V1 Studio
V1 Studio is a Montreal-based nonprofit venture studio founded in 2021 at Concordia University that runs grant-funded accelerator programs (QcSE, SIVP, Lab2Market Validate, Impact Workshops) to help Canadian researchers and graduate students translate research into ventures, with no equity taken.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What V1 Studio does
V1 Studio is a Canadian nonprofit venture studio and accelerator founded in 2021 at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. It serves academic researchers, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows seeking to translate research into ventures, with explicit emphasis on under-represented and inclusive-innovation communities. The studio runs a structured portfolio of programs including the Quebec Social Entrepreneurship (QcSE) cohort, Lab2Market Validate, Lab2Market Validate Foundations, the Social Innovation and Venture Pathway (SIVP), and standalone Impact Workshops delivered across partner universities.
Its core service is program delivery rather than technology: structured curricula, mentorship, venture validation frameworks, and ecosystem connectivity. Notable operational components include a national Lab2Market mandate positioning V1 as a delivery partner within a federal government allocation of roughly $32 million (part of a broader near-$100M five-year commitment), and a 25+ venture SIVP portfolio spanning biotech (Phoenix Impact, Espoir Biosciences, IVANO Bioscience, NEIGES biotechnologies, Miha Biotech, GC Lipid Tech, BioSam), photonics (PreFab Photonics, Epsilon Photon, Nanofacile), advanced materials and energy (Hythermal, Groupe Carvi, Bauxite Technologies, Matrius Technologies), health and wearables (Qalam Health, Skinaptiks, mTatt), cleantech (Skyrenu), and software/services (Tessellate, Spheroid AI, Sentryfy, ABen Hub, PGL, Kalego Solutions, Exsia Technologies).
V1's business model is grant-funded and non-equity. Revenue comes from foundation donations (e.g., $500,000 from the John Dobson Foundation in 2022), research-council grants (e.g., $600,000 from the Fonds de recherche du Québec in 2022), and government program allocations through Lab2Market. Programs are free to participants, V1 takes no equity, and there is no licensing or tuition revenue — making it a pure impact-delivery nonprofit whose "customers" are funders rather than participants.
V1 Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- V1 Studio
- Legal name
- V1 Studio
- Website
- https://v1.studio
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- V1 Studio is a Montreal-based nonprofit venture studio founded in 2021 at Concordia University that runs grant-funded accelerator programs (QcSE, SIVP, Lab2Market Validate, Impact Workshops) to help Canadian researchers and graduate students translate research into ventures, with no equity taken.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
V1 Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Academic Entrepreneurship Support Programs
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)
Keywords
Where V1 Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
V1 Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Program Funding: As a nonprofit organization, V1 Studio is funded through grants, donations, and partnerships with government agencies (FRQ, Mitacs), foundations (John Dobson Foundation), and academic institutions. Programs are provided free of charge to participants.
- Donations and Sponsorships: V1 Studio receives funding from the John Dobson Foundation ($500,000 donation) and other partners to support program operations and awards.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free programs for researchers - QcSE, Lab2Market Validate, SIVP |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
V1 Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
V1 Studio is a nonprofit organization that provides structured entrepreneurship support programs for researchers and graduate students, primarily in Quebec. It delivers free educational programs (QcSE, Lab2Market Validate Foundations, Lab2Market Validate), venture-building programs with bursary funding (SIVP providing $75,000 over 18 months), and Impact Workshops, along with mentorship, advisory support, and access to a network of funders and academic partners.
Product overview
V1 Studio is a non-profit entrepreneurship support organization that offers a portfolio of programs adapted for researchers and graduate students at various stages of their entrepreneurial journey. The offerings include QcSE (a free 12-week online fundamentals program), Lab2Market Validate Foundations (3-day intensive preparation), Lab2Market Validate (16-week program with $10,000 funding), SIVP (full-time 1-year program with $75,000 bursary), and Impact Workshops (60-minute to 3-hour awareness sessions). These programs collectively support researchers in exploring, validating, and launching scientific ventures.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- QcSE (Quebec Scientific Entrepreneurship Program): A free 12-week online program over lunch hour teaching entrepreneurship fundamentals, exploring research idea market potential, and networking with scientific entrepreneurs.
- Lab2Market Validate
- Lab2Market Validate Foundations
- SIVP (Scientific and Innovative Venture Program)
- Impact Workshops
Products and services
- Quebec Scientific Entrepreneurship Program (QcSE)
Quantifiable outcome
- 1700+ researchers engaged through events and workshops since 2021
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use V1 Studio
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
V1 Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
V1 Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AxelyscoreAxelys is the development and innovation transfer company for public research in Quebec. They contribute to accelerating maturation and deployment of high-potential inventions and support SIVP program delivery.
