Tech-savvy? Interested in kick-starting your business?

A new business accelerator, GrowLab, may be able to help. Launched in Vancouver as a "start-up boot camp" by a number of prominent entrepreneurs from Canada and Silicon Valley., the accelerator will provide successful applicants with tools to help them launch their companies.

The program will provide successful applicants with:

• $25,000 in seed funding;
• four months of mentorship;
• free office space; and
• the chance to pitch investors for follow-on funding once the program ends ($150,000) .

How start-up companies can apply

GrowLab has already begun accepting applications for its Fall Program from entrepreneurs globally, which can be found at http://www.growlab.ca/. The deadline for submission is June 20th, 2011.

The GrowLab Program

GrowLab strives to find innovative Internet entrepreneurs who are passionate about technology and have creative ideas.

The program will choose five companies for this first cohort, which begins in August 15, 2011. The first three months of the start-up boot camp will be based in Vancouver, with the entrepreneurs heading to San Francisco for the final month.
 
GrowLab has also signed on with a number of high-profile angel and venture investors such as iNovia Capital, BDC, The Blackberry Partners Fund, and Rho Canada, among others. At the end of the start-up program, companies will have a chance to pitch to these investors for up to $150,000 in additional financing.

The Founders

GrowLab was founded by four prominent figures in the business community:

• Boris Wertz: one of Canada's leading angel investors and former COO of AbeBooks.com
• Debbie Landa: founder of Dealmaker Media and creator of the Grow Conference and Under the Radar
• Jason Bailey: founder of SuperRewards (sold to AdKnowledge)
• Leonard Brody: president of Clarity Digital (former CEO of Now Public)

For more information, or to submit an application by the June 20th, 2011 deadline, visit http://www.growlab.ca/.

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