Venture Scientist Bootcamp
The program for Canada's best deep tech founders. $10,000, four months, no equity. Everything you need to build.
The Venture Scientist Bootcamp (VSB) is Mila Ventures' flagship incubator — a highly selective, 4-month program that gives Canada's top STEM founders the space, resources, and high-octane coaching to build the foundations of a high-potential deep tech startup.
This is not a course. It's an operating environment. You'll build alongside a curated cohort of peers who match your technical depth, coached by operators who have done it, supported by Canada's leading artificial intelligence (AI) research institute.
By the time you leave, you'll have traction, evidence, and a real shot at what comes next — whether that's raising a round or entering the Mila Ventures Accelerator.
Who Should Join?
The VSB is built for technically elite STEM founders with a high-potential deep tech idea and the drive to make it real. You fit this profile if you're:
- A PhD student, postdoc, or recent STEM graduate (within 3 years of graduating)
- A solo founder or co-founding team where at least one person has deep STEM expertise
- The top 1% of talent who views ‘’impossible’’ as a temporary bottleneck
- Already moving towards building something people want
- Ready to make Montréal your home base for 4 months
- Open to being challenged and contribute to curated group of achievers who will do what it takes to build bold ideas with real world-impact
Infrastructure and Leverage
- $10,000 zero-equity non-dilutive capital per founder (up to 2 founders per team)
- Dedicated office space in Montréal at the heart of Canada's AI ecosystem
- Venture manager coaching — demanding, operator-led, twice a week
- Weekly frontier AI sessions delivered by Mila talent
- Strategic market insertion - customer discovery, product, revenue, fundraising AI productivity masters series
- AI Founder Stack Series — How the best founders use AI tools to move 10x faster.
- Founder lunches with operators who've built before
- Curated cohort of Venture Scientist peers — ambitious, technical, bold Mila's network: researchers, investors, founders, partners
- Zero equity. Zero options. No strings.
How Does it Work
The Venture Scientist Bootcamp is for founders who don't need to be convinced — they need to be accelerated.
Over four months, you'll move through a structured arc: from validating the problem, to building and shipping, to generating traction, to arriving at Demo Day with evidence and momentum. Your venture manager will push your priorities every week. Your cohort will hold you to a high bar. The content, the speakers, and the tools will all serve one purpose: helping you move faster.
This is what it looks like when Canada's best technical talent decides to build something that matters.
Program Dates:
- Next session: June 1 to September 25, 2026
- Deadline to apply: April 26, 2026
300+
Venture scientists trained
Helping graduates transition to the business world successfully.
$80M+
Funding raised
From top tier VCs like A16Z, Felicis, Real, Khosla, Panache and local angels.
20+
New startups created this past year
Mila supported the growth of over 20 new startups founded by its researchers.
The most disruptive founders alive aren't coming from business schools. They're coming from labs. You have what most founders will never buy, borrow, or fake — deep technical truth. The Venture Scientist Bootcamp exists to make sure the world benefits from it.
Jonathan Guillemette PhD, Bootcamp Lead, Mila
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Venture Scientist Bootcamp?
The Venture Scientist Bootcamp (VSB) is Mila Ventures' 4-month sprint to market for elite STEM founders building high-potential deep tech startups. It combines venture coaching, frontier AI founder stack, GTM execution, and a curated founder community — all in Montréal, at the heart of Canada's AI ecosystem.
Do I need to have a company incorporated?
No. But you need more than an idea. Some customer validation, a prototype, or a validated concept — something that shows you're already moving.
What is the time commitment?
You'd be committing yourself to the VSB full time, and being in Montréal for the duration of the program. This will be the most intense four months of your life, if you aren’t ready to pivot from ‘’Researcher’’ to ‘’Founder’’, this isn’t for you.
What does Mila take in return?
Nothing. No equity. No options. No IP rights. The stipend is non-dilutive capital for you and your startup.
What's the stipend?
$10,000 per founder, for a maximum of 2 founders per team.
What happens after the program?
Some teams will be considered for the Mila Ventures Accelerator. Some will be ready to raise post Demo Day.
Is this program in French?
The program runs in English. We welcome applicants from across Canada.
When do applications open?
They are open now! Applications close April 26 2026. Acceptance letters go out the following week.