Accelerate Okanagan

What Accelerate Okanagan does

Accelerate Okanagan is a not-for-profit technology business accelerator headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, operating as the primary convening institution for the Okanagan region's innovation economy. Founded around 2013, the organization delivers a suite of programming targeting tech entrepreneurs across the lifecycle: ThreeSixty advisory for scaling founders, Delta funding (up to $45,000 co-investment) for growth-stage companies, Fundable capital-readiness training, the Okanagan Angel Summit pitch program, AccelerateIP for intellectual property capacity-building, Market Diversification (up to $10,000 matching funds) for export expansion, and Level Up Local (up to $3,000) for small-business technology adoption. The organization also operates OKGN Works, a shared coworking space on the second floor of the Kelowna Innovation Centre, and offers six membership tiers (Connector, Tech, Tech Pro, Network, Investor, Ecosystem Partnership) connecting founders, investors, and ecosystem partners.

The organization's economic footprint has scaled substantially: the Okanagan tech sector generated $4.98 billion in total economic impact in 2023, supporting 32,645 jobs across 787 tech businesses, with 15% year-over-year growth since 2013. The Angel Summit program has facilitated over $1.6 million in direct investment to 350+ companies cumulatively, with the 2026 edition investing $407,000 across three finalists and opening to nationwide applicants for the first time.

Accelerate Okanagan's business model is grant-funded rather than revenue-generating in a traditional commercial sense. Revenue is sourced primarily from federal agencies (PacifiCan, Western Economic Diversification Canada, NRC IRAP) and provincial bodies (ETSI-BC, Innovate BC), supplemented by membership dues, coworking rent from OKGN Works, and event-related ticket sales. The organization is led by CEO Brea Lake, appointed in October 2019, and governed by a board including representatives from UBC Okanagan, Okanagan College, Lawson Lundell LLP, and regional tech founders. The organization does not develop proprietary technology products but rather orchestrates programs, mentorship, capital deployment, and community infrastructure on behalf of regional entrepreneurs.

Name

Accelerate Okanagan

Legal name

Accelerate Okanagan

Website

https://accelerateokanagan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Accelerate Okanagan is a not-for-profit technology business accelerator based in Kelowna, BC that supports tech entrepreneurs and growth-stage companies in the Okanagan region through mentorship, funding programs, investor connections, and coworking space.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Accelerator and Ecosystem Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

Keywords

• Technology business accelerator
• Startup mentorship programs
• Angel investor network
• Entrepreneur ecosystem support
• Innovation funding programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kelowna

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: Accelerate Okanagan operates as a not-for-profit organization supported primarily by government funding from federal agencies (PacifiCan, Western Economic Diversification Canada, NRC IRAP) and provincial sources (ETSI-BC, Innovate BC) to deliver programs and services to the tech entrepreneur community.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Accelerate Okanagan operates as a not-for-profit technology business accelerator delivering named programs, mentorship, and funding pathways to technology entrepreneurs across the Okanagan region. The core offerings include the Okanagan Angel Summit (pitch-to-investor program), ThreeSixty (scale-up advisory), Delta (growth-stage co-investment up to $45,000), Fundable (capital readiness curriculum), AccelerateIP, Market Diversification (export matching funds), Level Up Local grants, OKGN Works coworking, and tiered Membership programs.

Product overview

Accelerate Okanagan is a technology business accelerator that provides a suite of programs, services, and membership offerings to support entrepreneurs at various stages of growth. The organization operates as a unified ecosystem rather than a single product, offering: ThreeSixty (custom advisory for scaling founders), Delta (growth-stage funding up to $45,000), Fundable (8-week capital readiness), the Okanagan Angel Summit (8-week investor pitch program with $200K+ investment), AccelerateIP (intellectual property support), Market Diversification (up to $10,000 for international expansion), Level Up Local (up to $3,000 for tech adoption), OKGN Works (coworking space), and multiple membership tiers (Connector, Tech, Tech Pro, Network, Investor, Ecosystem Partnership) providing access to the Okanagan tech community and its resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OKGN Angel Summit: An 8-week pitch program designed to educate investors and startups on the investment process, culminating in a public finale where investment of $200K+ is made.
• ThreeSixty
• Delta
• Fundable
• AccelerateIP
• Market Diversification
• Level Up Local
• OKGN Works

Products and services

• ThreeSixty Founder-first advisory initiative for tech entrepreneurs on the path to scale, providing custom-designed mentorship, strategic milestones, and peer-driven insights.
• Delta Funding and support program offering growth-stage tech companies up to $45,000 in co-investment to accelerate a high-impact project.
• Fundable 8-week capital-focused program designed to help entrepreneurs better understand capital-raising pathways and prepare to be investable.
• Okanagan Angel Summit 8-week pitch program that educates investors and startups on the investment process and culminates in a public finale where investment of $200K+ is made.
• AccelerateIP Integrated three-stream intellectual property capacity-building program helping startups protect, manage, and leverage their IP.
• Market Diversification Program providing up to $10,000 in matching funds to help Southern Interior BC businesses expand beyond BC and the U.S. into new extra-provincial or international markets.
• Level Up Local Grant program providing Okanagan small business owners with financial support and mentorship to adopt new technologies, with up to $3,000 per business and priority for agriculture/agritech.
• OKGN Works Coworking and Meeting Rooms Shared workspace on the second floor of the Kelowna Innovation Centre offering dedicated desks, meeting rooms, and flexible rates to support startups and tenants.
• AO Membership Program Tiered membership program offering Connector, Tech, Tech Pro, Network, Investor, and Ecosystem Partnership tiers to connect founders, investors, and ecosystem participants with the Okanagan tech community.

