Deadline: January 31, 2025
Are you an innovative entrepreneur who’s action-oriented, opportunity-focused, and always ready for a challenge? YEDI’s Incubator Program 2025 is seeking 15 ambitious individuals to join this year’s cohort!
Accepted students undergo a free, intensive 16-week program, including formal academic lectures by YEDI instructors, workshop-based training in entrepreneurship, and mentorship by key industry leaders. At the end of the incubator, entrepreneurs will have a professionally developed business plan, an executive summary, and a proper business model that is ready to pitch and potentially bring to the market. Upon successful program completion, participants receive a formal certification from YEDI.
Curriculum Components
- Sessions: Selected entrepreneurs participate in sessions facilitated by YEDI professors and instructors, providing a solid foundation in business theory and economics. Theory examined includes: entrepreneurship, marketing and sales strategy, business development and growth, finance, and communication skills.
- Venture Fair: The Venture Fair provides a concrete opportunity for participants to showcase their business plan, models, and milestones to an investor audience, as well as create industry partnerships that will take their venture to the next step in development and success.
- Mentorship: Entrepreneurs will be matched with subject matter experts across diverse industries. The YEDI Program Coordinator will ensure that volunteer mentors from pertinent sectors are available for valuable insight, problem-solving, and networking opportunities.
- Peer Clusters and Milestones: Entrepreneurs often benefit by sharing best practices, challenges, and accomplishments with one another. The YEDI Director coordinates regular entrepreneur cluster meetings to facilitate constructive feedback, group exercises, and peer-support.
- Funding: Upon program completion, graduates are eligible to apply for seed funding and/or VC funding through YEDI’s Venture Capital fund. Funding is intended for early-stage opportunities in the start-up validation stage, when the scientific, technical and commercial merit, as well as the feasibility of the applicant’s product or service has been determined.
Cost
- There are no fees associated with the program.
Eligibility
- Applicant is the founder; co-founder(s) will be considered;
- Any adult age or background;
- A unique and innovative idea that is in raw, seed, early, or growth stage;
- Applicant(s) is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Application
YEDI is scouting for innovative ideas at any stage of their cycle. “Innovation” strives to both solve an issue, as well as alter the system that initially gave rise to such issue. Startups from any field will be considered.
For more information, visit YEDI.
