# Launch Academy HQ

> Launch Academy is a Vancouver nonprofit tech incubator and accelerator founded in 2012. It combines founder education, mentorship, community events, partner resources and international expansion support; its current portfolio includes buildrs, Revenue Factory, LaunchPad, Apollo and continuing support for existing Maple members.

- **Founded:** 2012
- **Headquarters:** Vancouver, Canada
- **Founders:** Ray Walia (Co-founder and CEO), Roger Patterson (Co-founder), Jesse Heaslip (Co-founder), Mike Edwards (Co-founder), Alex Chuang (Co-founder; joined September 2012)
- **Products:** buildrs, Revenue Factory, Launch Your Startup, Startup 101, LaunchPad
- **Notable:** Grew from 12 entrepreneurs within two weeks to over 30 by the end of April 2012., Established a 12,000-square-foot Gastown home in April 2013., Reports 6,000 entrepreneurs incubated, 3,800+ jobs created and $2.5B collectively raised.

## Products & services

- **buildrs** — Free BC tech events calendar, builder and product directory and activity record; optional founder library advertised from $10/month billed yearly.
- **Revenue Factory** — Nine-week growth program; related online course combines video modules and Claude prompts for marketing execution.
- **Launch Your Startup** — Founder education and practical startup guidance; Thinkific lists a $300 course.
- **Startup 101** — Free introductory entrepreneurship course.
- **LaunchPad** — Incubation, mentorship and peer community; virtual program revised for hybrid work in 2021.
- **Apollo** — North American opportunity assessment and tailored action plans for international startups.
- **Maple** — Current site describes ongoing support for existing members. Historically supported international business expansion and Start-up Visa applicants; Canada paused new visa applications June 30, 2026.
- **Maple Bespoke** — Program introduced in 2024 following IRCC policy changes.
- **Traction** — Conference and associated educational media for founders, operators and investors.
- **Launch Builders** — Product demo and networking events; returned November 19, 2025 at Global Relay Space.
- **Trade Missions and CxO Summits** — International business connections and executive dinners.

## Achievements

- Grew from 12 entrepreneurs within two weeks to over 30 by the end of April 2012.
- Established a 12,000-square-foot Gastown home in April 2013.
- Reports 6,000 entrepreneurs incubated, 3,800+ jobs created and $2.5B collectively raised.
- 2024 review records four sold-out Builders meetups with 449 attendees and 20 demos.
- Ray Walia was inducted into the BC Innovators Hall of Fame in 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Published its 2025 review describing new members, return of Builders Demo Night and partnership with Global Relay for The Vancouver Tech Hub.
- **2026-06** — External policy development: Canada paused the Start-Up Visa Program on June 30; accepted applications continue to be processed.
- **2026-10** — Research snapshot: current site foregrounds buildrs, Revenue Factory and ongoing alumni support; Maple described as support for existing members.

## Links

- Website: https://launchacademy.ca/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/launchacademyhq/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/launchacademyhq/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/launchacademy
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/launchacademyhq/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/launchacademyhq

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/launch-academy-hq
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08