Mila Ventures Launchpad
We bet on ambitious artificial intelligence (AI) founders, helping their research become the ventures the world has been waiting for.
The Mila Ventures Launchpad has been a cornerstone of Mila's entrepreneurship support. The program gives AI ventures a strong early-stage foundation by offering founder researchers and founders a supportive entry point into entrepreneurship, with access to community, mentorship, technical resources, and the Mila Ventures ecosystem.
Launchpad supports AI-native, applied AI, and deep tech startups, ranging from companies built on proprietary machine learning models and datasets, to those applying advanced AI to solve industry problems, or developing transformative technologies based on major scientific breakthroughs.
Who Should Apply
The Basics
- Participation of at least one Mila member (student, alumni, or professor) on the capitalization table.
- Scientific excellence and breakthrough technology: defensibility of the technology and competitive advantage of their IP.
- Strong commercial potential: market size and commercial potential of the opportunity.
The Archetypes
- You have a promising idea and are looking to validate it.
- You've made a scientific breakthrough with unique proprietary advantage and are ready to explore commercialization.
- You're looking for the business resources, network, and guidance needed to take your venture to the next level.
Apply to be among the top-tier startups
A Competitive Advantage
Jetty Founder and CEO Jonathan Lebensold went straight from the lab to the market after completing his PhD at Mila and McGill in October 2024. Backed by years of experience researching privacy-preserving ML at Meta and AI reasoning at Reliant AI, he launched Jetty in June 2025 and joined Mila Ventures Launchpad. From there, things moved fast: mentorship, the Mila network, a pitch at the Venture Scientist Demo Day in January 2026, and a $2M funding round closed by April 2026, less than a year after walking through the door.
Program Pillars
Founders join at any point during the year, engage with resources at their own pace, and can remain in the program for up to three years. The Launchpad focuses on high-impact activities that directly accelerate the transition from idea to commercialization.
Embedded Co-working
Work alongside 60+ startups, 110 venture scientists, and 1,000+ researchers in the heart of Montreal's AI ecosystem at Mila headquarters.
Investor Network
Gain exclusive access to curated Demo Days and direct introductions to our network of tier-1 VCs and angel investors who specialize in scaling deep tech ventures.
A Unique Talent Pipeline
Top-tier AI engineers and scientists are the most valuable talent pool in the world. We will help you recruit Mila Master's and PhD students who are interested in pursuing full-time and advisory work with startups.
Corporate Catalyst
Institutional access to our global partner network for rapid design partnerships, pilot validation, and acceleration of product-market fit.
Hands-on Mentoring
Bespoke mentor-matching that leverages the Mila Ventures network of technical, operational, and financial mentors.
Curated Event
Access Conference access to key ecosystem events such as ALL IN and StartupFest.
The Founder Stack
In addition to our core offering, we provide a suite of perks and support systems designed to reduce your burn rate and accelerate your operations:
- Cloud Credits: substantial credits to power your initial development and testing.
- Events and workshops : expert-driven workshops, collaborative labs and onsite career fairs.
- Discounted Software: preferred pricing on essential SaaS tools.
- Professional Services: warm intros to specialized legal, accounting, PR and other professional services firms that understand the unique needs of AI startups.
" We believe the next era will be led by companies with deep research expertise built in from day one. The Mila Ventures Launchpad meets you where you are, when you’re ready to venture out. "
Alika Arpin, Manager, Startups Acceleration - Mila Ventures
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the Mila Ventures Launchpad last?
Up to 3 years.
Does Mila take equity?
No, we don't take any equity and the program is free.
How can I apply to the Mila Ventures Launchpad?
The program follows a rolling, application-based process. Interested founders fill out an application form and submit a pitch deck.
How are startups approved?
Startups are evaluated by a selection committee through an interview process that convenes every 6 weeks.