About Our Program

Validate An eight-week part-time program where students will test a business idea using AI-guided customer discovery and market research and development, of an initial business model canvas. The rapid product development cycles of AIDEs means that the bottleneck in rapid growth of startups shifts from implementation to ideation – it’s less about “who can build it?” and more about “what should we build?”. In other words, knowing the right problem to solve and having domain insight becomes the key value, because AI can handle much of the building for AIDEs.

This program offers a balanced approach to developing both entrepreneurship and AI skills, with 50% dedicated to hands-on market research and customer discovery, including conducting 25 interviews and learning key concepts such as market segmentation, beachhead markets, unique value propositions, and business model frameworks. The other 50% focuses on practical AI skills, including exploring various AI applications, selecting appropriate models, and understanding ethical AI use. Participants will learn to apply AI tools to product design, testing, and feedback collection, and integrate these tools into their workflows for smarter, faster decision-making and innovation.

At its core, Validate is about exploration — using AI to uncover real market needs, de-risk your business model, and identify the strongest path forward for your venture.

Cohorts run every winter; applications open in November and close in early January. Participation requires approximately 2 hours per week of synchronous programming and approximately 5 total hours per week of additional work.

Still have questions?
Email us at isaac.Cook@dal.ca to request more information.

Eligibility

AI2Market Validate is offered free of cost and is open to any post-secondary student residing in Atlantic Canada from any faculty.

The program is tailored for individuals who can demonstrate the role of AI in their proposed business idea and are looking to begin the validation process.