Validate your ideas
as a business

Think your idea has potential? With Lab2Market Validate, you’ll get the space and support to explore its possibilities in the entrepreneurial world.

Validate Your Idea.
Unlock Its Potential.

Lab2Market Validate offers researchers a unique platform to explore and test the real-world potential of their innovations. Over the course of a thoughtfully designed 16-week journey, participants receive funding, hands-on training, and expert mentorship, all aimed at bridging the gap between research and entrepreneurship. The program emphasizes customer discovery, market validation, and resilience-building, ensuring that participants gain both practical skills and strategic insights. With each phase, researchers move closer to understanding the commercial value of their work while developing the confidence to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities.

Phase 1: Pre-Program (4 weeks)

Embark on your journey to transform research into real-world impact. As part of the program, you’ll join a supportive community of ambitious peers from varied disciplines, gaining insights from industry leaders and entrepreneurs who have successfully navigated the path before you. Along the way, you’ll be equipped with proven tools, frameworks, and strategies to analyze markets, connect with potential customers, and refine your idea for maximum relevance and impact.

Phase 2: Core-Program (8 weeks)

Step beyond the classroom and put theory into practice by engaging directly with your market. This stage challenges you to move quickly, test assumptions, and adapt to real-world feedback. While the pace is demanding, you’ll be backed by a strong network of mentors, industry professionals, and peers, alongside access to targeted workshops and expert-led sessions that deepen your entrepreneurial knowledge.

Phase 3: Post-Program (4 weeks)

Reflect on your journey by reviewing key insights and mapping the next steps for your idea. This stage is about consolidating what you’ve learned, identifying the most promising opportunities, and setting a clear direction for the future. You’ll also share your achievements with peers and mentors, celebrating milestones together as part of the Lab2Market community.

Eligibility

Lab2Market Validate is designed to give researchers the tools, confidence, and guidance to explore the entrepreneurial potential of their work. Open to Master’s, Ph.D., and Postdoctoral candidates nationwide, the program provides a unique opportunity to learn how to translate research into impact. Through structured phases, expert mentorship, and hands-on learning, participants gain the skills needed to test, refine, and validate their ideas in a real-world context.
Alongside the national program, specialized cohorts such as Lab2Market Health focus on specific industries like Pharmaceuticals, Med-Tech, Medical Devices, Human and Animal Health, and Health IT. With multiple intakes throughout the year, researchers from diverse backgrounds can find a cohort that aligns with their field and ambitions. By joining, you not only gain access to funding and resources but also become part of a collaborative community committed to turning research into innovation.

Applications are open for
Validate - Alberta Winter 2026.

Application deadline:

September 22, 2025