Lay the foundation for your entrepreneurial journey.
Are you eager to bring your idea to market but unsure where to start? As a researcher in emerging technologies, you may sense the commercial potential of your work but need guidance on how to take the first step and tap into the resources around you. With Validate Foundations, you'll gain the essential knowledge and tools to seize these opportunities, including access to our Lab2Market Validate program.
Our Program
Validate Foundations is a three-day intensive virtual training program aimed at providing participants with a comprehensive understanding of the process and best practices for research commercialization. Upon completion, graduates will possess the knowledge necessary to initiate their commercialization endeavors and strategically position their projects to capitalize on various opportunities within the ecosystem. These opportunities include Lab2Market’s Validate program, incubator and accelerator programs, and public innovation grants.
Eligibility
Validate Foundations is offered free of cost and is open to all researchers (Undergrads, Masters, Ph.D., and Postdocs) and faculty from all disciplines, in Canada.
Eligibility may vary slightly depending on the cohort being offered. Please refer to the cohort descriptions below.
The program is designed for individuals seeking to commercialize their ideas—those who envision how their technology can benefit the real world and wish to understand the steps required for commercialization. This program consists of six online sessions delivered over three days.
If you have already made the decision to leap into the world of entrepreneurship and try commercializing your technology, check out our Lab2Market Validate and Launch programs.
Still have questions? Email us at validate@lab2market.ca to request more information.
Apply to Upcoming Validate Foundation Cohorts
L2M Validate Foundations Winter 2026 - Atlantic
Eligibility: Graduate researchers (Masters, PhD, and Postdoc), recent graduates, research staff, and faculty from universities and colleges in Atlantic Canada, who are interested in exploring research commercialization and entrepreneurship. This program will be delivered by Dalhousie University.
Program dates: February 9, 11, 13, 2026
Application deadline: February 9, 2026
L2M Validate Foundations Winter 2026 - Ontario
Eligibility: Graduate researchers (Masters, PhD, and Postdoc), undergraduate researchers, recent graduates, and faculty from universities and colleges in Ontario, who are interested in exploring research commercialization and entrepreneurship. This program will be delivered by Laurentian University.
Program dates: March 4-6, 2026
Application deadline: February 27, 2026
L2M Health: Validate Foundations for Physicians - Spring 2026
Eligibility: Physicians across Canada who are interested in learning more about research commercialization. This workshop is a 3-day intensive virtual training program providing physicians with a comprehensive understanding of the processes and best practices for research commercialization. This program will be delivered by the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine.
Program dates: March 23, 25, 27, 2026, 2:00 - 4:00 PM EST
Application deadline: March 18, 2026
L2M Health: Validate Foundations for Principal Investigators - Spring 2026
Eligibility: Principal investigators across Canada who are interested in learning more about research commercialization. This workshop is a 3-day intensive virtual training program providing principal investigators with a comprehensive understanding of the processes and best practices for research commercialization. This program will be delivered by Innovation UBC at the University of British Columbia.
Program dates: March 25, 27, 29, 2026, 11:00 - 1:00 PM PST
Application deadline: March 18, 2026
“I have been trained as a scientist all my university life, but I have always dreamed of starting my own business. There was a huge gap between my fantasy and reality, and Lab2Market Validate built a bridge. When I started this program, I was a green hand with zero experience in the market, but everyone I met during the program taught and helped me both enthusiastically and patiently.”
- Hao Guo
Ph.D. Candidate in Medical Physics at Dalhousie University