Toronto, ON – June 25, 2025 – R-LABS, the Real Estate Industry Venture Builder, is excited to launch the second cohort of its REALFounders program. The intensive eight-week program empowers experienced founders to collaborate with R-LABS to create new startups or refine existing startup ideas to deliver impactful solutions for the real estate and housing sectors.
Through a tailored, guided structure, founders will gain valuable insights and connections, culminating in a formal pitch session with R-LABS partners and industry experts. Successful ventures will advance to company validation and founding stages, with investment funding from R-LABS and other strategic partners.
“We believe the world’s most pressing real estate challenges will be solved by companies that haven’t been built yet—and that the greatest impact and value will come from pairing visionary entrepreneurs with leading industry innovators,” said Erik Garbin, Managing Director of Ventures at R-LABS. “This program is designed to provide experienced founders with the resources, network and support they need to turn visionary ideas into successful Canadian companies that can scale globally. We look forward to seeing the transformative ideas, relationships and companies that will emerge from this program.”
Founder Qualifications begin June 25, 2025
Qualified founders with previous successful exits are invited to explore partnering opportunities with R-LABS and submit their expression of interest at www.rlabs.ca/realfounders until July 16, 2025.
Program Highlights:
- Duration: 8 weeks
- Program Components: Ideation, validation, go-to-market strategy, and pitch preparation
- Focus Areas:
– Sustainability in real estate
– Asset management and tools for citizen developers
– Industrialization of housing
– Efficiencies in the development industry
– Alternative financing and ownership models for housing - Final Pitch Day: Participants will present their refined startup concepts to a panel of R-LABS leadership and industry experts.
Post-Program Opportunity:
Following the 8-week program, R-LABS will select 2 to 4 standout participants to lead the validation and founding of 1 to 2 new companies as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence. Through this process, the selected founders will have the opportunity to receive an investment of up to $500,000 from R-LABS for the formation of each new company.
For more information on the REALFounders program and to submit an expression of interest for its second cohort, please visit: www.rlabs.ca/realfounders
About R-LABS:
R-LABS is The Real Estate Industry Venture Builder, established in 2018 as a partnership of innovative corporations, institutions, industry organizations, and game-changing entrepreneurs to build and grow great companies that solve major problems in real estate and housing. www.rlabs.ca.