Impact Entrepreneurs Raising Capital

Connect $100k+ to your impact startup through the Impact Investor Challenge.

Looking to kickstart your fundraising journey?

You're in the right place.

The Impact Investor Challenge provides you the resources and support you need to raise capital for your impact startup. Connect with like-minded impact entrepreneurs and investors actively seeking to invest in impact-driven startups.

We offer different editions of the Challenge format to address different themes and geographies. By doing so, we seek to diversify the impact investing ecosystem and drive sustainable solutions to global challenges.

The Discovery Foundation’s RISE Resilience: Health Innovation Investment Readiness Program

The Discovery Foundation’s RISE Resilience: Health Innovation Investment Readiness Program powered by the Discovery Foundation aims to advance life sciences innovation within the impact investor and startup ecosystem.

Companies driving improved and measurable outcomes in the following areas of healthcare: 

  • Technology enabled non-life sciences health innovation 
  • Improving women’s health
  • Healthcare for seniors and aging population
  • Accessibility and affordability of healthcare for the underserved
  • Care economy

Company application period: April 26th  – June 1st 2023

First Investment Readiness Session Starts: June 6th  2023

You can download a program pack here.

Don’t see a cohort that aligns with your business?

Sign up to get notified when we launched future cohorts.


Missed an Info Session? Find it below

Health Impact Investor Challenge Entrepreneur Info Session

Many entrepreneurs are leading the charge in innovation with brilliant ideas—ideas that require funding and mentorship to accelerate the transformations they seek to make. 

How can investors help make an impact through capital and fuel this much-needed impact forward? What does it mean to be an impact investor? 

What does this space look like beneath the surface, and what kinds of companies are emerging as leaders?

What you can expect from the program.

Over 11 weeks, Spring facilitates a cohort of impact ventures and impact-curious investors in navigating the fundraising process. Through the program, and beyond, you can expect to:

Catalyze your launch into fundraising, with a chance to win a $100k+ investment

Deepen and clarify your understanding of what investors are looking for

Join a supportive like-minded community and connect with potential investors

Polish up your pitch and other assets to be presented to potential investors 

Who is this program a fit for?

The Impact Investor Challenge is breaking down barriers associated with raising capital as an impact venture and achieving impact at scale. Here’s who we often see participating in the program:

  • Early-stage socially and/or environmentally driven ventures looking to raise capital and scale their impact.
  • Ventures also looking to access expertise to help move their team forward.
  • Those excited to be part of a like-minded community of individuals passionate about making the world a better place.
  • Ventures is based in Canada.
We run several cohorts, each with a unique geographic area and/or impact theme. Browse our upcoming cohorts below to find one that aligns with your business! You can also download our program pack to learn more.

I hope every entrepreneur gets the opportunity to go through a program like this. Working with investors with a wide range of expertise in healthcare, ranging from medical doctors to decision-makers in some of Canada’s largest healthcare institutions, offered us a perspective we wouldn’t have received anywhere else.

  • Kunal Sethi

Co-founder & CEO of UVX, Health IIC Spring 2022 Winner

“There’s so much added value to gain from IIC apart from the $100,000 investment prize at the end. Investors with whom I met and built relationships through IIC genuinely care about impact investing and have coached us through the program, often scheduling one-on-one sessions with my team. Even though we didn’t end up winning the investment prize at the end, we now have people reaching out to us interested in investing!”

  • Valerie Song

Founder & CEO of Ava Technology, IIC 2021 Finalist

“We used the knowledge we gained to successfully raise and close our pre-seed round. The Impact Investor Challenge was a great opportunity for our company to learn about raising a fund by working directly with angel investors and benefiting from the targeted programming delivered by Spring and their partners. Being a part of the program also raised our company profile and winning the $100,000 investment was amazing, not only for the investment but for the validation it provided to other investors, which was critical in helping us raise our first round.”

  • Julie Angus

Co-founder & CEO of Open Ocean Robotics, Winner of the 2019 Impact Investor Challenge

“The Impact Investor Challenge gave me the opportunity to exercise my professional skills in more ways than I could have imagined. It provided me with a thorough overview of the funding world and an introduction to an incredible network of like-minded supporters and investors who all view business as a force for good. I was able to develop in areas that I hadn’t previously exercised (pitching in front of a large audience) and gained a great deal of confidence throughout the process.”

  • Alison Carr

COO & Co-founder at NADA, 2019 Impact Investor Challenge Finalist

“The competition has really been instrumental in shaping a very transformative time for our company. The scrutiny of opening your everyday decisions to a panel of people over this duration of time and intensity, for an investment fund where you have an authentic chance to finance your company, has been such a valuable experience. Thank you Spring Activator for this education!”

  • Marnie Lett

Co-founder & CEO at Acterra Tech, 2020 Impact Investor Challenge Finalist

How it all works.

Some of the things you'll want to know before we get started.

During 2-hour weekly sessions, you will learn the ‘what, why, and how’ of approaching impact investors while getting the unique chance to work directly with them.

The top venture applicants will be selected to attend orientation and pitch their companies to the investor cohort. Semi-finalists will then be chosen by the investor group to pitch again, after which at least three finalist ventures will be selected. The venture cohort will then participate in five, 2-hour evening sessions with the investor group. One company will win the $100,000+ investment at the Pitch Finale.

*Please note, companies are expected to have representation from the founding team at each session

You are welcome to apply for as many challenges as you are eligible for. Each cohort adopts a unique impact theme and/or is restricted to a certain geographic location. You can browse the upcoming cohorts below!

There are no fees to participate in the program, however any of the finalists who receive investments from the investor program participants, program alumni, or Spring Investing Collective members will be invoiced 3% of the total investment amount. This is an administrative fee that helps cover the transaction costs.

  • A brief description of the missions and purpose of your business
  • The problem your business is solving, how, and for whom
  • What UN Sustainable Development Goal(s) your business falls under
  • The status of your fundraising to-date and future goals
  • You will also have the option to submit a pitch deck if you have one prepared

Program Partners

Join the Movement as a Partner

It takes a community to catalyze change and fuel the innovation the world needs. If you are interested in being part of the impact investing movement as a partner of our programming, reach out to us today!