Catapult Startups

What an incredible event last week at the APEX Forum: How Canadian Businesses Enter New Markets.

A sincere thank you to our host, the Consulate of Mexico in Calgary to help bring together business leaders, entrepreneurs, industry experts, and community partners for an important conversation about international growth and the opportunities surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Congratulations and thank you to all of our speakers and panellists who generously shared their knowledge and experience. The discussions on market entry, cross-border partnerships, sponsorships, trade, and international expansion provided valuable insights for Canadian businesses looking to grow beyond our borders.

We were proud to welcome representatives from BDC, Export Development Canada (EDC), the U.S. Commercial Service, Calgary United Soccer Association, Calgary Wild FC, and Cavalry FC. The depth of expertise and collaboration in the room made for a truly engaging and impactful event.

At Catapult Startups, our mission is to help entrepreneurs and businesses launch, grow, and scale. Events like this demonstrate the power of bringing the right people together to create opportunities, build relationships, and spark new ideas.

Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and contributed to the discussion. Follow us to join future events with us to catapult your business to the next level.

AI is no longer a future concept for marketers. It's a practical tool that's changing how businesses plan campaigns, understand their audiences, and compete in crowded markets.

New article up on the Catapult resource portal: Launch Sequence.

Once every four years, the world stops for the World Cup.

In 2026, the tournament comes to North America, hosted across Canada, the USA, and Mexico. For Canadian businesses, this is more than a sporting moment. It is one of the most significant commercial windows of the decade.

With global audiences, international attention, and decision-makers focused on the same event at the same time, the World Cup creates a rare opportunity for Canadian companies to build relationships, explore new markets, and strengthen their international growth strategy.

On Thursday, June 11, 2026, join us for the APEX Forum: How Canadian Businesses Enter New Markets, hosted by Catapult Startups with the U.S. Consulate General in Calgary and the Consulate of Mexico in Calgary.

Date: Thursday, June 11, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM MDT
Location: Consulate of Mexico in Calgary
Register here: https://www.showpass.com/apex-forum-how-canadian-businesses-enter-new-markets/

We are bringing together BDC, EDC, the U.S. Consulate General Calgary, the Consulate of Mexico in Calgary, Calgary Wild FC, and Cavalry FC for a practical business conversation on market entry, partnerships, sponsorships, trade, risk, and international expansion.

The morning will feature two business-focused panels:

1.⁠ ⁠Football as a Global Market Access Platform: Partnerships, Sponsorships, and Brand Trust Across Borders

2.⁠ ⁠Doing Business in the USA and Mexico: The Real Market Entry Playbook

After the forum, we will head to Stephen Avenue for the World Cup Opening Day watch party to watch the opening ceremony and the first match: Mexico vs. South Africa.

The World Cup happens once every four years. The partnerships, momentum, and market access it creates can last far beyond the tournament.

If your business is export-ready, exploring the U.S. or Mexico, or thinking seriously about international growth, this is the day to be in the room.

Calgary is moving toward a population of 2 million people. The opportunity is massive, but growth alone does not build a strong economy. We need more businesses, more entrepreneurs, better pathways into ownership, and smarter ways to onboard global talent already living here.

In the latest edition of Launch Sequence, we explore why acquisition entrepreneurship may be one of Calgary’s biggest untapped opportunities, why immigrant talent is still underutilized, and what practical systems our city needs to support the next stage of growth.

Read the full article on our website.

Most founders think they know where their business is. The Trajectory Assessment tells you where it actually is.

We diagnose your business across 6 areas: Marketing and Sales, Finance, Legal, Capacity, Automation and Workflow, and Operations and Strategy.

From there you land in one of three phases: Launch, Velocity, or Apex. Then you get a specific action plan with a specific sequence and a specific price tag attached to every gap we find.

No fluff. No filler. No inspirational quotes about the entrepreneurial journey. Just clarity on what to fix, what it costs, and what comes next.

Apply for your trajectory assessment at catapultready.com/trajectory-assessment

Thinking about selling your business in the next 2–5 years?

Join us for an upcoming webinar: Exit Ready: The 2–5 Year Playbook to Sell Your Business (Without Surprises) | Tuesday May 19, 2026 | 1pm – 2pm | Online
Click here to register: https://www.showpass.com/exit-ready-the-2-5-year-playbook-to-sell-your-business/

This practical fireside chat brings together insights from Catapult Startups and Nuvera Partners, along with a firsthand perspective from a business owner who’s successfully navigated the sale process.

