What MAPS Canada does

MAPS Canada is a British Columbia-based nonprofit organization founded in 2011 that advances psychedelic medicine in Canada through four pillars: research support, drug policy advocacy, public education, and community building. The organization is the Canadian arm of the global Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) network and operates as a volunteer-powered entity headquartered in Vancouver, with a mailing address at 777 Hornby Street Suite 600.

Its core products are non-commercial educational and convening platforms rather than technology offerings. These include the MAPS Canada Podcast and YouTube channel, the two-season "Examining the Psychedelic Renaissance" webinar series (15+ episodes), the Research Room monthly researcher presentations, the School of Psychedelics course platform, two formal Communities of Practice (for psychedelic access and psychedelic research), a publications library, and the MAPS Canada Research Grant Program. Underlying technology is essentially standard web publishing, video streaming, and event registration infrastructure (Eventbrite, CanadaHelps, YouTube) — no proprietary software, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. The organization holds no patents or trademarks and does not develop or sell technology products.

MAPS Canada's business model is donation-funded: it is entirely supported by public donations (processed via CanadaHelps, cheque, and e-transfer) with tax receipts issued for all contributions. It operates a modest pricing layer on top of donations — paid webinar tickets at $111 for a full series ($15 single episodes) and paid courses via the School of Psychedelics — alongside a donation-funded Research Grant Program. Revenue is reported in CAD with no specific figures disclosed. The organization serves multiple segments simultaneously: researchers and clinicians seeking evidence and training, patients and people with lived experience navigating access pathways, policymakers, Indigenous knowledge holders, and the broader Canadian public. Its go-to-market is community- and event-led rather than commercial sales, relying on podcasts, webinars, in-person and virtual events, newsletters, social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube), and direct stakeholder engagement with Canadian regulators.

Name

MAPS Canada

Legal name

MAPS Canada

Website

https://mapscanada.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MAPS Canada is a Vancouver-based nonprofit founded in 2011 that advances psychedelic medicine in Canada through research grants, drug policy advocacy, public education, and community building, funded entirely by public donations and operated largely by volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Donations: MAPS Canada is entirely funded by public donations. The organization has been operating since 2011. Donations support all initiatives including the Research Grant Program which funds community-driven projects expanding safe, legal, and equitable access to psychedelics across Canada.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

MAPS Canada is a nonprofit organization that advances equitable access to psychedelic medicine in Canada through four interconnected programs: research support (including the Research Grant Program and Research Room presentations), drug policy advocacy (engagement with regulators and the National Dialogue on Psychedelic Access), public education (the School of Psychedelics, Examining the Psychedelic Renaissance webinar series, and MAPS Canada Podcast), and community building (Psychedelic Research and Access Communities of Practice). The organization is volunteer-powered and funded entirely by public donations.

