Cohort 2026 — Now Open
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Virtual Growth Accelerator — Powered by Tech Manitoba

Designed to enhance
your experience at global events
& grow your business.

A personalized coaching program for Canadian tech companies. We help high-potential, high-growth founders conquer markets overseas — and, for selected companies, navigate the path to raising capital from private investors.

100% free for eligible Canadian tech companies — funded by NRC IRAP, delivered by Tech Manitoba.
№ 01 — The Offering

One program,
two tracks.

Every company in the program goes through the trade show track — that's the foundation. For a smaller group of selected founders ready to raise, the fundraising track runs in parallel.

Track I — Trade Show All companies

Going global, with intent.

A systemic approach to international trade events — from product analysis and target identification to meeting strategy, on-site execution, and follow-up. Trade shows aren't a roll of the dice; with the right preparation, they become a primary sales and business development vehicle.

Track II — Fundraising Selected companies

Raising capital, demystified.

For founders ready to raise from private investors. Six chapters covering everything from product-market fit and pitch deck construction through to closing the round. Offered alongside the trade show track for companies at the right stage.

№ 02a — The Method, Track I

How the trade show
track works.

A six-stage journey from product readiness to follow-up game. Every founder in the program runs through this — it's the spine of the offering.

Product
Analysis
Show &
Targets
Meeting
& KPIs
Strategy
Execution
🔥
Ready!
Follow
Up Game
№ 02b — The Method, Track II

Six chapters
on raising capital.

For selected companies in the fundraising track. Not every founder needs every module — the program manager identifies where mentorship will move the needle most.

01

Going to Market

  • A product people want — MVP shortcuts
  • Doing things that don't scale
  • Early signs of product-market fit
02

Building a Pitch Deck

  • The problem you're tackling
  • Why people should care
  • The clear narrative
  • Addressable market
  • Founding team
03

Identifying Investors

  • How to choose the right investors
  • The right stage
  • Accelerators
  • Decoding investors
  • Listing investors
04

Raising Capital — Part I

  • Rules of the game
  • How to message investors
  • The #1 job
  • The first meeting
  • Tricky terms
  • How to apply FOMO
05

Raising Capital — Part II

  • Turning the rules upside down
  • Setting deadlines
  • Parallel conversations
  • Handshake agreement
  • Closing the round
06

The Long-Term Strategy

  • Turning No's into Yes's
  • You are always raising
  • The conversations matter
№ 03 — Eligibility

Who the program
is for.

A focused program with clear criteria. To participate, your company must meet all of the requirements below.

The program is delivered to a small, curated group of Canadian tech companies each cohort. Spots are limited and allocated based on fit and readiness.

  • 01
    Tech company Working in software, hardware, or a tech-enabled service.
  • 02
    Canadian-based Headquartered in Canada and operating from here.
  • 03
    NRC IRAP client Currently registered with the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program.
  • 04
    Referred by an ITA Recommended by an Industrial Technology Advisor.
  • 05
    Potential to go global A product or service ready to scale beyond Canadian borders.
  • 06
    High potential for growth Demonstrable traction and ambition to build a category leader.
№ 04 — Track Record

Built on a decade
of founder work.

The Virtual Growth Accelerator is the culmination of years spent supporting Canadian founders into international markets and through capital raises.

250+
Start-ups our team has worked with across multiple programs
$480M
Raised in sales and investment for our member companies
Program Manager

Juliano Goulart

Founder · Operator · Program Manager

The program is led by Juliano Goulart, a founder before becoming a program manager. He founded Reclamao and Moxchat — the latter ultimately acquired by Jivochat.

The program brings together that founder experience and hundreds of hours spent supporting Canadian tech companies through international growth and capital raises.

№ 05 — Founders on the Record

In the words of
past participants.

A selection of testimonials from founders who've been through the program in its various forms.

The assistance enabled us to plan and execute a targeted strategy and define financial gain — including raising a pre-seed round of $580,000 and onboarding 25 additional consumers, representing nearly $500,000 in committed annual revenue.

Mehrsa Raeiszadeh Co-founder, TrafficDriven Inc.

It probably doubled or tripled the return on the trade show investment.

Jean-Samuel Chenard CEO, Motsai

I was blown away by the value Juliano and the team provided to our team prior to attending Web Summit. We were supported and mentored through the process — they're committed to making sure we get the most rewarding experience possible.

Ryan Donaldson BDM, ResumeFree

Working with Juliano has been a game changer for us. Having guidance from the initial phase of strategizing to organizing has been incredibly useful — he went out of his way to make connections and provide resources.

Kasey Machin Founder & COO, Aretolabs

We nailed every aspect of the game plan through the workshops. Juliano is committed and genuinely cares about Canadian business going global. The outcome — international partnership leads beyond our expectations.

William Wang CEO, Leafi

The event marketing program was a great success. We were able to break through the noise like no other campaign. We're now in the early stages of the fundraising program and can already see that the templated process will get better results in less time.

Jon Harris CEO, Buzz It

Going into business and wearing 10 different hats is very challenging. But while going through the program, I was given information and suggestions that really helped the business. We were able to pivot with good success.

Peter Hutchinson CEO, Kaput

After the first meeting, I knew the program would help us increase visibility. We were busy all day long with meetings on the first and second day — and we're looking forward to working with the companies we met.

Raashid Mohammed CTO, Polytenna

Having these regularly scheduled meetings allowed me to capture all the deliverables and prepare as much as I could for CES. I highly recommend the program.

Alex Rossol COO, AlignVR

A systemic approach designed to perform best at trade fairs. I was pleasantly surprised by how you found the right trade fair for us and explained how to find ones that would help us get traction.

Dikshant Dev Minhas Operations Lead, Fleethunt

The Virtual Growth Accelerator tools actually work.

Masha Chernestov Coordinator #CES2021, SeeRem
Cohort 2026–2027 — Limited spots

Not every founder needs the same mentorship. We'll find yours.

Apply below and we'll be in touch.