Quantifiable outcome

• $4.98B annual economic impact from Okanagan tech sector (2023)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BC CancerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019BC Cancer partnered with Accelerate Okanagan to co-host the first annual Future of Health Forum focused on research and innovation in cancer care.
• Interior HealthminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Interior Health partnered with Accelerate Okanagan to co-host the first annual Future of Health Forum focused on research and innovation in cancer care.
• Cascadia Venture Acceleration NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2017Accelerate Okanagan is a signatory of the Cascadia Venture Acceleration Network MOU, a partnership of incubators, accelerators, universities, investors and industry associations across British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, focused on Life Sciences, IT, and CleanTech.
• TechstarscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2017Techstars conducted a community pilot project in the Okanagan, selecting it as the only Canadian region among five pilot locations globally. Chris Heivly from Techstars conducted ecosystem assessment and developed a roadmap for community growth.
• Community Futures of Central OkanaganminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Sponsor of the Techstars Community Pilot project, supporting Okanagan startup ecosystem assessment.
• Valley FirstminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Sponsor of the Techstars Community Pilot project, supporting Okanagan startup ecosystem assessment.
• City of KelownaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Sponsor of the Techstars Community Pilot project, supporting Okanagan startup ecosystem assessment.
• Lawson Lundell LLPminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Sponsor of the Techstars Community Pilot project, supporting Okanagan startup ecosystem assessment. Max Walker, Partner at Lawson Lundell, serves on the AO Board.
• Data NerdsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Sponsor of the Techstars Community Pilot project, Joshua Fraser, Founder of Data Nerds, serves on the AO Board.
• Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission (COEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOEDC collaborates with Accelerate Okanagan on economic development initiatives in the Central Okanagan region, including co-commissioning the Okanagan Tech Economic Impact Report and supporting regional tech ecosystem development.
• UBC OkanagancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUBC Okanagan collaborates on research, innovation, and entrepreneurship initiatives. Dr. Suzie Currie from UBC Okanagan serves on the Accelerate Okanagan Board of Directors, and the institutions partner on programs and events.
• Okanagan CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOkanagan College partners with Accelerate Okanagan on entrepreneurship education, student programs, and the Hall School of Business and Entrepreneurship. Devin Rubadeau, Chair of the Okanagan School of Business, serves on the AO Board.
• Okanagan CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOkanagan College and Accelerate Okanagan collaborated on the Hall Entrepreneurship Incubator and the Okanagan 2036 CEO Forum event featuring regional business leaders.
• ProsperacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProspera partners with Accelerate Okanagan to deliver the Level Up Local program, providing up to $3,000 in tech adoption grants to small businesses in the Okanagan Valley. Prospera provides advisory support alongside the funding.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• VIATEC (Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council): VIATEC is the Victoria, BC-based tech accelerator that Accelerate Okanagan explicitly partnered with on a joint Scale Up project funded by Western Economic Diversification Canada ($2.86M). Same Canadian non-profit accelerator model targeting tech founders, same funding sources, same member-directory/membership structure.
• Innovate BC: Provincial Crown agency that runs the Venture Acceleration Program (VAP) across BC through 15 partner organizations, including Accelerate Okanagan. Direct peer in the BC accelerator ecosystem; former AO CEO Raghwa Gopal is now President & CEO of Innovate BC, making this both a competitor for funding and a partner for program delivery.
• Launch Academy Vancouver: Vancouver-based tech startup accelerator and coworking operator offering mentorship, funding readiness, and demo days. Comparable operating model to Accelerate Okanagan within BC, competing for BC-based founders and the same provincial/federal grant pool.
• MaRS Discovery District: Toronto-based innovation hub supporting tech and science entrepreneurs through programs, advisory, and ecosystem connections. Largest Canadian non-profit tech accelerator; comparable mission and program structure (mentorship, capital connections, curated deal flow) but operates at significantly larger scale nationally.
• Communitech: Kitchener-Waterloo-based tech accelerator hub supporting founders through mentorship, capital connections, and corporate innovation programs. Canadian non-profit peer operating the same regional ecosystem-builder model, with similar federal/provincial funding profiles and member-based service offerings.

Emerging players

• Creative Destruction Lab (CDL): Toronto-originated non-profit accelerator for massively scalable science-based and tech ventures; CDL-West operates in Vancouver. Comparable as a Canadian non-profit tech founder accelerator, but CDL targets later-stage, venture-scale founders and uses an objective-setting model rather than a regional ecosystem model.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator operating chapters across Canada, including a Vancouver presence. Targets very early-stage founders with a structured program similar to Fundable, competing for the earliest-stage cohort that AO serves through Startup Basics and ThreeSixty.

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global top-tier accelerator that ran its community pilot in the Okanagan with Accelerate Okanagan in 2017. Indirect competitor and ecosystem validator; offers comparable mentorship-driven accelerator programs and is a likely destination for founders who outgrow AO's regional programs.

Regional players

• Discovery Foundation / Discovery Centre (Nova Scotia): Atlantic Canada regional tech/entrepreneurship hub offering accelerator programming, mentorship, and capital connections comparable to AO. Operates the same regional non-profit accelerator model but in a different Canadian geography, providing a relevant structural peer rather than direct competition.

Others

• Centre for Digital Media (CDN): Vancouver-based non-profit digital media and tech innovation hub delivering accelerator-style programs, coworking, and industry partnerships. Comparable as a BC non-profit tech ecosystem enabler with adjacent programming, less direct overlap in B2B SaaS/cleantech verticals that AO emphasizes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/accelerateok
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBknJ2HAKnB9nY9XuOM25Ug
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accelerate-okanagan
• Instagraminstagram.com/okanagantech
• Facebookfacebook.com/accelerateokanagan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Accelerate Okanagan