We’ll cover:

• How to start preparing for an exit early
• Common issues that delay deals or reduce value
• What buyers and advisors actually look for
• How to avoid costly surprises when it’s time to sell

Too often, owners wait until they’re ready to sell before asking the right questions. This session is about getting ahead of that curve.

It’s Catapult Startups’ third year proudly supporting the Launch Point Pitch Competition in Lethbridge, in partnership with Lethbridge Polytechnic, the University of Lethbridge, RINSA, and Community Futures.

Pitch competitions like this matter because they do more than showcase ideas. They give early-stage entrepreneurs and businesses the opportunity to test their thinking, gain feedback, build confidence, and take meaningful steps toward becoming real, sustainable companies.

Supporting entrepreneurs at the earliest stages is critical to growing the economy. When founders receive the right support early on, they are better positioned to build stronger businesses, create jobs, increase profitability, and contribute long-term value to their communities and the broader economy.

At Catapult Startups, we work with businesses at every stage, from launch to growth to scale to exit planning. Our focus is helping founders build capacity, improve decision-making, and increase profitability so they can move forward with confidence.

Congratulations to this year’s Launchpoint winners:

Student Stream: Huroca Inc., Park My Pet, Southpaws Rescue
Community Stream: Bear Vice, Prairie Sun Farms, Ruck It
Fan Favourite: Seth Tomasson

Strong businesses start with strong ideas, but they grow with the right support around them. We are proud to be part of that journey.

Registration update: we’ve released a limited number of complimentary seats for next week’s webinar, so more Alberta game studios can get the commercialization + IP fundamentals right as the market continues to grow.

The global games market is forecast at $196.1B in 2026 (rising to $206.5B by 2028) with an estimated 3.711B players in 2026. Alberta is positioned to capture more of that upside: the province’s interactive digital media sector includes 177 studios (with video games representing 55%+), employing around 4,500–5,200 people, and could add up to 3,500 new jobs by 2030. In Calgary alone, there are 60+ companies working on video games and/or immersive media, employing 470 people in the video game industry.

The Business of Video Games: Commercialization and IP (Catapult Startups)
Thu, March 12, 2026 | 🕐 1:00–2:30 PM MDT | 💻 Online
Register here: https://www.showpass.com/the-business-of-video-games-commercialization-and-ip-2/ (Complimentary seats are limited)
Complimentary Ticket Code: VIDEOGAMEVIP2026

Built for commercially-minded studios and founders preparing for distribution/publishing conversations, monetization decisions, or scale.

We’ll cover:
How games are marketed, monetized, and scaled
Where deals and early decisions quietly cap long-term value
Practical IP + contract considerations (plain language)

The Business of Video Games: Commercialization and IP - Catapult Startups - Calgary - Mar 12, 2026 The video game industry is more than creativity and code—it’s a business built on attention, distribution, and intellectual property. This webinar delivers a practical, founder-focused breakdown of the business and legal realities of building video games in Canada. From how games actually make m...

You decide to start a business, and get incorporated. The next steps you take a critical, 4/10 businesses fail in the first 5 years according to BDC.

Here are 5 things you can do, after incorporating your business, to help you succeed:

- Have a Go-To-Market Strategy
- Keep a clean CAP Table
- Asset building, spend time creating an IP Strategy
- Understand the difference between Revenue vs Profit. Know your margins.
- Create Standard Operating Procedures

Catapult Startups helps you launch with confidence using our Trajectory Assessment. We assess your readiness level and build a clear plan across go-to-market, legal, financials, and operations.

If you would like to schedule a meeting to see if catapult startups is the right fit for your business, click on the following calendar link to schedule a meeting.

If you are a current or aspiring video game developer, this webinar is for you.

Join this live webinar exploring how video games are marketed, monetized, and scaled and why IP is often the most valuable asset over time. Learn why most games fail commercially, how early business decisions impact growth, and the legal fundamentals founders need to understand.

Thursday, March 12, 2026
1:00–2:30 PM MDT | Online
$25 CAD |

Register: https://www.showpass.com/the-business-of-video-games-commercialization-and-ip-2/