Laurier’s Lazaridis Institute and tax incentive fintech Boast.AI partner to accelerate Canadian tech companies

Sept. 14, 2021
For Immediate Release

Waterloo – Boast.AI®, North America’s leading tax incentive fintech, and Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis Institute have announced a partnership to help growth-stage technology companies scale more quickly.

Access to capital, networks and mentors are key factors enabling companies to grow faster and scale their operations. The Lazaridis Institute and Boast.AI have partnered to create this access for the next generation of Canada’s tech entrepreneurs.

Each year, the Lazaridis Institute brings together a cohort of Canada’s most promising growth-stage technology companies to ScaleUp, a 12-month program built on a global network of expert mentors. Now, ScaleUp companies will gain access to Boast.AI’s tax incentive technology to help identify, claim and finance Scientific Research & Experimental Development (SR&ED) tax credits and government incentives. In addition, ScaleUp companies will benefit by connecting with Boast.AI’s non-profit community, Traction, and its 110,000 members — the world’s largest community of innovators.

“Our mission is to help innovative companies succeed. Aligning with Lazaridis ScaleUp is a perfect fit to support Canada’s next generation of global innovators,” said Alex Popa, Boast.AI’s CEO and co-founder. “Each year, the Canadian government provides billions in SR&ED credits to fund innovation. We fulfill our mission when we help companies collect eligible government tax incentives and use those funds to re-invest in innovation. We want to ensure no startup leaves money on the table, so they can grow faster.”

Boast.AI’s software platform automates the process for claiming SR&ED tax credits in Canada. Itself a high-growth technology company, Boast uses AI to speed up and improve the accuracy of the tax credit process, making it easier for companies to maximize their claims and access eligible refunds on a quarterly basis instead of waiting a year or longer. Boast.AI has 1,000 customers across North America.

“This partnership will provide ScaleUp participants access to more SR&ED tax incentives — non-dilutive funding — through Boast.AI’s solutions,” said Kim Morouney, managing director of the Lazaridis Institute and associate professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Laurier. “Our program agenda and expert mentorship, combined with Boast.AI’s expertise in tax incentives and their Traction community, bring terrific benefits to ScaleUp companies and alumni, helping them grow faster and operate more effectively.”

Established in 2016 as part of the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Laurier, the Lazaridis Institute creates direct links between international research, scaleup and industry best practices, and hands-on curriculum to prepare the next generation of leaders to face tomorrow’s technology and business challenges. Its flagship national ScaleUp program helps high-potential companies accelerate their business with customized programming, intensive workshops and personalized mentoring through its global network of experts. Lazaridis ScaleUp companies have surpassed $1 billion in new capital raised since the launch of the program.

About Boast.AI

Boast.AI is a fintech platform that is democratizing access to billions of dollars in R&D tax credits and innovation funding so companies can fuel their growth while preserving equity and avoiding red tape. With operations across the U.S. and Canada, more than 1,000 innovative companies have leveraged Boast.AI to get more money faster for less time and risk. 

About the Lazaridis Institute

Housed in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada, the Lazaridis Institute combines scholarly research, real-world market analysis and industry best practices to identify obstacles to global competitiveness and optimize the management of high-growth technology companies. Lazaridis ScaleUp is sponsored by Borden Ladner Gervais, Boast.AI, Deloitte and Silicon Valley Bank.