- Concordia UniversitycoreV1 Studio was founded at Concordia University and maintains close ties. The organization evolved from District 3 at Concordia, which has 10 years of community engagement experience.
- Dalhousie UniversityminorAcademic collaborator partner, one of multiple universities participating in V1 Studio programs.
- McGill UniversityminorAcademic collaborator partner, one of multiple universities participating in V1 Studio programs.
- Université LavalminorAcademic collaborator partner, one of multiple universities participating in V1 Studio programs.
- Université de MontréalminorAcademic collaborator partner, one of multiple universities participating in V1 Studio programs.
- Ocean Startup ProjectminorV1 Studio is a Quebec partner in the Ocean Startup Project, helping researchers explore opportunities for real-world impact in ocean innovation.
- Le ParachuteminorV1 Studio is a Le Parachute Referring Organization, supporting the well-being of current and alumni innovative entrepreneurs.
- District 3 Innovation HubcoreV1 Studio evolved from District 3 at Concordia University, maintaining close operational ties. District 3 provides physical space and local ecosystem connections.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
V1 Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Axelys: Axelys is Quebec's public-research technology transfer organization and a strategic partner that helps deploy inventions from Quebec labs. It co-supports V1 Studio's SIVP program and is an adjacent enabling organization in the same research-commercialization value chain.
- Mitacs: Mitacs is a Canadian nonprofit that funds research internships and innovation programs — including providing $10K Business Strategy Internship funding for V1 Studio's Lab2Market participants. It is a core funding/strategic partner and adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than a direct accelerator competitor.
Direct peers
- Founder Institute: Founder Institute is a global pre-seed accelerator that runs cohort-based programs to help aspiring founders launch companies. It overlaps with V1 Studio's mission of taking founders from idea through structured validation, though with a broader (not researcher-exclusive) target.
- Ocean Startup Project: Ocean Startup Project is a Canadian ecosystem partner of V1 Studio that supports ocean-innovation founders through programs, mentorship, and funding. It runs a similar cohort-based accelerator model for a thematic subset of researchers and innovators.
- Creative Destruction Lab (CDL): CDL is a science-based, equity-free venture accelerator that helps founders build massively scalable science- and technology-based companies. It directly competes with V1 Studio for science-based startup founders, especially in Canada, and follows a similar program-based, grant/partnership-funded operating model.
- IndieBio (SOSV): IndieBio is a deep-tech/synthetic biology accelerator that funds and mentors science-driven founders building biotech startups. It competes with V1 Studio's SIVP program for the same pool of scientific entrepreneurs, especially in life sciences.
- Antler: Antler is a global early-stage venture builder that runs cohort-based programs supporting founders from idea stage through funding. It is comparable to V1 Studio as a structured, multi-stage accelerator targeting first-time and researcher founders.
- District 3 Innovation Hub: V1 Studio's direct predecessor at Concordia University, District 3 supports innovators and researchers through mentorship, programs, and community. It remains closely operationally linked to V1 Studio and serves a similar researcher/graduate-student population in Montreal.
- DMZ (Toronto Metropolitan University): DMZ is a leading Canadian university-affiliated startup accelerator supporting early-stage tech founders with programs, mentorship, and capital. It is comparable to V1 Studio as a Canadian academic-ecosystem accelerator delivering cohort programs to founders.
Broad incumbents
- Techstars: Techstars is a global, well-capitalized accelerator running cohort-based programs across verticals. It is comparable as a broad incumbent in the accelerator space that could expand into the researcher-founder niche V1 Studio targets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
V1 Studio social profiles
Digital presenceV1 Studio compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
V1 Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
V1 Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
V1 Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
V1 Studio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about V1 Studio
What does V1 Studio do?
V1 Studio is a nonprofit organization that provides structured entrepreneurship support programs for researchers and graduate students, primarily in Quebec. It delivers free educational programs (QcSE, Lab2Market Validate Foundations, Lab2Market Validate), venture-building programs with bursary funding (SIVP providing $75,000 over 18 months), and Impact Workshops, along with mentorship, advisory support, and access to a network of funders and academic partners.
Is V1 Studio a public or private company?
V1 Studio is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was V1 Studio founded?
V1 Studio was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is V1 Studio based?
V1 Studio is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does V1 Studio make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Program Funding is the primary driver. The others are donations and Sponsorships.
Who are V1 Studio's main competitors?
Others on record are Axelys and Mitacs. Direct peers are Founder Institute, Ocean Startup Project, Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), IndieBio (SOSV), Antler, District 3 Innovation Hub and DMZ (Toronto Metropolitan University). Techstars is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does V1 Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for V1 Studio.
What industry is V1 Studio in?
V1 Studio's product category is Academic Entrepreneurship Support Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAH, Venture Studios / Company Builders, with a secondary code of FSANAHAD, Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs. Its NAICS code is 81392.