WIN-VC

What WIN-VC does

WIN-VC Canada is a national non-profit collaborative of impact-aligned organizations that delivers programming, events, and research to advance gender-lens investing and support women and non-binary entrepreneurs across Canada. Founded on September 21, 2023 and funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada, the organization operates from a single bilingual website (win-vc-canada.svx.ca) and does not develop proprietary technology. Its core deliverables are cohort-based and self-paced programs — including the SVX Launchpad, SVX FundCircle: Impact & Gender Lens Track, FoundHers Innovation Lab, Foundations in Gender Lens Investing, Gender Lens Investing 101, Perspectives (Quebec), and WIN-VC Atlantic — delivered in partnership with eight anchor organizations (SVX, Spring, Esplanade Québec, Canadian Women's Foundation, WeBC, Pond-Deshpande Centre, New Power Labs, and The Firehood). Geographic coverage spans Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Yukon, and British Columbia, and the organization has produced 22+ research summaries to inform ecosystem and policy practice.

The organization's business model is grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. Programs are free for entrepreneurs and investors, and the organization classifies its revenue stream as managed services from ISED Canada. There are no pricing models, no fees, and no disclosed operating revenue. Distribution is community-led: program intake is handled through partner organizations, marketing is conducted through the WIN-VC website, email newsletters, partner channels, and live events, and the organization maintains a public resource library. The underlying 'technology' is a program-and-partnership operating model rather than a software platform, with no API, no SDK, no mobile app, and no disclosed integrations.

Strategically, WIN-VC functions as a federally endorsed coordination layer for Canada's gender-lens investing ecosystem. It does not invest capital directly, it is not venture-backed, and it does not operate as a traditional investment vehicle. Its value proposition is twofold: investment readiness programming for women and non-binary entrepreneurs (focused on pitching, financial literacy, and impact measurement), and education for gender-lens investors (focused on integrating gender criteria into investment processes). The organization's defensibility rests on the ISED mandate, the breadth of its partner ecosystem, and the cumulative research output rather than on any proprietary technology or product moat.

Name

WIN-VC

Legal name

Women and Non-binary Impact Network for Venture Capital (WIN-VC Canada)

Website

https://win-vc-canada.svx.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WIN-VC Canada is a federally funded non-profit collaborative delivering accelerator programs, investor education, and research to advance gender-lens investing and support women and non-binary entrepreneurs across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gender-Lens Investing Education and Accelerator Programs

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSANAJAM

Gender Lens / Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Funds

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Impact / ESG & Sustainable Investment Funds

SECONDARYFSAAALAG

Sustainable Private Markets (Impact PE/VC, Private Credit, Infrastructure)

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Asset Management — ESG/Sustainable & Impact Investing

SECONDARYFSANAAAD

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists)

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Venture Capital Firms

SECONDARYFSAEALAC

Venture Capital Fundraising Placement

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Placement Agents & Capital Raising Intermediation

SECONDARYEDAMAKAI

Research, Innovation & Fellowship Prep (Labs, Competitions, Publications)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/College & Career Enrichment (Mentorship, Internships, Portfolio)

Keywords

• Gender lens investing
• Entrepreneur accelerator programs
• Investment readiness coaching
• Women founder support
• Impact investing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: WIN-VC is funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada, which awarded funding specifically to make the venture capital environment more inclusive for women by transforming traditional investment processes into respectful and meaningful approaches that value equity and impact.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

WIN-VC delivers free cohort-based and self-paced programs that build investment readiness for women and non-binary entrepreneurs and develop gender-lens investing capacity among Canadian investors. Offerings are funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada and delivered through impact-aligned partner organizations across six provinces and territories, accompanied by a research and knowledge-asset library of 22+ summaries on gender-lens investing. Programming includes entrepreneur accelerators, investor education courses, regional initiatives, podcasts, and impact investor challenges culminating in pre-committed pooled capital investments.

