New York and Los Angeles retail tech
The Consulates of Canada in New York City and Los Angeles are joining forces to offer a joint Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) program focused on US Retail Tech.
Canadian Trade Commissioners situated in the U.S’ two largest technology hubs will support a cohort of Canadian retail tech companies to learn about the local retail tech environment through experts and connect with potential clients, partners, and investors.
The program will offer participants 8 weeks of high-touch, in-person and virtual bespoke support in New York and California focused on the Los Angeles.
Important dates
| Application deadline | Program dates | Time commitment |
|---|---|---|
Closed | Sept 18-November 10 2023 | 3 hours/week |
What are the benefits of joining?
The US Retail Tech CTA helps high-potential Canadian companies gain exposure to the thriving NYC and Los Angeles.
Through a single application, Canadian retail tech companies can benefit from participation in two distinct markets with virtual and in-market programming and support.
- June/August: Applications and cohort selection
- September:
- The program kicks off with a series of virtual in-market sessions, which include key and targeted market intelligence, mentorship matchmaking, curated B2B introductions.
- 1 week of in-person in-market sessions follow in NYC, which include curated keynote sessions delivered by private sector expert partners and industry leaders, as well as tailored mentorship from experts in the retail and retail tech ecosystems, and sessions with VCs and investment experts.
- A third and last phase of the program will be 1 week of in-person in-market sessions in Los Angeles, which include curated keynote sessions delivered by private sector expert partners and industry leaders, as well as tailored mentorship from experts in the retail and retail tech ecosystems.
- Two months of dedicated Trade Commissioner Service support in NYC and California to pursue business and investment leads.
For more information please contact Safia.Morsly-Fikai@international.gc.ca for the NYC portion, or Isabella.Schilpp@international.gc.ca for the California portion.
Who should apply
We are looking for early-stage Canadian companies who have:
- A fully-built and validated product with a differentiated technology that applies to the retail ecosystem
- Have a vested interest in pursuing the US market
- Specific goal(s) and a clear strategy for entry to NYC and California
- Recurring revenues and/or $1M funds raised
- Strong and experienced management team who can commit to virtual and in-market programming
The Trade Commissioner Service supports equality and diversity in trade. We strongly encourage companies led by Canadians of all backgrounds and orientations to apply.
How the program works
The program will offer customized in-person and virtual support from September to October 2023 with weekly sessions. We will establish tailored priorities at the beginning of the program to develop your business strategy as well as advance your market entry, investment, and customer acquisition objectives.
You will participate in:
- advisory meetings
- specialized sessions
- in-person opening and closing events
- and more
Client testimonials
“A conversation with a mentor prompted us to identify an entirely new use-case for Intuitive Shipping. We expect this feature alone will make us hundreds of millions of dollars in the next 10 years and more importantly, will also save billions of tons of carbon emissions from being produced and released. Without the CTA, it’s entirely possible we never would have considered this direction.”- Sharon Reed, CEO Intuitive Shipping
“We made some really good connections in New York and landed a business deal out of it in just a few weeks. Strongly recommend the program.” Lauryn Vaughn, CEO and Co-founder ReUpp
“Loved the community aspect of the program and we are now in advanced discussions with one of the companies in the cohort to merge our businesses. We are also considering a partnership with another company in the cohort. I would definitely recommend the CTA Retail Tech to startups.” Asif Khan, CEO of GroundLevels Insights
“CTA Retail Tech is a phenomenally well designed program and was incredibly helpful to us. It gave a sense of where we are, what we need to do to grow and exposed us to US VCs mindset.” Warsame Mohamed, CEO and Co-founder Braiyt.ai
Contact us
Safia Morsly-Fikai
Trade Commissioner – Program Co-Director
Canadian Technology Accelerator — New York
Safia.morsly-fikai@international.gc.ca
Isabella Schilpp
Trade Commissioner – Program Co-Director
Canadian TechnologyAccelerator- LosAngeles
Isabella.Schilpp@international.gc.ca
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