Invest Together in Women-Led Impact 2026 for Founders
INVEST Together in WOMEN-LED IMPACT
A gender-smart investment prize for impact ventures raising right now.
Supported in part by funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program, WIN-VC and DLA Piper.
2026 Invest Together Overview
Invest Together in Women-led Impact returns to shine a light on innovative women & gender diverse entrepreneurs from across Canada and catalyze equity investment from values-aligned investors. 2026 applications are now closed.
10 impact ventures will be selected to join a half-day Investment Readiness Catalyst where you will cover key topics like:
How previous Top Ventures set themselves apart
Tackling tricky (aka gendered) questions
Where to spend your time + how to avoid wasting it
Negotiation strategies + fair deal terms
How to build momentum post-close
Your data room and overall legal preparedness will also be reviewed by top global law firm, DLA Piper. In February, you will present your company and its newly strengthened materials to our cohort of accredited investors.
The investors will choose the Top 5 Ventures they will continue onto the next stage: A supported due diligence process that includes a DD coach, analyst and Spring team members that will collaborate with you to create a deal memo for your company.
In March, the Top 5 will prepare pre-recorded pitches for the Women-Led Impact Prize Finale, where the Top Venture will be awarded an investment of approximately $200K. No other prizes are guaranteed, but some previous Invest Together Top 5 companies have also received investment.
Whether you’re named to the Top 10 or the Top Venture, being part of Invest Together will provide you with invaluable connections, a robust data room, and a community of purpose-driven founders + investors that will support your growth. Many ventures actually return (and raise) a second time, or join other Spring programs like Scale Ready to continue supporting their growth.
2026 applications are now closed. Stay tuned for the announcement of our Top 10.
2025 Top Venture
OUR 2025 FINALE
Take a peek at the journey of our 2025 Top 5 Founders and see who was named Top Venture!
If chosen as an Invest Together Top 5 venture, you can expect to:
Have the opportunity to be chosen for approximately $200K in dilutive funding
Join a supportive, like-minded community of impactful founders & investors that lasts a lifetime
Get invaluable hand-on analysis and insights on your due diligence materials & investment memo
Pitch in a safe environment without the bias & BS (and learn how to manage it in other pitches)
Participate online from wherever you are – no relocation required
Get access to our Spring Perks Platform, providing over $1M in discounts on must-have services like Google Workspace, Hubspot, Slack, accounting support and more
2024 Top Venture
VEssl Prosthetics
CEO & Co-Founder Sydney Robinson shares her take on raising investment as a women entrepreneur and how Vessl is thriving since being named an Invest Together Top Venture.
We define a “women-led venture” as a woman or gender diverse person:
Holding significant ownership in the business – ideally 50% or more, with a minimum 33% ownership
Having the title of CEO, CTO or COO
Conducting a majority of the fundraising activities for the company
All women and gender diverse founders are welcome to apply. We will prioritize applications from those who are from underrepresented communities, including founders who are BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, newcomers and/or disabled.
Your company must be solving a social or environmental issue and contributing to one or more of the UN Global Goals. This includes, but isn’t limited to, ventures in:
Healthtech/Femtech
Climate Tech/Cleantech
Responsible Consumption & Production
Reduced Inequalities
Education
You are seeking pre-seed to seed funding and are an incorporated Canadian company that is a private issuer according to Canadian securities laws.
2026 applications are now closed. Stay tuned for the announcement of our Top 10.
The Program Benefits Keep Giving
Top VEntures Keep Thriving
2024 Top 5 Venture Scotiaderm’s CEO & Co-Founder Johanna Mercer shares how they leveraged Invest Together into follow-on investment.
Here’s the timeline for our program this winter. All sessions are virtual to enable founders from across Canada to participate:
Jan 14th – Application deadline
Jan 15th – Top 10 Ventures are selected
Jan 28 & 29 – Investment Readiness Catalyst – 9:30AM PST/12:30PM EST to 11:30AM PST/2:30PM EST
Feb 11th – Top 10 Venture Pitch – 9:30AM PST/12:30PM EST to 11:30AM PST/2:30PM EST
Feb 12th – Top 5 Ventures announced
Feb 13th – Due Diligence Team Kickoff – 9:30AM PST/12:30PM EST to 11:30AM PST/2:30PM EST
Feb 14th to Mar 3 – Due Diligence
Mar 11th – Women-Led Impact Prize Finale – Top 5 Pitch + Top Venture announced
Mar 12 to Mar 31 – Paperwork and collection of funds from investors
Invest Together x Scale Ready
Elevate Your Venture
Did you know that you can apply to Invest Together AND our Scale Ready impact venture studio? VEGAIN Co-Founder + President Haché shares their award-winning venture’s journey and how Scale Ready’s Elevate roundtables are key to their company’s rapid trajectory.
At the end of the program, the founder(s) of the Top Venture will have the option of receiving individual investments directly from each accredited investor or one pooled investment from all of the investors in a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). The Spring team will work with the founder to review any third party SPV expenses and determine which option is the best fit for their venture.
MISSED THE DEADLINE?
Applications for our 2026 Invest Together in Women-Led Impact are closed, but if you’re currently raising or about to raise, we have another opportunity that could be exactly what you need. And it’s 70% off for women and gender diverse founders.