Product overview

WIN-VC Canada operates as a national collaborative network rather than a traditional technology product company. The organization offers a portfolio of programs for women and non-binary entrepreneurs and gender lens investors, including accelerator programs (SVX Launchpad, FoundHers Innovation Lab), investor education courses (Gender Lens Investing 101, Foundations in Gender Lens Investing), regional initiatives (WIN-VC Atlantic, Momentum), and investment challenge programs (Impact Investor Challenge, Invest Together in Women Led Impact). The ecosystem approach connects entrepreneurs with investors through programming spanning Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Yukon, and British Columbia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SVX FundCircle: Impact & Gender Lens Track A community-centered program for women and non-binary fund managers building, launching, or strengthening an impact investment fund, featuring peer learning, expert guidance, and applied exercises for investment thesis development and fundraising strategies.
• SVX Launchpad: Ready for Investment A blended learning program for women entrepreneurs in Ontario to strengthen investment readiness, deepen impact competencies, and apply gender-lens tools through self-paced modules and weekly peer-led sessions.
• Foundations in Gender Lens Investing A four-part conversation series equipping investors with practical tools and frameworks for embedding gender lens into their investing process, hosted by Spring with case studies and pitch events.
• Perspectives: Women & Non-Binary Entrepreneurs and Access to Funding A free hybrid program in Quebec combining webinars, workshops, and coaching to help women and non-binary entrepreneurs navigate systemic biases and prepare for investor conversations.
• WIN-VC Atlantic – Real Women. Real Raises. Real Returns. A podcast series and specialized Investor Q&A training cohort for women and non-binary founders across Atlantic Canada preparing to raise venture capital.
• Investor Speak A 12-week program for women and non-binary entrepreneurs in BC to master investor conversations through virtual meetings and online practice with investor-type questions.
• TogetherVC A pilot investor education program launched in March 2025 designed to spark strategic, inclusive investing across Southwestern Ontario through sessions on gender-lens investing.
• Gender Lens Investing 101 A free self-paced introductory virtual course for Canadian accredited investors on Gender Lens Investing principles, available in English and French with live case studies.
• Invest Together in Women Led Impact A multi-regional program bringing purpose-driven founders together with impact investors for joint learning on impact measurement, due diligence, and investment processes culminating in a pitch finale.
• Launchpad Online A free virtual program helping women and non-binary entrepreneurs develop theory of change, measure impact, strengthen financial knowledge, and prepare for investment readiness.
• WIN-VC Essentials in Right-Fit Capital A self-paced online program for early-stage entrepreneurs in Alberta and Yukon to understand funding options and develop personalized funding roadmaps.
• Investoready A training program partnering with Investoready.org to help women business owners in BC master investor Q&A through role-play training and automated feedback.
• Perspectives Entrepreneurs A 5-month tailored program in Quebec for women and non-binary entrepreneurs to facilitate access to funding through expert interventions, workshops, and pitch practice.
• FoundHers Innovation Lab A 3-month accelerator for early-stage tech-enabled businesses led by Black women and gender diverse entrepreneurs, providing CTO coaching and pitch readiness support.
• Momentum: Investment Readiness A financial empowerment journey for equity-deserving women and non-binary entrepreneurs in Southwestern Ontario through workshops on financial literacy and capital access.
• Investment-Ready: WIN-VC Atlantic An 8-month virtual program for early-stage women and non-binary founders in Atlantic Canada to develop capital strategies and receive coaching for investment readiness.
• Impact Investor Challenge A program empowering purpose-driven founders to increase funding readiness with opportunity to be selected for a minimum $100K+ investment through investor evaluation process.
• Women Led Impact Investor Challenge An 8-week program enabling impact-curious investors to invest in women-led, purpose-driven businesses with structured learning on impact investing fundamentals.

