Labs4 Market to Lab (MtL) Program
Also known as: Labs4 Market to Lab (MtL)
NSERC-funded, Canada-wide network of 40 colleges/universities (Labs4; headquartered at RRC Polytech, Winnipeg) helping researcher-entrepreneurs commercialize academic research. Cohort-based, ~2 months, in-person/online/hybrid depending on regional hub. Participant leads a student team on a commercialization project (market validation, business modeling, IP strategy, or customer development), with bootcamp-style workshops, one-on-one mentorship matching, startup training, and a final pitch event. $4,000 stipend to the participant. Cohorts launch twice annually.
Who qualifies
- ⚠️ HARD GATE: applicant must currently be a 'researcher-entrepreneur at a Canadian post-secondary institution' — college, undergraduate, master's, or PhD student, a postdoctoral researcher (within 5 years of graduation), or a recent graduate (within 2 years of graduation). A company whose founders have no stated current or recent academic affiliation does not meet this gate — do not assume it is met from incorporation status alone.
- Must have a validated research-based product, service, technology, or social innovation
- Founders may have already incorporated or plan to — targeted at overcoming 'early-stage barriers to growth', not idea-stage only
- Cannot have previously participated in an MtL cohort
- Open across all fields (not bioscience-restricted, despite this listing appearing on a bioscience program page); equity-deserving applicants specifically encouraged
Typical applicant
A current or recent (within 2 years) Canadian college/university student, postdoc (within 5 years), or otherwise academically-affiliated researcher-entrepreneur with a research-derived product, who wants structured commercialization training, mentorship, and a student team — not a standalone company whose founders lack a stated current/recent academic affiliation.
Verified against the official program page as of 2026-08-19. Programs change — always confirm current details with the program office before committing project spend.