LEAP
Leading Entrepreneurs to an Accelerator Path
Volta LEAP helps Founders of early-stage innovation-driven startups build a 24-month plan and supports them with submitting an application to an accelerator (such as Creative Destruction Lab, Techstars, and Y Combinator). Participating Founders take milestone-driven workshops and training sessions to equip themselves with tools and business techniques to move from early-stage startup to accelerator-ready.
Ideal LEAP candidates:
- Have validation in their target market
- Have domain expertise
- Have the ability and means to bring the startup to life
Before applying, applicants should be prepared to demonstrate that their solution is solving an urgent problem that their target customers are willing to pay for.
About Volta LEAP
The Program is comprised of three, half day sessions taking place over three days. Over the next month companies will receive four additional one-hour, one-on-one sessions with the facilitator.
Group session topics include:
- Understanding and building your business plan
- Customer identification
- Connecting with your target audience
- From building blocks to executing your plan
One-on-one follow ups focus on building aspects of your company’s Execution Table such as:
- Receipts & Pipelines
- Activities
- Disbursements
Application Process
Interested companies are invited to submit their applications. From those applications, eight to twelve companies will be selected to participate per session.
Successful companies will:
- Be looking to raise a round of capital
- Be looking to build out the sales process
- Have a strong desire to proceed with an application to an accelerator program
Volta LEAP is designed to support the growth of early-stage Atlantic Canadian tech and innovation companies and prepare them to apply to accelerator programs. The Program will be offered to eligible Founders at no cost to the participant.
LEAP Timelines:
- Applications for the next Volta LEAP session are currently being accepted on a rolling basis, however, to be considered for the next LEAP intake, please apply by August 26, 2022
- Interviews will take place as applications are received and reviewed
- LEAP 10 will take place from September 12-14, 2022
Questions on Volta LEAP can be directed to: Sahil Ahuja, Sr. Coordinator, Strategic Projects + Stakeholder Experience, Volta
Angela VanKessel, Co-Founder, Cultivated Ecosystems
Co-Founder / Cultivated Ecosystems
LEAP provided our rural based, Cultivated Eco team with proven tactics to properly plan our next steps plus boosted our business confidence to a whole new level which has proven to be a game changer as we bring our products and services to market. Toon helped us narrow our first steps down, to ensure we don’t get stuck, and instead of telling us the style we plan to conduct business is wrong, he encouraged us to keep our core values while ensuring successful structures will be available. The basic understanding of business planning, mentorship and network growth has given Cultivated Eco an advantage like no other.
Deanne McCarthy, CEO, Swiftsure Innovations
CEO / Swiftsure Innovations
The Volta LEAP program helped me determine the key inflection points that would increase the valuation of my company. This enabled me to establish a strategic fundraising plan to achieve our future goals. Toon has an in depth understanding of the challenges that founders face and he offers valuable insight from a VC perspective. This course teaches founders how to communicate their strategic plan and more importantly, how to execute their strategy.
Rahul Anand, CEO, KorrAI
CEO / KorrAI
Going through the Volta LEAP program with Toon Nagtegaal helped us tremendously to keep track of the core of venture building while we were moving from zero to one.
Ben Bschaden, Co-Founder + CEO, Gibli Tech
Co-Founder + CEO / Gibli Tech
Volta LEAP was a huge factor in the success of our investment round by helping us prepare our pitch to be able to communicate our vision and the right information to investors. Working with Toon throughout the program has helped us in building our company by staying focused on the key tasks required for our success. I would highly recommend LEAP to any company interested in raising investment capital.
Nadia Ivanova, Co-Founder + CEO, Sparrow Acoustics
Co-Founder + CEO / Nadia Ivanova
The LEAP program was reach-in information that is essential for every startup. The program covers everything you need to make the product ready for investment and to eliminate the gaps in planning: from defining the problem, market size, customers, etc. The section on the company valuations was very unique and gave us an understanding on how the company looks like from the investors’ perspective. Additional bonus is the Execution table, just a must have! And it is very important to mention the 6-month support from Toon after the program ended. I highly recommend this program for every entrepreneur!
About the Facilitator: Toon Nagtegaal
Toon Nagtegaal has spent his career being involved in the development and growth of companies, either as a venture capitalist or a consultant. He was a Co-Founder of Atlas Venture and p3 technology partners, was Managing Director of Holland Venture, and a VP Investments of GrowthWorks. He has invested in early and later-stage companies across Europe, North America and Israel, and has served on the board of more than 25 companies. Toon was an executive board member of the European Venture Capital Association from 1995 to 1998, responsible for the events and training courses.
Since 2007, Toon has been fully dedicated to assisting Atlantic Canadian companies to prepare for growth and financing. Between 2007 and 2021, Toon has worked with more than 300 companies, and provided supportive training and mentorship with CDL Atlantic.
This program is supported by
