Volta Labs and Launch36 Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2014 Cohort

It’s that time of year again, when Canadian accelerator programs seem to be making their calls for applications.

Halifax’s Launch36 startup accelerator, working in conjunction with the Volta Labs “startup house” has opened applications for its fifth cohort of startup companies to enter its program. The deadline for application is September 8.

Halifax’s Volta and Fredricton’s Planet Hatch, another coworking space, will work together to lead the accelerator programming in their respective locations. “Volta will facilitate this program by providing meaningful mentorship and a physical space with a strong internal community,” said Volta Labs’ Milan Vrekic.

Meanwhile, Propel ICT (which runs the Launch36 program) executive director Trevor MacAusland said theprogram has “served as catalyst for many new high growth entrepreneurs, attracting investment and creating jobs.”

With the “rapidly maturing startup community in Atlantic Canada,” the two programs said there’s a need to evolve their programming to address the needs of both early stage startups and those further along their journey. Thus, there will be two distinct programs.

The early stage program will be called “Start Phase,” a 12-week program starting in late-September. It won’t require any travel by the participants and sessions will be held in the evenings twice a week at both Planet Hatch and Volta. The program will focus picking the right cofounder, customer validation using lean startup methodologies and securing early-adopter customers.

Launch36, meanwhile, will operate a virtual program aimed at later stage startups. The “Build” phase will require startups to travel bi-weekly across Atlantic Canada, and will focus on “honing a repeatable model for customer acquisition, strengthening the startup team, and putting in place a framework for scale across people, process and systems.”

Only startups that are enrolled into the Build phase program will be eligible for BDC’s Convertible Note program.

Companies interested in applying for Cohort 5 should visit http://launch36.ca