Government Funding & Resources for Startups January 19, 2011

The Canadian Provincial and Federal governments have a number of resources and funding opportunities available to startups but you may not know where to look, how to apply, or if you are even eligible.

To shed some light on this topic, Bootup reached out to Rizwan Kheraj - Industrial Technology Advisor for the National Research Council, IRAP. Riz has worked with many startups over the years offering mentorship and support. If there is anyone, who knows about government related funding and support, it is Riz!

Join us for a coffee at Bootup HQ on the 19th of January to learn more and meet Riz.

About Rizwan J. Kheraj
Rizwan’s work in the 80's at the PhD level in industrial psychology and computing science in the area of knowledge-based systems gained him early expertise in human factors and user interface design. Rizwan has led the development, deployment and management of customer relationship and web-based business intelligence systems at Knowledge Junction, ISM-BC, MPR Teltech, and Allied-Signal Corporation. Rizwan co-founded Knowledge Junction Systems in 1997, and successfully raised three rounds of venture financing. In his role as CEO and CTO at Knowledge Junction, he gained key expertise in starting a company, raising financing; working with equity investors, managing and operating the company, and setting a vision and direction for a company that grew to 40 employees over a five year period.
In 2003, Rizwan joined an early-stage wireless software company, Mobile Operandi as co-founder and Chief Operating Officer responsible for the commercial operation of the Mophone service, for finance, technical recruitment, human resources. The company was successfully sold to a US venture capital firm in February 2006.

Rizwan has been a member of the of the IRAP team as an Industrial Technology Advisor in BC for 48 months focused on the ICT sector (software, wireless, e-health, green ICT) and has assisted over 500 early-stage ICT SME companies by delivering technical, business, and operational advice to his clients’ CEOs to help them structure their companies, raise financing, grow their technological platforms and resource competencies, and commercialize their R&D results.

He is currently a member of the Queens University Arts & Sciences Cabinet, the BCIT Computing Advisory Committee, the BC Chapter of the Manning Awards Foundation, and maintains a membership in the Usability Professionals Association. Rizwan has been an active participant as a mentor and judge to early-stage technology companies in the annual New Ventures BC Business Plan competition.