Andrew Browne, Co-Founder at Thin Air Labs. The Venture Builder

In Between Meetings, Andrew Browne, co-founder of Thin Air Labs, explains how founders can use non-dilutive capital to extend runway and keep ownership. Andrew reflects on Calgary’s maturing startup ecosystem, unpacks why venture capital is a specific tool for a specific job, and shows how to build a capital stack that fits your goals. He defines non-dilutive funding, shares common founder mistakes, and explains how to balance equity, grants, tax credits, and debt to move faster with fewer tradeoffs.

Takeaways:

• Non-dilutive funding is not free money, it’s strategy and leverage.
• Venture capital is one tool, use it when speed or deep-tech risk demands it.
• Plan funding early, don’t react to programs at the last minute.
• Don’t bend your business to fit grants, customers are your customer.
• Map capital type to use of proceeds; equity is flexible, grants are scoped.
• Use equity to unlock grants and credits; extend runway with less dilution.
• Think in 12- to 24-month objectives; build the mix that gets you there.
• Calgary’s ecosystem is maturing fast, with founders aiming global from here.

Andrew Browne is the co-founder of Thin Air Labs. He helped raise and deploy a 20M dollar seed fund and built the Funding Catalyst practice that supported startups in securing more than 80M dollars in non-dilutive capital. With more than a decade across startups, venture building, and ecosystem work, he helps founders design, fund, and scale companies that solve real problems.

Between Meetings is a series of on-the-go interviews featuring industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and corporate innovators. In these interviews, we delve into the latest trends and developments in innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship, catching our guests between meetings in a car ride across town. Along the way, they share inspiring stories, personal experiences, industry insights, and practical advice on how to scale your way to success. Each interview is packed with valuable information and inspiration for anyone looking to make an impact in the tech and innovation world.

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