The Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta

RINSA provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses rooted in technology and innovation.

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Discover what stage you’re at in your entrepreneurial journey

Early-Stage Startup

Start Your Business

Do you have an idea of an innovative technology or tech-enabled business you’re ready to pursue?

Late-Stage Startup

Build Your Business

Do you have an innovative technology or tech-enabled product or service you’re ready to bring to market?

Scale Up & Growth

Grow Your Business

Do you have an innovative technology or tech-enabled business you’re ready to scale and grow?  

Start Your Business

Do you have an idea of an innovative technology or tech-enabled business you’re ready to pursue?

You fit in our Early-Stage Startup category if you can relate to some or most of the following criteria:

  • You have a business idea you’d like to explore
  • You have identified a need for your product or service and are not sure how to market it
  • You are looking for help with prototyping
  • You are not sure where to start when it comes to commercializing your product or service
  • You are looking for advice on how to get started

Connect with RINSA so we can connect you to valuable resources including:

  • Access to RootApp for building up your idea
  • Access to prototyping supports at the University of Lethbridge
  • Early-Stage and prototyping entrepreneur supports through theThe University of Lethbridge is a publicly funded comprehensive academic and research university, founded in the liberal education tradition, with an enrollment of over 8700 undergraduate and graduate students. The University contributes to the entrepreneurial ecosystem through our industry/research collaborations/partnerships, Office of Research and Innovation Services, and early-stage entrepreneurial programming provided by Agility. University of Lethbridge Agility Innovation Zone
  • Explore Education on Demand self-paced entrepreneurship fundamentals
  • Explore partner organization supports
  • Guest speaker presentations through the AgENT Program at the Lethbridge College
Let's Get Started

Build Your Business

Do you have an innovative technology or tech-enabled product or service you’re ready to bring to market?

You fit in our Late-Stage Startup category if you can relate to some or most of the following criteria:

  • Your product or service is approaching market-ready
  • You are ready to set business goals for a sustainable business model
  • You are working on your business plan and market validation
  • You are beginning to generate revenue from your product or service
  • You are looking for connections to help boost your business
  • You are preparing for business and/or technology readiness
  • You are preparing to oversee the financial management and health of your business

Connect with RINSA so we can connect you to valuable resources including:

  • Access to business planning & pitch supports
  • Access to go-to-market strategy supports
  • Free 1:1 business advising
  • Opportunity for sponsored seats for conferences, seminars, and educational opportunities
  • Education and researcher connections to industry throughLethbridge College is a publicly funded community college with ongoing enrolment of over 4000 students. The college contributes to the entrepreneurial ecosystem through the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which provides pre-commercial validation services for commercial application in agriculture, spatial technologies, and public safety. Lethbridge College’s Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE)
  • Networking and access to partner organization supports
  • Grant and accelerator application assistance and referrals
  • Programming for testing business ideas
  • Opportunity for sponsored seats for conferences, seminars, and educational opportunities
Let's Get Started

Grow Your Business

Do you have an innovative technology or tech-enabled business you’re ready to scale and grow?

You fit in our Scale Up & Growth category if you can relate to some or most of the following criteria:

  • Your business is making sales and generating revenue
  • You would like to grow your client base
  • You would like to expand your product line or service provision
  • You would like to expand into new markets
  • You want to expand your marketing and reach for your product or service
  • You are unsure how to stimulate more growth for your business

Connect with RINSA so we can connect you to valuable resources including:

  • Sponsored seats for ClassRebel Founder education (all online!)
  • Networking and access to partner organization supports
  • Free 1:1 business advising
  • Robust referrals within the Southern Alberta entrepreneurial ecosystem
  • Education and researcher connections to industry throughLethbridge College is a publicly funded community college with ongoing enrolment of over 4000 students. The college contributes to the entrepreneurial ecosystem through the Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which provides pre-commercial validation services for commercial application in agriculture, spatial technologies, and public safety. Lethbridge College’s Centre for Applied Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CARIE)
  • High-touch support for participation in Scale Up & Growth accelerators
  • Connections to import/export supports and services
  • Supports for business development activities
Let's Get Started

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Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta

RINSA

The Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta (RINSA) was formed in 2011 as a collaborative partnership between Alberta Innovates with Economic Development Lethbridge/Tecconnect, Lethbridge College, and the University of Lethbridge. It has since grown to over 14 member organizations:

  • Tecconnect / EDL
  • University of Lethbridge
  • Lethbridge College
  • Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce
  • Okotoks Economic Development
  • Piikani Resource Development
  • Blackfoot Confederacy Tribal Council Entrepreneurship Committee
  • Blood Tribe Economic Development
  • Community Futures Lethbridge Region
  • Southgrow Regional Initiative
  • Alberta Southwest Regional Economic Development
  • BIPOC Foundation
  • Rural Women Entrepreneurs in Technology
  • NRC-IRAP
  • Alberta Innovates

In 2023, Economic Development Lethbridge partnered with Innovate Calgary to initiate the launch of the Elevate IP program to ensure  rural/remote and under-represented entrepreneurs such as Indigenous and Newcomers across Alberta have access to IP strategy and implementation resources. Ask us about what Elevate IP can do to protect your intellectual property!

Partners

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Alberta Innovation Network

The Alberta Innovation Network, supported by Alberta Innovates, is a cooperative of regional networks across the province. Each Regional Innovation Network (RIN) is made up of like-minded organizations, passionate about growing the entrepreneurial ecosystem both in their region and across Alberta. RINs work to provide support, programming, and networking connections to small and mid-size businesses with a focus on growing and commercializing their technology and innovation.

Calgary | Central Alberta | Edmonton | Fort McMurray | Grand Prarie | Lethbridge | Lloydminister | Medicine Hat

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