2024 New Ventures BC Competition Education Seminars

Here you can find the recordings and presentation slides from the 2024 New Ventures BC Competition Education Seminar Series that have happened so far.

Mitacs: Non-Dilutive Funding and Strategic Academic Partnerships
Perfecting Your Fundraising Deck
HR 101
The Pitch
Managing Your IP
Non-dilutive Capital: SR&ED
Corporate Structure
Funding Fundamentals
Startup Sprint

Mitacs: Non-Dilutive Funding and Strategic Academic Partnerships

Are you looking for specialized talent in high-tech fields or funding to advance your innovation agenda? Mitacs and Innovate BC have programs to help companies achieving these goals and help accessing talent, funding, and resources to accelerate technology development towards commercialization.

Marcelo Mora, Senior Advisor at Mitacs and Innovate BC and Lenny Freilich, Director of Strategic Accounts at Mitacts will be speaking about non-dilutive funding opportunities from both Mitacs and Innovate BC available for Canadian companies.

Speaker:
Marcelo Mora – Senior Advisor at Mitacs and Innovate BC
Lenny Freilich – Director, Strategic Accounts at Mitacs

See recording here and slides here.

Perfecting Your Fundraising Deck

You probably already know that a well-crafted fundraising deck is essential when pitching to potential investors, but do you know how to create one yet? Come listen to Laith Shukri, Director, Ecosystem Engagement at RBCx, discuss the best practices to create a compelling pitch deck, including showcasing your brand’s story, identifying potential funders, understanding what they’re looking for, and getting people excited about your company.

Laith will dive into various topics such as how to understand fund economics, incorporate storytelling elements, empathize with investors, and how to leave a lasting impression based on your startup’s unique story. Come join this lively discussions where participation and questions are highly encouraged!

Speaker:
Laith Shukri – Director, Ecosystem Engagement at RBCx

See slides here and recording here.

HR 101

Matthew Heiydt, founder of Backstretch Recruitment Group, deep dives into HR 101 and how to build a formidable team. From the basics through to strategic workforce solutions, this seminar will teach you how to minimize risk and make better decisions for you and your growing team.

Speaker:
Matthew Heiydt – Founder, Backstretch Recruitment Group

See recording here and slides here.

The Pitch

What goes into a winning pitch? Paul Brassard, Managing Partner at Volition, will share tips for refining and perfecting your pitch.

Speakers:
Paul Brassard – Managing Partner, Volition

See recording here, and slides here.

Managing Your IP

Trade-marks and patents can be daunting for the first-time entrepreneur. Do you need to go through registration? In what jurisdictions and when? What are the rules around the elements of intellectual property in Canada and beyond? Roger Kuypers and Ling Wong will guide you on this process, giving you the basics you need to better investigate your options.

Speakers:
Roger Kuypers – Partner, Trademark Agent, Fasken
Ling Wong – Counsel, Patent & Trademark Agent, Fasken

See recording here, and slides here.

Non-dilutive Capital: SR&ED

EY Canada’s SR&ED team will review the Scientific Research & Experimental Development program and discuss how businesses, regardless of their corporate structure or size, can recover costs of R&D expenses through federal and provincial tax credits.

Learn how to determine whether you qualify for the SR&ED program and identify eligible expense activities and methods for claiming R&D expenses. The EY team will also share how SR&ED can bring value to your business, both as an operating capital opportunity and a way to positively position your company, product and process with investors.

Speakers:
Tamara J Tarnowsky – Senior Manager, EY Canada
Mo Mostafaei – Partner, EY Canada

See recording here, and slides here.

Corporate Structure

Join New Ventures BC and Fasken for a workshop on Corporate Structure and Legal Agreements. This seminar will address the initial corporate matters you need to consider in building your technology company.

During this seminar, you’ll get essential insights into corporate structure plus some Q&A time from speakers Hardeep Gill, Sam Li and Geoff Pedlow of Fasken.

Topics covered include:
Initial corporate structuring issues
Allocating founders shares
Preparing a financing plan
Sourcing seed capital
Allocating stock options
Financing a new venture
Taxes

See slides for the session here. And check out our Corporate Structure recording here.

Funding Fundamentals

Thank you to everyone who joined us for an afternoon covering what startups should know about raising capital.

Agenda:

1:15pm: Intro to Capital Compass, Stacey Armstrong, Ecosystem Relations Manager, Innovate BC and Capital Compass – Slides
1:30pm: Capital and Valuation, Jeff Lightburn, Director, Technology & Innovation Banking Group, National Bank of Canada – Slides
2:00pm: Funding Fundamentals, Keith Ippel, Co-CEO & Founder, Spring – Slides + Investor Email Template

Check out our Funding Fundamentals recording here.

Startup Sprint

Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and online for our day packed with startup essentials.