Mila Ventures Startup Challenge
Ready to test your entrepreneurial edge? Take the 4-week challenge that pushes your limits.
The Mila Ventures Startup Challenge is a part-time, remote-friendly, introduction to early-stage startup life.
Designed for curious scientists, innovators, and problem-solvers, this 4-week program lets you learn by doing. No idea, team, or prior entrepreneurial experience required.
Step into the startup world, try things you don’t normally do, and take on the Mila Ventures Startup Challenge.
About
Curious what startup life really feels like?
The Startup Challenge gives you a 4-week, part-time taste of the founder journey—no commitments, no strings attached. You'll dive into real customer conversations, pitch solutions, and test your entrepreneurial instincts, all while staying in your current role. You'll begin your journey towards becoming a venture scientist: a domain expert that is on its way to becoming a founder.
Built for technical minds ready to explore beyond the lab, this program pushes you outside your comfort zone in the best way. Whether you decide startup life is for you or not, you'll walk away with skills that'll serve you anywhere your career takes you.
Ready to step into the Mila Ventures Startup Challenge and put your skills to the test?
The next session will run from February 2 to February 27, 2026. Applications are open until January 29, 11:59 PM.
Who is it for?
Anyone curious about startups, from PhD students to engineers to non-student technical experts exploring entrepreneurship for the first time:
- Graduate students and postdocs affiliated with Mila with active AI/ML research
- Graduate students in STEM fields from Canadian universities with strong technical backgrounds
- Non-student technical experts passionate about solving real-world problems with AI
How does it work?
- Weekly 4-hour synchronous sessions complemented by self-directed challenges
- Practical exercises that mirror real startup workflows
- Customer discovery and rapid experimentation
- Feedback from mentors who have built and scaled companies
- A collaborative cohort of emerging Venture Scientists
300+
Venture scientists trained
Helping graduates transition to the business world successfully.
$80M+
Funding raised
From top tier VCs and local angels.
20+
New startups created this past year
Mila supported the growth of over 20 new startups founded by its researchers.
This is an exciting time for Mila Ventures with the convergence of tech, demand and most importantly talent, we can now guide the people who will build some of the most exciting companies of the upcoming years.
Jonathan Guillemette PhD, Venture Scientist Lead
FAQ
What is the goal of the Startup Challenge?
The Startup Challenge is a unique experience that is tailored for high end technical profiles that aims to provide a taste of the other skills, aptitudes and competencies required in the world of early stage startups. This will help you see and grow into the other realms of the business world that the academic world hasn’t exposed you to.
The program has been crafted by people who have undergone the transition from STEM PhD to startup cofounder and it aims to give a taste of the stuff they wish they would have known earlier.
When does the program start and what's the time commitment?
The program starts on Feb 2nd and ends on Feb 27th. The time commitment is approximately 1 day per week with 4 hours in synchronous fashion and the rest with work being done async.
What is the typical schedule?
The typical schedule will be a 2h session on Monday to discuss the upcoming challenge of the week and to give the proper context for the week and how it ties into the bigger picture. There will be another 2h session on Friday to discuss how the week went and what the learnings were. The other 4 hours (approximately) will be spent working on the challenge of the week.
Do I need to have a team before applying?
No, this challenge is meant to be individual. Even though collaborative behavior can be helpful in the challenges, each person is facing the challenge.
Is the program in-person or remote?
The program is remote friendly.
What stage should my idea be at?
You don’t even need an idea so all are welcome!
Can international students apply?
Yes
Will this help me build my company?
Yes, it will focus on the most important part of building a company, figuring out what to build! As technical people, we often want to build first without stopping to ask if anyone needs it or is willing to pay for it. This 4-week program will focus on helping you figure out what to build.
Other programs, that are still in design from Mila Ventures, will be true incubation and acceleration.