weekend module themes in 2017:

*What does it take to scale?

*Scaling leadership

*Product

*Customer acquisition and scaling sales

*Finance and operations

*Global growth

“The Scale-Up Program provides an unparalleled opportunity for firms who have the drive and ambition to be global leaders,” said program participant Will Lymer, co-founder of ARC4DIA. “If you’re a Canadian firm that wants to establish a presence on the global stage, and be an industry leader, I can’t think of another program that would give entrepreneurs the same opportunity in terms of exceptional curriculum, program staff and best-in-class mentors.”

The Lazaridis Institute is using Hockeystick for its applicant management process, as part of the first phase of the national scale-up data platform announced last month. Applications for the next cohort of the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program will be open until June 30, 2017. The Lazaridis Institute is holding a series of information sessions across Canada for potential applicants. A listing of events can be found at http://lazaridisinstitute.eventbrite.com.