Northern Innovation Network (Formerly Hubspace)

What Northern Innovation Network (Formerly Hubspace) does

Northern Innovation Network (formerly Hubspace) is a non-profit business accelerator operated by Innovation Central Society, a registered not-for-profit society headquartered in Prince George, British Columbia. Founded in 2012 and rebranded in 2023, the organization is the designated Innovation & Technology Business Accelerator for Northern and Central British Columbia, serving startups, scaling businesses, and workers displaced by mill closures and tariffs. Its core service portfolio includes the Venture Accelerator Program (cohort-based business model development for tech entrepreneurs), Build Your Own Future ($5,000 grants plus training for displaced workers), AccelerateIP (intellectual property education and up to $60,000 in IP implementation support across BC, Yukon, Nunavut, and NWT), and the Northern Angel Summit (annual investor-matching event). The organization does not develop proprietary technology; its core offering is human-delivered coaching, mentorship, and business development services.

The business model combines multiple revenue streams: tiered membership subscriptions (Free Tech Network, $250/year Supporter, $2,500/year Community Network Partner, $5,000/year Community Network Builder), workspace rental income (hot desks, meeting rooms, private offices at the Prince George facility), and government grants from Canada-BC partnerships. The 6-person team is led by Executive Director Mary Mytting and includes a Director of Business Development, Director of Operations, Program Manager, and Program Coordinator. The organization operates through a community-led GTM motion combining direct outreach, partnership referrals, and government-funded program delivery across roughly 50+ member organizations spanning solar energy, aviation, drone services, forestry, and software verticals.

Name

Northern Innovation Network (Formerly Hubspace)

Legal name

Innovation Central Society

Website

https://northerninnovation.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Northern Innovation Network is a non-profit business accelerator in Prince George, British Columbia, providing coaching, mentorship, and funding access to startups and displaced workers across Northern BC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Accelerator Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Venture Creation Centers (EDAHAHAH), Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH), Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

Keywords

• Business accelerator services
• Entrepreneurship coaching programs
• Startup mentorship programs
• Innovation network membership
• Small business training

Headquarters

HQ city

Prince George

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The organization generates revenue through tiered membership programs: Tech Network Member (free), Supporter Network Member ($250/year), Community Network Partner ($2,500/year), and Community Network Builder ($5,000/year). These memberships provide access to programs, directory listings, event discounts, and workspace rentals.
2. Workspace Rental: Revenue generated from renting workspace facilities including hot desks, meeting rooms, board rooms, and private offices. Members receive discounted rates compared to non-member visitors.
3. Government Grants and Funding: The organization operates as a not-for-profit society supported by government funding from Canada-BC partnerships, demonstrating reliance on public sector financial support for operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Northern Innovation Network operates as Northern BC's innovation and technology business accelerator, providing 1-on-1 coaching, mentorship, cohort-based training, and strategic networking to startups and scaling businesses in Northern and Central British Columbia. The organization delivers structured accelerator programs (Venture Accelerator Program, Build Your Own Future, AccelerateIP), an annual Northern Angel Summit connecting founders with investors, tiered network memberships, and workspace rental services at its Prince George headquarters.

Product overview

Northern Innovation Network operates as Northern BC's innovation and technology business accelerator, formerly known as Hubspace. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including the Venture Accelerator Program (for tech entrepreneurs at any stage), Build Your Own Future (for workers impacted by mill closures), AccelerateIP (for intellectual property support), and Northern Angel Summit (for investor connections). The network provides tiered membership options from free Tech Network access to premium Community Network Builder status at $5,000/year, with benefits including directory listings, workspace access, and job banks. Additionally, workspace rental services in Prince George and a funding partnership with Pocketed complement the core accelerator offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Venture Accelerator Program A business development program that helps B.C. tech entrepreneurs accelerate the process of defining a proven business model through customized coaching, mentorship, and network access to experts who have built and sold successful businesses. Targeted at innovators and founders who are technical specialists lacking business skills.
• Build Your Own Future A government-funded business startup program providing a $5,000 grant, 5-day foundational business training bootcamp, ongoing coaching, mentorship, and 7 capacity-building workshops for forestry workers and trades people affected by tariffs or mill closures in British Columbia.
• AccelerateIP An intellectual property support initiative providing IP education, strategy mentorship, and financial assistance (up to $60,000) for IP protection, strategy, and implementation for startups in BC, Yukon, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories. Delivered in partnership with New Ventures BC and Innovate BC.
• Northern Angel Summit An annual initiative creating a thriving Angel Investor network and innovation ecosystem in Northern BC by connecting founders to angel investors. Includes promotional events and dedicated programming to facilitate investment relationships between entrepreneurs and investors.
• Workspace Rental Physical workspace rental services including hot desks, meeting rooms, board rooms, and private offices available at the Prince George headquarters, with discounted rates for network members. Includes complimentary 2-hour rental for Tech Network Members.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 core and minor.

