Ascension

Incubation program for fintech startups

Ascension is the essential starting point for any fintech startup in Canada

Applications are now closed.

Selected startups will be notified in January 2021

Building a startup is hard.
Building a fintech startup is even harder.

Reach Your Next Milestone

Ascension is the only incubation program in Canada dedicated to fintech startups

3 Month Program

To help with your climb, you will receive:

Mentorship

Focused guidance from industry experts to help you face challenges and embrace opportunities.

Connections

We’ll activate our network and make introductions to potential clients, investors and experts.

Support

We’ll provide you visibility, research analysis, tools and access to funding opportunities.

12 Expert Sessions

The primary value of the program lies within the weekly expert sessions.

Each week, you have a 30 minute meeting with different industry experts, where the conversation is focused around a specific theme.

Topics include

Data management and ethics
Regulations
Technology
Marketing and sales
Funding and financing
Partnerships

4 Workshops

We also offer workshops on business fundamentals to provide teams with a strong foundation.

I.P., Incorporation, Legal

How to hire and build your team

Financial Modelling

How to pitch

Prizes

Startups accepted into Ascension have the chance the win these prizes.

$1,000/month
IBM Cloud Credits

Awarded to all startups

$3,500 CASH PRIZE

Awarded to one startup

$3,200 CONSULTATION

Awarded to one startup

$7,500 CASH PRIZE

Awarded to one startup

Important Dates

1.
Applications

Dec 18, 2020 (deadline)

2.
Interviews

Jan 13-15 & 26-28, 2021

3.
Orientation

February 8, 2021

4.
Program

Feb 15 – Apr 23, 2021

5.
Demo Day

April 29, 2021

Selection Criteria

We are looking for teams that have:

at least 2 co-founders
a go-to-market solution or a working prototype
done validation tests with the market
clearly identified their customers
from 0 to 750K in funding

FAQ

What is the time commitment?

Each week, there is a 30 minute meeting with the experts. Workshops are 90 minutes but are optional.

Where does it take place?

Ascension is currently 100% online.

What is the cost of participation?

We do not take any equity or stake in your company. The only cost is of 250$, payable at the end of the program, to pitch at the Demo Day.

Interested but still have questions?

Fill out this form and we'll get back to you

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Alumni

The Ascension program helped us take the necessary step back in order to make the right decisions for Emma. Their weekly monitoring, coaching and scheduled meetings with experts have made a big difference in our entrepreneurial journey. Their commitment to our success is remarkable.

Felix Deschatelets, Co-Founder & CEO at Emma, Ascension 2020

Ascension allowed us to access guidance from successful mentors, key industry connections and tools to accelerate Allset's growth. We are thankful for the support and highly recommend this program to entrepreneurs in the fintech space

Xavier Freeman, Co-Founder & CEO at Allset, Ascension 2018