Ready 4 Market (R4M)

Description

Through the Market Readiness Program, Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) invests directly in companies to further their early-stage commercialization and support their growth into a scalable business.

Ready 4 Market (R4M) is Ontario’s leading pre-seed investment fund. Through the fund, OCI co-invests with angel and other investors in early-stage Ontario-based start-ups with competitive IP commercializing transformative technologies to support their growth into scalable businesses. This investment de-risks the opportunity, helps the start-up become investor and customer ready, and attracts private sector co-investment and follow-on investment.  

About the Fund

On behalf of the government of Ontario, Ready 4 Market supports Ontario-based early-stage technology companies that are raising pre-seed and seed investment rounds. Investments are up to $250,000 and total round sizes range from $500,000 to $2 million. R4M is a competitive co-investment fund, with hundreds of companies considered for funding closing around 20 investments each year. Investment criteria includes a minimum addressable market size of $100M, and private sector co-investment is required. Companies undergo a rigorous due diligence and selection process, and are evaluated on long-term competitiveness, strong IP, unique value proposition, and capacity to scale. To date, OCI has invested in 200+ companies. 

 

Best suited for:

• Intellectual Property from an Ontario-based academic institution or part of a Campus Incubator/accelerator at Academic Institutes (Companies with their team /IP origins at a university (“university spin-out”), college or research hospital are also eligible, even if not campus affiliated.)
• Incorporated for no more than five years (Ontario or Canadian for-profit incorporation) and have principal operations in Ontario.
• Companies that have raised less than $1 million in third-party capital are eligible for their first R4M investment.
• OCI supports early-stage companies that are raising pre-seed and seed investments (total round sizes range from $500,000 to $2 million)

 

Our investments drive Canadian business development, economic growth and scalable impact across all technology sectors. Overview The Ready for Market (R4M) Co-Investment Fund invests directly in academic affiliated, Ontario companies and passionate entrepreneurs. R4M is dedicated to advancing the early-stage commercialization of these companies and supporting their development into scalable businesses

SECTORS 

Agnostic across sectors* including (but not limited to) IT, Robotics, AI, Cleantech and Advanced Manufacturing, with a minimum addressable market size of $100M.

 

FUNDING 

We invest at the pre-seed and seed stage, with investments of up to $250K

 

GEOGRAPHY

Companies that are headquartered and predominantly located within the Province of Ontario. Current company headcount must be >50% located in Ontario (not projected).

 

STAGE

 Early-stage technology companies that are close to commercialization. Ideally the product has been built, and there is some early market traction

 

Have intellectual Property (IP) from an Ontario-based academic institution or part of a Campus Incubator/Accelerator at Academic Institutions (Companies with their team /IP origins at a university (“university spin-out”), colleges or research hospitals are also eligible (even if not campus affiliated.)

 • Incorporated for no more than five years (Ontario or Canadian for-profit incorporation) and have principal operations in Ontario. 

• Have raised less than $1 million in third-party capital. 

• Seeking to raise pre-seed and seed investments (total round sizes range from $500K to $2 million). 

• Ontario-based accredited investors should be part of the investment round.