• New Ventures BCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrime collaborator for AccelerateIP program delivery. New Ventures BC leads the initiative with Northern Innovation Network as a key partner in the network of accelerators and incubators providing enhanced access to IP education, skills development, and financial support across BC, Yukon, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories.
• Innovate BCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrime collaborator alongside New Ventures BC for the AccelerateIP program. Northern Innovation Network participates as part of the program delivery network, helping startups access education, mentorship, and financial support for intellectual property protection.
• PocketedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing Northern Innovation Network members exclusive access to Pocketed's grant and funding matching platform. Members receive free basic platform access and 25% off Pocketed+ premium service with referral code HUBSPACE.
• Community Futures Fraser Fort GeorgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Northern Innovation Network to support Open Waters Solar during early business stages. Community Futures provides additional entrepreneurial support services in the Fraser Fort George region.
• Northern Development Initiative TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Northern Innovation Network to support Open Waters Solar's development. Trust provides economic development funding and support for Northern BC businesses.
• National Research Councils Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided support to Open Waters Solar alongside Northern Innovation Network. NRC-IRAP offers technical and business advisory services to Canadian innovative firms.
• Sustainable Development Technology CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Open Waters Solar development in collaboration with Northern Innovation Network. SDTC funds and supports clean technology projects across Canada.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MaRS Discovery District: Toronto-based innovation hub offering accelerator programs, mentorship, and capital connections. Comparable as a Canadian non-profit innovation ecosystem builder; much larger in scale and resources than NIN.
• Creative Destruction Lab: Canadian accelerator for massively scalable science-based companies. Operates a more selective, equity-based model than NIN but comparable in providing structured mentorship to founders across Canada.
• Communitech: Large Waterloo-based innovation hub supporting tech founders and scale-ups. Operates a much broader accelerator and ecosystem model; comparable in mission to support Canadian tech entrepreneurs but at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Spring Activator: Canadian impact-focused accelerator supporting mission-driven entrepreneurs. Comparable as a Canadian accelerator providing cohort programming and mentorship to early-stage founders.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator running cohort-based programs for early-stage founders. Operates in multiple Canadian cities with a similar methodology to NIN's Venture Accelerator Program.
• Innovate BC: Provincial agency funding and supporting tech entrepreneurship across BC. Co-partner with NIN on AccelerateIP and shares the mandate of accelerating BC-based innovation through grants and programs.
• Community Futures Network of Canada: National network of 267 community development organizations supporting rural and small-business entrepreneurs. Community Futures Fraser Fort George is an active NIN partner; the broader network addresses similar regional entrepreneur segments with government-backed programs.
• New Ventures BC: British Columbia's leading startup accelerator organization. Direct peer and active AccelerateIP partner of NIN; both deliver cohort-based programs, mentorship, and funding access to BC-based tech founders.

Regional players

• Invest Ottawa: Ottawa-based economic development agency operating accelerator programs for tech founders. Comparable as a regionally-focused non-profit accelerator but operating in Eastern Canada rather than Western.
• Alberta Innovates: Provincial innovation funding and support agency for Alberta. Geographic peer to NIN operating in Western Canada with similar mission of supporting regional tech entrepreneurs and SMEs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/northerninnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northerninnovation
• Instagraminstagram.com/northerninnovation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Northern Innovation Network (Formerly Hubspace)