8 Exclusive Programs to Grow Your Startup
Volta Residency: What’s in it for you?
Our goal is to help you reach your vision for your company and grow a globally-minded business.
As a Volta Resident, you’ll have access to more than $50,000 worth of resources. Whatever you need to take your business to new heights, it’s all at your fingertips.
You’ll get the chance to connect with venture capitalists, angel investors, industry VIP’s, fellow founders and successful entrepreneurs with networks spanning across the globe.
Did we mention Build Ventures will be your new neighbour?
What about the programs?
We offer a multitude of programs and benefits all geared toward helping your company grow and scale. Here’s the top eight you’ll want to take a look at:
- The Startup Bureau. The Bureau is a panel of experienced tech entrepreneurs and angel investors. Every two months they meet with each resident company to set goals and milestones specific to their current situation. The main focus is keeping founders accountable to the goals they set in the last meeting, and making sure residents have timely mentorship from those who’ve built successful companies already.
- Travel Program. The Travel Program helps resident companies travel within Canada & the United States to generate investment, establish connections with new suppliers and partners, increase sales and bring best practices back to Atlantic Canada. Each successful candidate will have 100% of their travel costs covered, up to $2,000.
- Early Adopter Program. The Early Adopter Program pairs residents and alumni with established companies in Nova Scotia, who serve as their first customers. Startups will benefit from feedback on their technology products, close early revenue, and gain testimonials for future marketing.
- Mentorship. Volta has an engaged group of experienced mentors with a history of success and a commitment to growing the startup community in Nova Scotia. Regular networking events are held to connect founders with these potential mentors, as well as direct connections facilitated by the Volta team.
- Founder Meetups. Every 4–6 weeks, events are held to connect founders with other founders in meaningful settings. Events include founder chats, founder breakfasts & dinners, founder retreats and more.
- Sandler Training Scholarship. With 250 training centres worldwide, Sandler is considered among the best sales/business development training in the world. Sandler and Volta offer a training scholarship that includes 2 hours of sales training per week for 6 months, plus many extras. The usual investment for this program is $5,000 however it is available to successful applicants of the Volta co-share program for $250.
- User Testing Program. In partnership with Dalhousie’s Computer Science Department, we pair computer science students with resident companies and alumni to serve as user testers for their technology. Students volunteer on a weekly basis to create automated testing processes, while companies are given the chance to connect with potential future employees.
- In-House Experts. Volta provides in-house access to industry experts in finance, legal, marketing, public relations, recruiting, funding strategy & more. One-on-one sessions with vetted experts are facilitated directly by the Volta team so founders can focus on building their technology.
How do I know if I’m ready?
You might be surprised how much residency will help you early on.
Funding opportunities, peer-to-peer chats with other founders, access to industry experts — whatever you need to take your company from the early stages to the global scale.
As a Volta resident, you’ll have access to exclusive discounts, prime office and meeting space, and other essential tools to grow your business.
Just in case you’re wondering:
You don’t need a finished product. If your idea is validated and you have potential clients, we want you here. We’ll help you grow into whatever it is you want to be.
Being an early stage company is ok! The point of residency is to get your company to Product/Market Fit. This can take up to two years, depending on the industry. A lot of current Volta residents and alumni are in the later stages of growth, but don’t let that scare you away. They started in the same place you did.
So what are the requirements?
Full-time founders. You need two (or more) devoted, full-time co-founders dedicated to getting your startup off the ground and gaining market share as fast as possible.
Tech. Volta is a tech super hub. Our residency program is exclusively for tech startups (SaaS, Hardware, oceans, life science etc).
Validated. You don’t need a full product, but you do need validated ideas and tested assumptions.
Team. It takes more than just business prowess or technical skills. Your team should be a good combination of both.
Big market. You should have global market potential, with plenty of opportunity for growth.
Think you’re ready?
Let us help you reach the heights you’re striving for. Take the next step. Apply now to become a Volta resident.
