For many founders, growth comes down to one question:
How do we move faster without stretching our resources too thin?
Hiring specialized talent, advancing research, and developing new products all require investment. For many early-stage companies, those investments compete with everything else needed to build a business.
During a recent presentation at Edmonton Unlimited, Sherifat Buhari, Senior Advisor, Business Development at Mitacs, shared how founders can use Mitacs programs to access research talent, strengthen their R&D capacity, and extend their innovation budgets.
Several themes emerged throughout the session, highlighting how founders can use the program to accelerate growth at every stage of their journey.
Innovation Doesn't Happen Alone
One of the biggest misconceptions about the program is that it’s only for universities or large research projects.
In reality, Mitacs connects businesses with highly skilled students, postdoctoral researchers, and academic experts to solve real business challenges. Whether a company is developing a new product, validating technology, optimizing operations, or exploring new markets, the goal is the same: connect organizations with the people and resources they need to move faster.
Stretch Your R&D Budget Further
Through co-funded programs like Accelerate and the Business Strategy Internship, organizations can access highly qualified talent while sharing project costs. For founders balancing ambitious product roadmaps with limited budgets, that funding model can make research and development significantly more accessible.
Mitacs Can Help Companies:
- Access highly skilled research talent.
- Extend R&D budgets through co-investment.
- Connect with researchers and facilities at more than 160 post-secondary institutions.
- Build a future talent pipeline while advancing innovation.
Start Small. Scale as You Grow.
One of the most practical messages from the presentation was that founders don’t need to build a large research program from day one.
The programs are designed to be flexible. Companies can begin with a single four-month project and expand over time by adding interns, researchers, or additional project blocks as their needs evolve.
That flexibility allows founders to test ideas, reduce hiring risk, and build momentum before committing additional resources.
Growth in Action
Edmonton-based Future Fields began with a Mitacs Accelerate Entrepreneur project before expanding through additional Mitacs programs as the company scaled. Today, the company has more than 40 employees, has secured more than $6.5 million in public grants and innovation funding, and raised an $8 million USD Series A investment.
It’s one example of how companies can use the program not simply to fund individual projects, but to build long-term research capacity and accelerate commercialization.
Building What's Next?
Building innovative companies requires more than great ideas. It requires access to the right talent, expertise, and resources to keep moving forward.
Mitacs helps founders build that momentum by connecting businesses with researchers, students, funding, and partnerships that support innovation at every stage of growth.
One of the most encouraging takeaways from the session was that getting started doesn’t have to be a major undertaking. Companies can begin with a single four-month project and expand over time by adding interns, researchers, or additional project blocks as their needs evolve.