Quantifiable outcome

• % of entrepreneurs reported improved investment readiness after participating in WIN-VC programs.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• SVXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSVX is a key delivery partner for WIN-VC, managing programs such as FundCircle: Impact & Gender Lens Track and SVX Launchpad: Ready for Investment. SVX also produces foundational gender-lens investing resources and primers used across the WIN-VC ecosystem.
• SpringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpring is a key partner delivering investor education and impact challenge programs including Gender Lens Investing 101, the Impact Investor Challenge, and Women-Led Impact Investor Challenge. Spring's investor community and deal flow network are integrated into WIN-VC programming.
• Esplanade QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEsplanade Québec is a regional partner delivering programs including Perspectives for women and non-binary entrepreneurs in Quebec, and contributing research on female entrepreneurship in the province.
• Canadian Women's FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian Women's Foundation delivers FoundHers Innovation Lab, a 3-month accelerator for Black women and gender-diverse tech-enabled entrepreneurs, as part of WIN-VC programming.
• WeBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeBC delivers investor readiness programs including Investor Speak and Investoready for women and non-binary founders in British Columbia, with access to business advisory services.
• Pond-Deshpande CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPond-Deshpande Centre delivers Atlantic Canada programs including Firestarter for early-stage women and non-binary founders, Investment-Ready WIN-VC Atlantic, and co-hosts the WIN-VC Atlantic Real Women. Real Raises. Real Returns. initiative.
• New Power LabscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Power Labs produces research assets for WIN-VC including the 'Levelling the Field' report on expanding access to venture capital for women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs, and contributes to the WIN-VC research library with 22+ research summaries.
• The FirehoodsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Firehood is a women-led angel network that co-developed and delivered the TogetherVC pilot investor education program in partnership with WIN-VC and SVX, bringing together Southwestern Ontario investors and ecosystem leaders to explore gender-lens investing.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Female Founders Fund: Female Founders Fund is an early-stage venture fund investing in women-led companies with a gender-lens thesis — comparable in mission orientation toward gender-inclusive VC but operates as a fund rather than a collaborative programming platform.
• Pipeline Angels: Pipeline Angels is a US-based network that trains women and non-binary investors to invest early-stage capital in women-owned and social-impact ventures — comparable in gender-lens investor education but US-focused rather than Canadian.

Direct peers

• Spring Impact Capital: Spring is a Canadian impact investor community and core WIN-VC delivery partner that runs gender-lens investing education programs and investor challenges — directly comparable to WIN-VC's investor education and Impact Investor Challenge programming.
• Esplanade Québec: Esplanade Québec is a Quebec-based social impact venture support organization and WIN-VC delivery partner running the Perspectives program for women/non-binary entrepreneurs — comparable as a regional peer delivering gender-lens entrepreneur support programming.
• SVX: SVX is a Canadian impact investing platform that serves as both a core delivery partner for WIN-VC and a direct peer, operating an online venue connecting impact ventures with investors — sharing WIN-VC's gender-lens investing focus and serving similar Canadian founder/investor audiences.
• New Power Labs: New Power Labs is a Canadian impact-focused organization and WIN-VC partner that produces research assets like the 'Levelling the Field' report — directly comparable as a research and capacity-building peer in the gender-lens and impact investing space.
• Canadian Women's Foundation: Canadian Women's Foundation is a national funder of women and gender-diverse programs and WIN-VC delivery partner running the FoundHers Innovation Lab accelerator — comparable as a Canadian peer advancing women-led entrepreneurship and gender equity through grantmaking and programming.
• The Firehood: The Firehood is a Canadian women-led angel investor network and WIN-VC delivery partner that co-developed the TogetherVC pilot — directly comparable as both a peer and partner in building gender-lens investing capacity among Canadian investors and founders.

Broad incumbents

• MaRS Discovery District: MaRS is a major Canadian innovation hub providing startup support services including programs for underrepresented founders — comparable as a broader Canadian entrepreneurship support platform but not specialized in gender-lens investing.
• Catalyst: Catalyst is a global nonprofit focused on advancing women in business and leadership, producing research and corporate advisory services — comparable thematically in driving gender equity outcomes but operating at a broader corporate level rather than VC-specific.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments7 records

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

Frequently asked questions about WIN-VC