Your founder journey starts here

Launch your startup journey

What happens when you join?

Joining before studio means partnering up with other entrepreneurs to build a SaaS startup that’s been meticulously validated and primed for success. Here’s what you can expect:

Start with a Winning Idea

We’ll connect you with a business idea that’s been tested and refined through our rigorous validation process.

Build with Resources and Support

From funding and operational guidance to tech expertise and mentorship, we’ll provide everything you need to create a game-changing product during one year. Our team will be your team and you will work along other founders going through the same experience.

Find the Perfect Co-Founder

Whether you already have a partner in mind or are searching for the right match, we’ll help you build a team of CEO and CTO founders that complements your strengths and aligns with the startup’s vision.

Grow as a Leader

For a year, you will drive the project and take charge as the CEO or CTO of your startup, fully leading its development and direction. We’ll act as your co-founders and coaches, guiding you and providing the tools to grow your skills, expand your network, and build a successful company.

Prepare the Next Steps

A big part of our role is to help you get ready for your next phase. From crafting a compelling business plan to planning recruitment and securing your first round of external funding, we’ll ensure you’re fully equipped to scale your startup beyond the studio.

Equity and Alignment

At launch, you and your co-founder (CEO & CTO) hold the majority of the shares while the studio gets 30% as a committed co-founder. The studio will retain 30% of the fully diluted equity after you finish our program and get your first VC funding.

Joining before studio offers you a multitude of advantages.

Focus on what really matters. We remove the distractions so you can focus entirely on building your startup. From drafting contracts to handling HR, legal, and marketing tasks, we take care of the operational complexities that often hinder founders. Our support lets you channel your energy into what you do best—creating an outstanding product and leading your business to success.

Your startup is funded, and once launched, we introduce you to senior investors to develop the venture further.

Joining before significantly increases your chances of success by providing comprehensive support, resources, and opportunities throughout your entrepreneurial journey.

Oh, and what’s more, you get a salary and benefits while doing it.

Want to know more?

  • We are not looking for one overall profile. We want to find the right fit between founders and ideas, meaning that founders market fit is a very important factor we look at. This can be through your background, expertise, personal experience… Have a look at our current projects and tell us how you could be a great fit!

    Of course what will be universal is the is the drive to build something from the ground up, feeling comfortable with ambiguity and taking on lots of different hats. Because an entrepreneurship journey is going to take you to incredible places but you’ll be the one on the driver’s seat and that requires efforts and accountability.

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  • While it’s true that having prior experience in entrepreneurship is a plus, it is not a pre-requisite; we all have to start somewhere. We value attitude and accountability over experience.

  • Yes, launching a company is tough. We don’t want financial issues to become a burden and prevent your success.

  • Yes, you will have to live in Montreal to join the program. Launching a startup is a very challenging process, and we want you to be able to live it fully. We do not think our partnership can yield the best results remotely; some of the best ideas are found at the coffee machine.

    If you’re coming from abroad, we can help you get settled and help with your closed visa and immigration issues. The visa would be linked to your time within before.

    After the first year you can of course decide to establish your company elsewhere.

  • The whole project lasts a year, starting in January. Founders usually join in February which means you will be part of the program for about 10 months with a maximum of 12 months.

  • Over the first year, our team works closely with founders, providing hands-on support in critical areas such as product development, design, strategy, go-to-market planning, recruiting, and funding. Our goal is to help build resilient, independent companies, both operationally and financially, covering all costs and helping secure the next funds.

  • Well, to start with, you are at the helm of an incorporated company as a C-level and you have secured (or are well underway) your next funding. You are ready to trace your own path towards growth and we are only a phone call away! We have remaining shares but it is not our goal to interfere anymore and we will be looking into exiting around the series A.

  • Each startup gets a capital of 200.000 CAD to cover all costs for the duration of the program (12 months).

  • At launch, the equity is equally split between the CEO & CTO founders, and before retains 30% of the fully diluted equity at the first VC funding. Subsequently, as the company progresses and seeks further investment, both the studio and the founders undergo equal dilution by incoming investors.

  • It’s a very important question to ask yourself before partnering with a startup studio.

    To answer it, one has to consider that before covers all pre-launch costs, including your salary, and provides the startup's initial funding. But this is only part of the story, as the rest of the support structure represents most of the costs.

    Partnering with us accelerates the creation of your project and reduces risks compared to other early-stage projects. But speed is not the only factor; quality and reliability are also supporting factors to the project's success. The 30% equity asked for each project represents our confidence in the value of what we bring to the table and our commitment to your project.