Launch Lab

There are a lot of places a founder can go for business advice. Consultants, coaches, online courses, and accelerator programs all exist for a reason.

But at Launch Lab, the people sitting across the table from you are not theorists. They are entrepreneurs who have built and run their own businesses. They have made payroll, lost clients, pivoted products, and raised capital. They have been where you are.

That founder-to-founder perspective is what makes the mentorship at Launch Lab feel different. It is not advice handed down from a boardroom. It is a real conversation between people who understand what you are actually dealing with.

"Entrepreneurs helping entrepreneurs" is not just our tagline, it's our operating model. If that sounds like the kind of support your business needs, we would love to connect!

Launch Lab Client Spotlight: Meet Kebaonish

This June, as we recognize National Indigenous History Month, we’re proud to highlight Launch Lab client Kebaonish, an Indigenous and woman-led tea company rooted in culture, community, and reconciliation.

Guided by Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee teachings of well-being, balance, and a “good mind,” Kebaonish brings people together through something simple and meaningful: a cup of tea.

We’re also excited to share their Give Back Summer campaign (now until August 31), where $2 from every tea purchase will support Kebaowek First Nation, helping fund important culture and language revitalization initiatives within the community.

Kebaonish is more than a business, it’s a model for Indigenous-led economic reconciliation, self-determination, and sustainable growth in the food and beverage industry.

To learn more about Kebaonish and to shop tea, visit https://www.proudlyindigenous.com/

Ontario is home to a network of Regional Innovation Centres, or RICs, funded in part by the provincial government to support entrepreneurs and startups across the province.

Each RIC serves a specific region, providing hands-on mentorship, programming, and connections to help founders start, grow, and scale their businesses. No two are exactly alike, but they all share a common goal: making sure founders have access to the support they need, wherever they are.

Launch Lab is Eastern Ontario's RIC. We serve tech-based startups, early-stage founders, and growing SMEs across the region through programs like Advisor Support, Amplify, the i.d.e.a. Fund, Rocket Studios, and IP Commercialization Support.

If you are building something in Eastern Ontario, this is your ecosystem, and we're here to help you navigate it.

Learn more at launchlab.ca.

Join us at the RISE Venture Showcase on Thursday, June 25 from 4 to 7 PM at The Landing on South Church in Belleville for an evening bringing together regional investors, funders, and business leaders with some of the most exciting startups growing in Eastern Ontario right now.

Three companies will be taking the floor:
Aluminum 3104, Azza AI, and STRATOTEGIC.

Thank you to our incredible sponsors: Arcade IP & Business Law, Kingston Economic Development Corporation, Nicholas Dettinger of Co-operators, and BDC.

Organized with Trenval Business Development Corporation and The Landing on South Church.

RSVP today: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/rise-venture-showcase-tickets-1989010149901

RISE Venture Showcase Meet exciting local companies and network with investors and innovation ecosystem partners at the RISE Venture Showcase.

A lot of business support is designed for the very beginning. But what about when you are past the idea stage and ready to scale?

That is exactly what the Amplify program is built for.

Amplify pairs growing Eastern Ontario businesses with dedicated Launch Lab advisors for ongoing, personalized mentorship. Not a one-time session. Not a generic workshop. Real, sustained support that moves with your business.

If your business is growing and you are ready for the kind of support that keeps you accountable and moving forward, Amplify might be exactly what you have been looking for.

Learn more at https://www.launchlab.ca/amplify-program

This month at Launch Lab, we have been reminded again of just how much talent and ambition exists in this region.

From early-stage founders navigating their first funding round to growing SMEs refining their go-to-market strategy, the entrepreneurs we work with every day inspire us to keep doing what we do.

As we head into June, we want to hear from you.

What are you building right now? What is the biggest challenge you are facing? What would make the biggest difference for your business in the next 90 days?

Drop a comment below to let us know.

And if you are not yet connected with Launch Lab, there has never been a better time to reach out.

For many tech founders, intellectual property is the core of what makes their business valuable. But navigating patents, licensing, and commercialization can feel overwhelming.

That is where Launch Lab's IP Commercialization Support comes in.

We work with founders across Eastern Ontario to help them understand what they have, protect what matters, and build a clear path to bringing it to market. Whether you are at the earliest stages or ready to scale, having the right IP strategy in place can be the difference between a good idea and a great business.

If you have an innovative product or technology and are not sure what to do with it next, let's talk.

Learn more at launchlab.ca.

The right connection can change everything.

A conversation at the right moment. An introduction to the right person. A partnership that opens a door you did not even know existed.

One of the most underrated parts of what Launch Lab does is exactly this: connecting founders with the right people at the right time. Whether that is an investor, a fellow entrepreneur, a potential collaborator, or simply someone who has navigated the same challenge you are facing right now.

Building a business is hard. Building one with the right network behind you is a completely different experience.

If you are looking to plug into Eastern Ontario's innovation ecosystem, we're here to support you.

Reach out today at launchlab.ca.

Are you thinking about raising investment?

At Launch Lab, we work with a lot of founders who are either preparing to raise or have just started exploring the idea. And the ones who are most successful share one thing in common: they asked the right questions before they started.

Here are five questions worth sitting with before you pursue outside investment:

1. Do I actually need investment right now, or do I need more customers?
Funding is not always the answer. Sometimes the best path forward is proving your model works first.

2. How much do I actually need, and what will I spend it on?
Vague answers here will sink you in any investor conversation. Know your number and know exactly why.

3. What am I giving up, and am I comfortable with that?
Equity, control, reporting obligations. Investment comes with strings. Make sure you understand them before you sign anything.

4. Who is the right investor for my stage and sector?
Not all capital is created equal. A misaligned investor can be harder to manage than no investor at all.

5. Is my business ready to be scrutinized?
Investors will look at everything. Your financials, your team, your market assumptions. Now is the time to pressure-test your own story.

Raising investment is one of the most exciting and most misunderstood parts of building a startup. If you are working through any of these questions, Launch Lab can help.

Our advisors have helped Eastern Ontario founders navigate everything from early-stage funding to the i.d.e.a. Fund and beyond.

Reach out at launchlab.ca.

Most founders know their product inside and out. But translating that into marketing that actually reaches and converts the right customers? That is a different skill set.

That is exactly where Rocket Studios comes in.

Rocket Studios is Launch Lab's marketing partner, offering Eastern Ontario businesses access to expert digital marketing support. From content strategy and social media to SEO and lead generation, the team helps you show up where your customers are looking.

For many of our clients, having dedicated marketing support has been the missing piece between a good product and real growth.

If your marketing has been on the back burner, it might be time to begin strategizing.

Learn more at www.rocketstudios.ca