Founded in 2011, NEXT Canada was built on the vision of supporting the growth trajectory of aspiring and scaling entrepreneurs. With the support and leadership from NEXT Canada’s Cofounders and Founding Patrons, NEXT has grown to become one of Canada’s top entrepreneurial networks, with graduates achieving significant milestones in their entrepreneurial careers and contributing to building a stronger Canadian economy.
NEXT prides itself on their focus on being founder first. Each year, NEXT accepts participants from all across Canada into one of their three programs – Next 36, Next AI and Next Founders. Through courses taught by world-class faculty, mentorship from global leaders and venture funding, all participants who successfully graduate from a NEXT program gain the core skills, strategies and confidence needed to build businesses.
Next 36, NEXT Canada’s flagship program, was developed specifically for students and recent graduates with entrepreneurial aspirations. Every year, the top 36 most promising entrepreneurs, from any discipline, are accepted and put through rigorous programming. Successful candidates come from diverse backgrounds, some with an early-stage venture and others with simply an idea. What they all have in common, is the passion for entrepreneurship and the drive to thrive.
From the success of Next 36, Next Founders and Next AI were developed to broaden the support for Canadian entrepreneurs. Next AI is tailored for artificial-intelligence ventures, with programming provided in both Toronto and Montréal, with the Montréal program delivered in partnership with HEC Montréal. While Next 36 and Next AI look at early-stage startups, Next Founders puts a spotlight on growth-stage founders who are ready to take their ventures to the next level.
Looking ahead, NEXT Canada aims to grow their support of Canadian entrepreneurs and the Canadian economy. Having launched 800+ entrepreneurs and more than 300+ ventures – who have raised more than $1.8B in capital investments, NEXT Canada will continue to rally around the next generation of entrepreneurs and empower them to reach new levels.
