From seed to bloom: Coast Capital Savings Venture Connection program

Innovation at SFU moves ideas into action. In 2008, SFU launched Venture Connection, the first university business incubator in Western Canada. The program offers entrepreneurship training and opportunities such as industry-based mentorship to all SFU students, alumni, faculty and staff.

Coast Capital Savings came on board with seed funding in the first year of the program and additional support in 2011. These pioneering investments moved Venture Connection through its pilot phase and expanded the program across all three SFU campuses.

In spring 2017, Coast Capital Savings once again showed their commitment to Venture Connection, this time with an incredible $1 million gift. In recognition of their generous donation and the long-standing relationship, the program was recently renamed Coast Capital Savings Ventutre Connection.

So far, the program has helped more than 6,000 participants and 170 start-ups ranging from the largest database of licensed, complete and accurate song lyrics, to mobile health technologies that provide tools for regular skin cancer screening, to platforms for clean tech solutions in energy and water treatment.