A young entrepreneur with a strong business idea and no collateral often faces a closed door with most lenders. Not because the idea is weak, but because conventional lending is built around assets and credit history that a 24-year-old has not yet accumulated.
Futurpreneur exists to open that door.
Founded in 1996, Futurpreneur is the only national non-profit organization providing aspiring entrepreneurs ages 18 to 39 across Canada with the loan financing, mentorship, and resources they need to start or buy a business. Its purpose is stated in expansive terms: driving inclusive Canadian prosperity by fostering the success of young entrepreneurs.
Over three decades, the organization has supported more than 21,000 entrepreneurs, helping them start, buy and grow more than 16,600 businesses in every province and territory across Canada by providing $259 million in loan financing alongside mentorship.
Financing Without Collateral
Futurpreneur’s core Startup Program offers something genuinely rare: a flexible, equity-free startup loan of up to $75,000 with two years of mentorship for entrepreneurs ages 18 to 39 starting or buying a business.
Both qualifiers matter enormously. Equity-free means a founder keeps full ownership of what they build — unlike venture capital, where early funding costs a permanent share of the company. Collateral-free means the loan does not need to be secured against assets a young founder is unlikely to hold.
“When young entrepreneurs succeed, Canada succeeds. For 30 years, Futurpreneur has had the privilege of supporting young founders as they turn ideas into businesses that create jobs, strengthen communities and contribute to a more inclusive and prosperous future. Time and time again, these inspiring entrepreneurs have demonstrated the impact that access to financing, mentorship and a strong support network has made in their businesses. That’s why investing in young entrepreneurs is so important. It’s an investment in Canada’s future.” –
Karen Greve Young, Chief Executive Officer of Futurpreneur
The structure combines Futurpreneur’s own financing with additional co-lend financing from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), and the organization has recently extended eligibility to entrepreneurs already in business for up to 24 months — supporting founders across Canada through the difficult early period of business growth rather than only at launch.
Mentorship as Equal Partner
Futurpreneur pairs every financed entrepreneur with up to two years of hand-matched mentorship.
That component is arguably as valuable as the capital. A first-time founder faces hundreds of decisions with no basis for judging them — pricing, hiring, supplier terms, when to expand, and so on. An experienced mentor compresses years of learning into meaningful conversations.
Hand-matching is an important detail. A mentor with relevant industry experience and a compatible working style produces a substantially different relationship than an algorithmic pairing. Futurpreneur invests in getting it right, and it shows. Futurpreneur-supported businesses have an 80% five-year survival rate – 27% above Canada’s small business average.
Programs Built for Specific Barriers
Futurpreneur has developed targeted offerings recognizing that different founders face different obstacles.
The Black Entrepreneur Startup Program provides startup loan financing, up to two years of mentorship, resources, and networking for Black entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39. The Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program supports Indigenous founders with loans, mentorship and tailored programs delivered by an all-Indigenous team.
The Newcomer offering (My Canadian Startup) helps young immigrant entrepreneurs overcome barriers such as lack of Canadian credit history — a genuine and frequently invisible obstacle for skilled newcomers with capital and experience but no domestic financial record.
#OwnersWanted helps young entrepreneurs acquire existing small businesses, addressing succession from both directions: retiring owners need buyers, and buying an operating business is often a lower-risk route than building something from scratch.
Futurpreneur also supports founders launching franchises and non-profit organizations.
Free Resources for Everyone
At the idea stage, before entrepreneurs are ready for financing, Futurpreneur provides substantial support to help them turn ambition into action.
Rock My Business is a three-part workshop series, with support from RBC, covering business ideation, planning, and cash flow. The workshops are free, available virtually and in person, and can be taken in any order.
The organization also offers business planning tools, cash flow templates, marketing guidance, and access to a national network of entrepreneurs, leaders, and community organizations through virtual and in-person events held across the country.
For founders in the idea or research phase, these free tools help them develop a business plan and cash flow before they even consider applying for financing and mentorship to launch, buy or grow a business.
Recognized Impact
A 2024 federal evaluation found that Futurpreneur continues to address the needs of young entrepreneurs, including those from equity-deserving groups, through financing, programming, and mentorship — with activities highly aligned to government objectives.
The organization is also Rainbow Registered, formalizing its commitment to ensuring every entrepreneur feels seen, valued and supported, and creating an inclusive environment with clear pathways to success for all, regardless of identity or background.
Founder feedback speaks to something beyond the transaction. One entrepreneur described Futurpreneur as close to their heart not only for the money but because it promotes entrepreneurship and understands how important small businesses are to society. Another noted that the team cared about them beyond the startup itself, investing in and encouraging their success.
Real Businesses, Real Communities
Futurpreneur’s impact appears on Canada’s Main Streets. For example, Jill Barber, having lost her job during the pandemic, pursued a lifelong ambition and opened Barbershop Patisserie in Toronto in 2020 with Futurpreneur’s support — wanting, as she described it, a space where she could get food out to people.
That is an example of Futurpreneur’s work in real life: a business that would not otherwise exist, employing people and serving a neighbourhood.
Why It Matters
Canada’s economic future depends on people starting businesses, and the barriers facing young founders — capital, credit history, inexperience and lack of professional connections — are precisely the ones conventional finance cannot address.
Futurpreneur addresses all four together. For entrepreneurs ages 18 to 39 in Canada, if you have a business plan and no obvious route to bring it to life, this is the first call to make.
Learn more at futurpreneur.ca
