SFU Innovates is Simon Fraser University’s innovation strategy. Its mission is to engage SFU researchers, staff and students with communities and partners to solve societal challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship. It aims to create an inclusive, team-oriented, interdisciplinary, and impactful continuum of entrepreneurship education and support in Canada. Genome BC has supported the Life Science Stream (LSS) of SFU Innovates since 2017. Under the leadership of Dr. Sarah Lubik, Director of Entrepreneurship and Project Leader, the LSS stream focuses on piloting and expanding programs that link mentoring with laboratories and classrooms, serving as a model to scale interdisciplinary approach throughout the university. It serves to develop a range of programming and resources that help transform ideas into marketable products and services and launch new HQPs through two streams: Venture Connection and RADIUS.

The incubator program under Venture Connection supports early-stage ventures and runs year-round, with multiple intakes. RADIUS, on the other hand, offers social venture support through two flagship programs: (a) The RADIUS Slingshot Accelerator – a six-month program that supports early stage, social impact ventures that are ready to grow, and (b) The RADIUS Trampoline Business Model Validation Program – a nine-session pre-accelerator for individuals with a business idea or early stage venture. Since 2017, SFU Innovates has trained over 500 entrepreneurs and attracted over 80 ventures, some of which have cumulatively accumulated ~ $9M in revenues and investments.