Solid State Community Industries

What Solid State Community Industries does

Solid State Community Industries is a Canadian non-profit economic development organization founded around 2019 in Surrey, British Columbia, that builds worker-owned cooperative businesses with racialized migrant communities and internationally displaced people. Its core offering is a 16-week cooperative development program covering mission articulation, brand identity, governance and legal structuring, financial planning, and access to seed funding, delivered through a hybrid in-person and online model at its headquarters at 10326 Whalley Blvd, Surrey, BC. The program accepts up to five groups per intake and runs two intake cycles per year (June-July and January), with no program fee charged to participants; operating revenue derives from grant funding and community partnerships.

The organization operates a network of 30+ member cooperatives spanning sectors such as design, video game production (e.g., Chicken Coop), media (Gaza Media Co-op), creative services, climate, and community health. Graduated co-ops retain ongoing access to physical space, mentorship, professional development, networking events, and community programming at the Surrey hub. Solid State has expanded through an affiliated Solid State Affordable Housing Society (SSAHS), developed in partnership with Purppl and Aunt Leah's Properties, which uses a hybrid cooperative, non-profit, and community land trust model for permanently affordable housing. The organization has also extended internationally, supporting new co-op development in Tunisia through the WASL Cooperative Lab, and has stated a public 2028 commitment to scale nationally and internationally via regional hubs.

The company is privately operated as a non-profit, with no equity ownership, public listing, or disclosed investors; it is governed by staff and community members consistent with solidarity economy principles. Marketing is community-led, leveraging Instagram, a monthly newsletter, in-person and virtual info sessions, and referrals from community partners. Headcount is approximately 20, supported by active hiring for Community Services and Engagement Director and Events & Operations Manager roles.

Name

Solid State Community Industries

Legal name

Solid State Community Industries

Website

https://solidstate.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Solid State Community Industries is a Surrey, BC-based non-profit that builds worker-owned cooperatives with racialized migrant and displaced communities through a 16-week development program and a network of 30+ member co-ops.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Development Services

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development (BPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Community Development & Social Impact Programs (EDAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Cooperative development services
• Worker cooperative incubation
• Community economic development
• Solidarity economy programs
• Migrant entrepreneurship support

Headquarters

HQ city

Surrey

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant funding: Solid State Community Industries operates as a non-profit economic development organization supported primarily through grant funding and community partnerships. No program fees are charged to co-op members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Solid State Community Industries runs a 16-week cooperative development program that supports racialized, migrant, and internationally displaced communities in Surrey, BC to form and launch worker-owned cooperative businesses. Services include 1-on-1 mentorship, governance and legal structuring, brand and financial planning, access to physical workspace and community events, and seed funding upon program completion — all delivered at no program fee.

Product overview

Solid State Community Industries is a non-profit economic development organization that operates as a single unified program focused on building worker-owned cooperative businesses with racialized migrant communities in Surrey, BC. Rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, the organization provides an integrated suite of services including a 16-week cooperative development program, the Solid State Affordable Housing Society, a network of 30+ member cooperatives, community engagement services, event management, and physical space access. These services are interconnected through solidarity economics principles, with the cooperative development program serving as the primary entry point, while housing, networking, events, and space access provide ongoing support for established and developing cooperatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 5 new co-ops accepted per intake cycle, with 2 intake cycles per year

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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, flagship and minor.

• PurpplcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Purppl is partnering with the Solid State Affordable Housing Society (SSAHS) to develop an ethical and practical model for community-owned, permanently affordable housing. The partnership combines cooperative, non-profit, and community land trust approaches to ensure secure, dignified homes for multigenerational and racialized families.
• Aunt Leah's PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Aunt Leah's Properties collaborates with the Solid State Affordable Housing Society on the affordable housing initiative, contributing to the model that blends cooperative, non-profit, and community land trust approaches for permanent affordability.
• WASL Cooperative Lab (Hive12 & AJL)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Solid State has been supporting WASL Cooperative Lab in Sousse, Tunisia — a collaboration between Hive12 (coworking space, incubator, enterprise education hub) and AJL (multidisciplinary university center). Staff have visited Sousse to support new co-op launches, including Habibty (worker co-op producing organic spices, herbal teas, natural cosmetics) and Ambassad'Art (creative space for art and design).
• Gaza Media Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Solid State supports Gaza Media Co-op, a worker cooperative founded by a Gazan journalist to empower creatives in Gaza to offer design services and earn income. The co-op operates a solidarity economy model prioritizing the equity and well-being of the team in Gaza, with a Metro Vancouver-based 'B Team' providing backup support.
• DechintaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDechinta is listed as a national hub partner on the Solid State hubs page, representing the organization's expansion beyond Surrey into broader networks.
• Palestine Impact CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a national hub partner on the Solid State hubs page, representing alignment with broader social justice and solidarity economy movements.
• Solid State Affordable Housing Society (SSAHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSAHS is an affiliated but distinct entity developing community-owned, permanently affordable housing using a cooperative, non-profit, and community land trust hybrid model. It is listed under the Solid State hubs page as a flagship initiative.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mondragon Corporation: Mondragon is the world's largest worker co-operative federation, based in the Basque Country. Relevant as the canonical global reference model for worker co-op development that Solid State's mission echoes, though at vastly larger scale.
• United Way British Columbia: United Way BC is a large nonprofit that funds and coordinates social services across the province, including programs supporting newcomer and migrant integration. Comparable as a BC-based grant-funded nonprofit supporting migrant community economic outcomes.
• Community Futures BC: Community Futures BC is a network of nonprofit community economic development organizations serving rural BC communities with business development loans, training, and support. Comparable as a BC-based nonprofit providing economic development and small business support services.
• Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC): CMC is the national peak body for Canada's co-operative and mutual sector, representing thousands of co-ops across multiple sectors. Comparable as a national-level Canadian co-op ecosystem organization, though broader in scope than Solid State's worker co-op focus.

Regional players

• Vancity Community Foundation: Vancity Community Foundation partners with Vancity Credit Union to support co-operative economy, affordable housing, and community economic development in the Lower Mainland. Comparable as a regional cooperative-aligned economic development funder in Solid State's geography.
• The Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC): FFBC is a Canadian philanthropic foundation supporting Black-led organizations and communities. Comparable as a Canadian organization focused on building economic capacity in racialized/migrant communities, though operating as a funder rather than direct service provider.

Emerging players

• Chic Geek / Futurpreneur (Canadian small business support): Futurpreneur is a Canadian nonprofit that supports young entrepreneurs aged 18-39 with financing, mentorship, and resources. Comparable as a Canadian nonprofit providing structured mentorship and capital support to underrepresented founders, with similar demographics (youth under 35).
• Platform Cooperativism Consortium (The New School): The Platform Cooperativism Consortium is a global movement supporting digitally-enabled cooperatives and platform-based worker ownership. Comparable as a cooperative development organization focused on modern worker-owned business models, though more research/advocacy-oriented than Solid State's direct incubation model.

Direct peers

• CoopZone: CoopZone is a Canadian worker co-operative that provides consulting and development services to groups forming co-ops. Directly comparable to Solid State's 16-week co-op development program in offering governance, legal, and financial structuring support to emerging co-operatives in Canada.
• Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation (CWCF): CWCF is a national grassroots membership organization of worker co-operatives in Canada that supports the development of new worker co-ops through training, resources, and advocacy. Highly comparable as a Canadian worker co-op development and advocacy organization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/solidstatecoop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solid-state-community-industries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Solid State Community Industries