TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwired – Feb. 3, 2014) – The Next 36, Canada’s most selective program for young entrepreneurs is seeking 20 high potential founders of promising tech ventures, to join the first cohort of The Next Founders. The Next Founders is an executive education program, designed for innovators, that involves an extraordinary community of business leaders, entrepreneurs, professors and investors.

The founders will receive 50-65 hours of masters-level education taught by top professors from University of Toronto (Rotman), University of British Columbia, Harvard, MIT and Georgetown. They will receive invitations to exclusive events attended by The Next 36 community of over 250 entrepreneurs and business leaders and will have a number of opportunities to pitch for additional investment.

“The Next Founders responds to the clear need that many science and tech entrepreneurs have for business skills and relationships,” says The Next 36 co-founder and executive director, Claudia Hepburn. “This is the new MBA for innovators.”

Of the nine ventures who piloted the program in 2013, many have enjoyed high profile successes since graduating. These include Vote Compass, Finmaven, Linkett, WhatRunsWhere and Bionym, the creator of the Nymi, a wristband that authenticates the wearer using their unique cardio rhythm and enables seamless access for the connected world. Bionym was co-founded by Karl Martin and Foteini Agrafioti, who are also alumni of Rotman Creative Destruction Labs. The venture has already secured $1.4M in seed funding. “The Next Founders changed my mindset from one of a scientist to one of an entrepreneur, says Agrafioti. “I believe we can build Bionym to be the next billion dollar company in Canada.”

Applications are being accepted online until March 11th, with the 2014 cohort starting the program on May 5 in Toronto.

About The Next 36

The Next 36 addresses Canada’s deficit of high impact entrepreneurship by providing resource-rich education programs to promising young entrepreneurs. It was founded by a small group of business leaders and academics and is championed by Founding Patrons W. Galen Weston, Paul Desmarais, Sr. and Jimmy Pattison. We believe that by fast-tracking the development of Canada’s most talented young innovators, we will help create industry-changing businesses and grow Canada’s long-term prosperity. The Next Founders is the second program from The Next 36 and is designed for young founders of tech start-ups looking to scale quickly. Entrepreneurs who successfully complete either program receive a certificate from the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies.

For more information, please visit: www.thenextfounders.ca and www.thenext36.ca.