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![\"MIKAELA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3915365_web1_260121-Ignition-00083.jpg\")
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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
\u2018Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. You\u2019re going to be faced with challenges,\u2019 says Jason Abbott, co-founder and CEO of Launch Coworking, at its work space in Winnipeg on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Ignition was created to address a gap Launch Coworking and ProductStak leaders see in the Winnipeg and Manitoba startup ecosystem, said Jason Abbott, founder and CEO of Launch Coworking.<\/p>\n
\u201c(We\u2019re) trying to offer a service and another place to find support for those early-stage entrepreneurs,\u201d he said. \u201c(Maybe) they\u2019ve got a problem, they\u2019ve got a challenge, they\u2019re looking to refine their go-to-market strategy \u2026 or maybe they need help identifying a new market or maybe they need help with the actual technical part of their application.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ignition will deliver its services through three streams, allowing founders to engage based on their needs.<\/p>\n
Breakpoint, a small cohort experience including four to six founders, will focus on identifying and overcoming execution and validation challenges.<\/p>\n
Velocity will offer ongoing support for founders seeking momentum, clarity and progress without a cohort structure.<\/p>\n
Accelerator is designed for companies ready to scale specific aspects of their business with focused support.<\/p>\n
Ignition is now open to founders building early-stage companies across a range of industries. The first Breakpoint cohort will begin next month.<\/p>\n
The studio wants to work with founders who are passionate about their ideas and demonstrate resilience, Abbott said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEntrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re going to be faced with challenges and so we want to ensure that this is something that they are going to see through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Innovation is also important, added Jas Johal, CEO of ProductStak. \u201cYou really need someone that thinks outside of the box and that finds those gaps within any industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Ignition founders bring a variety of experiences to the new endeavour.<\/p>\n
Abbott has founded and been a founding partner in five startups. They include Launch Coworking, which offers workspace and programming for professionals at three locations in Winnipeg, and Oi Furniture, a small modular furniture company.<\/p>\n
Johal, who is originally from Seattle, is an entrepreneur, developer and investor who has led product and engineering teams at a number of companies, including T-Mobile and TripLog-Expedia.<\/p>\n
His latest business, ProductStak, is a venture and product consultancy that partners with founders to turn ideas into viable, scalable businesses.<\/p>\n
Johal was introduced to Winnipeg about four years ago, when he was working for Microsoft and made a business trip to the Manitoba capital. He met his now-wife, who was born and raised in Winnipeg, while he was in the city. Today, they divide their time between Winnipeg and Seattle.<\/p>\n
Johal and ProductStak co-founder Ras Sandhu hope Ignition will help develop Manitoba\u2019s startup ecosystem and create jobs in the province, so people don\u2019t have to leave for the United States or larger Canadian startup hubs like B.C., Alberta and Ontario.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re trying to build a tech scene in Winnipeg where founders and engineers and everyone just wants to stay here,\u201d Sandhu said.<\/p>\n
Manitoba\u2019s startup ecosystem is going through \u201ca very interesting phase with lots of activity\u201d right now, said Rajeev Koyal, who leads Idea Start, the University of Manitoba\u2019s hub for entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n
Koyal points to the provincial government\u2019s creation of an innovation and new technology department in 2024, the recent emergence of early-stage venture capital fund Trillick Ventures, and now the launch of Ignition, as examples.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a very exciting time for anybody who is interested in starting a business, honestly,\u201d Koyal said. \u201cI think the Winnipeg ecosystem is poised for growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n
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Aaron Epp Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. Read more about Aaron<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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