Accelerator program! The program wraps with an exciting Demo Day. We’d love it if you joined us to watch 20 incredibly impactful startups present their companies and their offerings. The link to the event is here:
This week, we would like to share some of our thoughts and reflections on the past 12-week CSW accelerator journey.
First, it was truly inspiring to be part of a relatively large cohort of companies that were hyper-focused on making a social impact and/or personal safety in so many ways. With so many viable problem-solution value propositions, it is undeniable evidence that there is no inherent conflict between a profitable business and a company doing social good.
Second, although the CWS Accelerator is a brand-new program, it is affiliated with a leading accelerator, such as AlchemistX. The backing of the Edmonton Police Foundation and Alberta Innovates add tremendous value as well. We knew that the CSW team would be excellent and were not disappointed by seasoned professionals such as Ian Bergman, Christy Canida, Hemanth Setty, Shannon Gavrilchuk, and many others that guided us along the CSW journey.
Third, one of the unique aspects of this accelerator was that once chosen, participation did not include an investment by the accelerator. Last year, Defynance took part in Techstars Boulder and in that program – like many others – the purpose was to invest in a company and “accelerate” its development. Not adding another line to our cap table was certainly a plus, but at the same time, at a certain stage, any given company could benefit from such an investment. We are, however, excited to be evaluated by the ScaleGood Social Impact Fund at the end of the program so the investment option is on the table.
Fourth, as you may have noticed from the organizations mentioned in the second point – for example, the Edmonton Police Foundation – this program was based in Albert, Canada. This was certainly a factor that weighed heavily in favor of Defynance participating in the program. Through the program, we gained insights into the Canadian market and learned a great deal in doing so. We are extremely excited about eventually opening the Canadian market to the Defynance solution!
In summary, working alongside such knowledgeable coaches and alongside 19 other fantastic companies have not only validated our belief in Defynance as a business but more importantly validated our belief in Defynance as a concept. That concept is one where we – not meaning just we here at Defynance – can simply make a choice to do business in a way that makes a social impact without compromising returns!
