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Accelerate Okanagan

Kelowna, British ColumbiaFinesseMember

mentorship, connections, and community they need to build technology-driven ventures

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Located in Kelowna, BC, and serving the Okanagan community. We give entrepreneurs the mentorship, connections, and community they need to build technology-driven ventures. As the Okanagan tech community and companies within it continue to grow, so does our support model. Coined ‘Continuous Acceleration,’ we deliver unique programming for different stages of growth. The reality is, each stage of the entrepreneurial process demands a different set of tools and we are constantly iterating in an effort to meet those needs.

Type

Not-for-Profit

Founded

2010

Regions

British Columbia (BC)

Operates coworking spaces including OKGN Works located in the Kelowna Innovation Centre with dedicated desk tenancy and meeting room rental available. Offers multiple membership tiers (Connector, Tech, Tech Pro, Network, Investor, Ecosystem Partnership) designed for different stakeholder groups in the tech ecosystem. Hosts community events and maintains a member directory and partner directory.

Industries

General/industry agnostic

Focus Areas

technology entrepreneurshipcapital raisingintellectual property protectionmarket expansiongrowth-stage companies

Sourced from website

Stages supported

IdeaDiscoveryValidationEfficiencyScale

Services offered

  • Access to free or discounted licenses for products or devkits
  • Discounted and/or free professional services (legal, accounting, bookkeeping, etc.)
  • Financing opportunities and connections with investor groups
  • Free educational events or programming (ie. lunch and learns)
  • Intellectual property education and assistance (Includes: patent, trademark and copyright evaluation, intellectual property strategy, protection and licensing)
  • Mentorship and access to advisors
  • Networking opportunities and community events
  • Office space, co-working environment
  • Paid programming (cash)
  • Trade and export support (Includes: Business development missions, internationalization, and any other activities linked to international market development)
  • Virtual office space, reception services
Finessehigh confidence

Refining and expanding venture growth and entrepreneurial competencies and create the connections across innovation ecosystem

Sector-agnostic (broad industry focus). Higher accountability signals (equity/paid programs, later-stage focus).

Learn more about the four BAI types →

ThreeSixty

accelerator

Founder-first advisory initiative for tech entrepreneurs on the path to scale, offering custom-designed solutions oriented around mentorship, strategic milestones, and peer-driven insights

Delta

accelerator

Offers funding and support for growth-stage tech companies ready to take on a high-impact project, with up to $45,000 in co-investment available

Fundable

course

8-week capital-focused program designed for entrepreneurs to increase understanding of capital-raising pathways and prepare to be investable

Okanagan Angel Summit

event

8-week pitch program designed to educate investors and startups on the investment process, culminating in a public finale where investment of $150K+ will be made

AccelerateIP

course

Integrated, three-stream intellectual property capacity-building program focused on helping startups protect, manage, and leverage their intellectual property

Market Diversification

other

Provides up to $10,000 in matching funds to help small to medium-sized businesses in the Southern Interior grow beyond B.C. and the U.S. by entering new extra-provincial or international markets

Sourced from website

ES

Empowered Startups

Vancouver, British Columbia

Empowered incubates and accelerates driven entrepreneurial leaders capable of building outstanding startups that bring customers and institutional capital knocking on the door. Our unique model incubates talented Canadian entrepreneurs and Foreign entrepreneurs and connects their start-ups with international customers. We invest seed capital and time in the best scalable start-ups so that our start-up founders can aggressively pursue their revenue goals.

General/industry agnostic
Visa
Finesse
BT

BC Tech

Vancouver, British Columbia

BC Tech Association is dedicated to making British Columbia the best place to grow and scale a tech company. They provide opportunities for the tech industry to collaborate, learn, and grow together. They connect companies, develop talent, share stories.

General/industry agnostic
Foundations & Ecosystem-Building
E

entrepreneurship@UBCO

Kelowna, British Columbia

Trusted Guidance, Lasting Impact

e@UBCO's mission is to provide enriching opportunities for the UBCO community to engage in entrepreneurial thinking and inspire action on some of the worlds most pressing problems.

General/industry agnostic
University
Finesse
SC

Scale Collaborative

Victoria, British Columbia

Founded in 2014, Scale Collaborative strives to create a thriving, connected and financially resilient social change sector. Scale provides learning programs, consulting, coaching and facilitation to assist non-profits, social enterprises and ecosystem actors to advance approaches that strengthen local communities and the social economy. Scale Collaborative supports a number of initiatives including Thrive Impact Fund, Business Legacies Initiative, Social Enterprise Catalyst, British Columbia Social Procurement Initiative, Thriving Non Profits and theDock – Centre for Social Impact.

General/industry agnostic
Foundations & Ecosystem-Building