CEWIL Project Spotlight: Startup Go-To-Market
For many students interested in pursuing a career in entrepreneurship, or simply looking to launch a startup, tangible deliverables are of great value and importance when taking that next professional step.
Lectures alone can rarely set students up for success, and often students are left looking for opportunities that can equip them with a foundation for their startup ideas.
The “Startup Go-To-Market” Project does exactly that.
Part of the course EI8011A, a credited course in the Master of Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MEIE) program, “Startup Go-To-Market” is a CEWIL-funded project at TMU aimed at expanding access to Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities through new partnerships.
Through mentorship from industry experts and workshops, students pursuing the project are expected to complete two specific outcomes during the summer term of the academic year. First is the development of a technical proof-of-concept, in essence, a working prototype that incorporates all technological elements to show the possibility of a solution to a customer problem. Second is a go-to-market demonstration, which represents market collaterals, channel development, and a customer engagement plan.
The program was first piloted during the 2022 Summer academic semester during which 7 students participated. The program connected students with employer partner Innovation Boost Zone (IBZ), an incubator that strives to support deep-tech startups and is part of TMU’s Zone Learning ecosystem.
In addition to personalized support from mentors at IBZ, students were also granted access to technology incubation to help them grow their projects and develop new startup skills related to entrepreneurship.
“Students take on the role of founder, learning what it takes to solve a real and meaningful problem. This requires them to learn many skills while working on their startup,” says Tabitha Grant, Manager at the Centre for Engineering Innovation & Entrepreneurship, which runs the MEIE program.
Real-world experience is invaluable for students looking for opportunities in entrepreneurship. The Startup Go-To-Market project removes barriers to these opportunities and supports an immersive experiential learning experience for students. The added financial support of the CEWIL funds also provides extra time and means to develop projects and startups.
“By developing a personal project, students were exposed to the in-and-outs of entrepreneurship, thus developing their entrepreneurial mindset. With that, startups and projects take funds to conceptualize. Many students would not have been able to progress or even start without this funding. With this, the WIL broke barriers, by allowing those who may have been financially insecure with the opportunity to pursue the learning opportunity.”
The Start Go-To-Market program is now available every term as part of the MEIE program. To learn more, visit the Master of Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship program website.