Product overview

MAPS Canada is a non-profit organization (not a technology company) focused on advancing psychedelic medicine through advocacy, education, and research support. Its primary offerings include the MAPS Canada Podcast (featuring interviews on psychedelic research and therapy), the School of Psychedelics (an educational platform for training and courses), the Research Room (virtual research presentations), the Examining the Psychedelic Renaissance webinar series, and two Community of Practice platforms (for researchers and for access advocacy). Additional offerings include published research resources, a research grant program, blog content, and advocacy work. These programs work together to advance psychedelic medicine education, research, and equitable access across Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• National Dialogue on Psychedelic Access convened in April 2026, bringing together clinicians, researchers, policymakers, Indigenous knowledge holders, legal experts, community and business leaders, advocates, veterans, and people with lived experience
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Branch Out Neurological FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in the MAPS Canada Podcast episode with Crystal Phillips, co-founder of Branch Out Neurological Foundation. Branch Out funds psychedelic and cannabinoid research in Canada including studies on ibogaine for addiction and cannabis-based investigations into neuroinflammation, sleep, stroke recovery, and the endocannabinoid system. The collaboration highlights shared goals in advancing neuroscience research across Canada.
• Centre for Psychedelics Health & Research (CPHR) at Queen's UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Elena Koning, a Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellow, is affiliated with CPHR at Queen's University and hosts the CPHR podcast 'The Integration Session'. She presented at MAPS Canada's Research Room on psilocybin-enhanced psychotherapy for eating disorders. The relationship reflects shared research and knowledge translation in psychedelic psychiatry.
• CAN-PACT (Canadian Network for Psychedelics-Assisted Cancer Therapy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured in the MAPS Canada Podcast episode with Dr. Ron Shore and Dr. Linda Carlson. CAN-PACT is a national initiative building a cross-Canada network of researchers, clinicians, patient partners, and educators to investigate psychedelic-assisted therapy for people living with advanced cancer. MAPS Canada podcast provides a platform to discuss this network's work.
• PharmAla BiotechminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNick Kadysh, CEO of PharmAla Biotech (a Health Canada-licensed psychedelic manufacturer), was a panelist in the School of Psychedelics course 'Straight from the Source: Hear from Canada's Psychedelic Manufacturers'. PharmAla is a licensed producer of MDMA and psilocybin for research purposes.
• Shields Pharma Inc.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRoya Barghian, Mycologist & Master Grower at Shields Pharma Inc. (a Health Canada-approved and GMP-approved contract testing laboratory), was a panelist in MAPS Canada's School of Psychedelics course on psychedelic manufacturing. Shields Pharma develops pharmaceutical-grade Psilocybe strains for therapeutic applications.
• PsygenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDanny Motyka, Co-Founder & CEO of Psygen (a Canadian psychedelic manufacturer), was a panelist in MAPS Canada's School of Psychedelics course on psychedelic manufacturing. Psygen is a Calgary-based company producing psychedelic compounds for clinical research.
• TheraPsilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpencer Hawkswell, CEO of TheraPsil (an organization advocating for clinical application of psilocybin-assisted therapy), was featured as a guest in the 'Examining the Psychedelic Renaissance' webinar series discussing psilocybin-assisted therapy and its future potential.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Chacruna Institute: A psychedelic education and advocacy nonprofit producing cultural and academic programming. Directly comparable to MAPS Canada in providing educational content, hosting convenings, and integrating Indigenous knowledge into psychedelic discourse.
• Drug Policy Alliance: A leading drug policy reform advocacy organization. Comparable to MAPS Canada in operating as a mission-driven nonprofit influencing drug regulation through education, advocacy, and coalition building, though with a broader illicit drug mandate beyond psychedelics.
• Usona Institute: A US-based nonprofit psychedelic research organization sponsoring psilocybin clinical trials. Operates a parallel mission of advancing psychedelic medicine through research funding and policy engagement, comparable in structure to MAPS Canada.
• TheraPsil: A Canadian nonprofit advocating for clinical access to psilocybin-assisted therapy. Shares MAPS Canada's Canadian psychedelic advocacy mandate, donor base, and stakeholder engagement with patients, clinicians, and policymakers.
• Heffter Research Institute: A US-based nonprofit funding psychedelic research, particularly into psilocybin. Operates with a similar research-grant-making and education mandate to MAPS Canada's research grant program and educational programming.
• Beckley Foundation: A UK-based psychedelic research and policy reform nonprofit. Mirrors MAPS Canada's combination of psychedelic research facilitation, public education, and policy advocacy, with a comparable donor-funded operating model.
• Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS): The US-based parent organization of MAPS Canada. Operates with the same psychedelic research, advocacy, and education mission globally; MAPS Canada is the Canadian arm and shares the same programmatic philosophy, branding, and stakeholder community.

Emerging players

• Centre for Psychedelics Health and Research at Queen's University: An academic research center focusing on psychedelic medicine research and knowledge translation. Directly comparable in producing psychedelic research presentations and engaging Canadian researchers, with deeper institutional academic backing than MAPS Canada.

Broad incumbents

• Imperial College Centre for Psychedelic Research: A globally recognized academic psychedelic research center. Comparable in advancing psychedelic medicine research and education, with substantially greater research infrastructure, institutional funding, and international profile than MAPS Canada.
• Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research: The first US-based academic center dedicated to psychedelic research. Comparable to MAPS Canada in advancing evidence-based psychedelic science, but with vastly greater research funding, faculty capacity, and global scientific standing.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/MAPSCanada
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8E6I3iFnyohK3HSukSC3Xw
• Facebookfacebook.com/MAPSCanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maps-canada
• Instagraminstagram.com/mapscanada

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about MAPS Canada