About
Venture-Capital Ready
Venture-Capital Ready – Investment Training for Women Entrepreneurs is an initiative by the Small Scale Food Processor Association. This fully funded investment training program is designed for market-tested food businesses throughout Canada and aims to ensure that entrepreneurs are prepared and confident to enter the investment process. Boundless Accelerator™ is a proud training partner.
There is a science to who gets VC funding, and it’s based on the Q&A – not the pitch. Some questions are significantly correlated with investment (most are not), and women are asked more questions that are not correlated with investment. Evidence has shown that people who can answer these questions well raise several million more over their startup life than those who do not. VC language is science-based, and it can be learned!
As part of the Venture-Capital Ready training, women founders will complete the Investoready© program to help them learn, practice, and prepare for Investor Q&As. The program provides immediate and automated, industry-agnostic feedback to cultivate a new skill to help founders control the conversation and raise millions more over the life of their venture.
Target Client
Who is this program for?
- Women founders in the agri-food space (e.g., producing a food or beverage product). There is no percentage requirement for ownership if the company is woman-led.
- Companies incorporated in Canada or who are ready to incorporate.
- Companies whose sales and demand are increasing and who want to scale up. There are no minimum or maximum revenue requirements.
- Founders seeking training to prepare themselves and their business to attract investment.
- Founders who can commit 40 hours to learn about financing and investment capital.
What to Expect
How does this program work?
Registration & Orientation
- Complete Eligibility Assessment
- Complete Business Intake Form
- Once you complete your registration, review your action plan that details your path forward through the VCR program
Receive Resources & Support
- Participate in workshops or other training events
- Access resources to help you get investment ready
Complete Investoready©
- Work with trainers to build confidence and skills facing investors
- Learn to manage crucial investor question-and-answer sessions
- Learn how to overcome barriers women face in seeking investment capital with your cohort of women founders
- Develop skills in the online portal, ~3 hours per week
Pitch Parties
- Develop your pitch deck
- Present your pitch to your peer group
- Give and receive feedback
- Join a Pitch Party
Use Investor Pipeline
- Complete deal room documents
- Complete business profile
- Use your new skills to pitch your business to interested investors
- Continue on your own to meet and appear before investors in pitch competitions, venture capital panels and other investment forums
Strike a Deal
- When investor indicates interest, invite them to your Deal Room to review your investment readiness
- Get your investment!
Eligibility Assessment
Complete the Assessment
Visit the Venture Capital Ready website or contact Boundless Accelerator™ for more information!
