Cannabis
Innovation Lab
1871’s Cannabis Innovation Lab connects startups with late-stage partners, corporates, VCs, and industry leaders to collaborate on solving industry problems for future transformation.
Current partners: Grown In, Hoodie Analytics, World Business Chicago
Starting Winter 2024 – Applications closed
Cannabis Innovation Summit
Built w/
04.17.24 | Public | Free | Hybrid
Join us on 4.17.24 for our second annual Cannabis Innovation Summit event, bringing together startups, corporates, VCs, industry experts, and canna-curious attendees for a full day of programming centered around cannatech innovation.
Speaker lineup
Jim Belushi
Founder @ Belushi’s Farm
Joanne Caceres
Cannabis Law Attorney @ Dentons
Tim Schmitt
Chief Technology Officer @ 240 Logistics
Christina Sansone
Community Engagement Manager @ Discovery Partners Institute
Mika Stambaugh
Co-Founder & Director of Marketing and PR @Acannability
Kelly Bernazza-Hall
COO & Co-Founder of Hoodie Analytics
James Yi
Founder & Board Director of Leaf Trade
Martez Knox
Founder & CEO of BakedBot.AI
2024 Cannabis Innovation Summit
Join us on 4.17.24 for our second annual Cannabis Innovation Summit event, bringing together startups, corporates, VCs, industry experts, and canna-curious attendees for a full day of programming centered around cannatech innovation.
Cannabis Innovation Lab
1871’s Cannabis Innovation Lab enables early startups, connecting them to growth-scalers, corporates, and VCs with the goal of collectively solving for industry problems with technology.
Apps have closed for 2023 experience.
2024 Lab Focus Areas
Finance
• Payments & Banking
•Regulation & Compliance
•Fundraising
Supply Chain
•Traceability
•AgTech
•Distribution
•Infusion
•Sustainability
Health & Wellness
•Medical Discovery & Precision Dosing
•Functional Beverages & Edibles
Cannabis Beyond Consumption
•Industrial Hemp Textiles
•Hempcrete, Plastics, & Paper
•Biofuel
•Hemp Protein
•CBD
Cannabis Innovation Lab 2024
Application Phase
Info session
Key details
4 months | Immersive | Hybrid
Runs: 1.22.24 - 4.19.24
What's included for participants
•Unique benefits per business stages
• Inclusion on 1871 press release
• Immersive programming by experts
• Community of peers
• Growth stage gets 3 months of 1871 membership after program + during
• Featured at Cannabis Innovation Summit
•Unique benefits per business stages
• Inclusion on 1871 press release
• Immersive programming by experts
• Community of peers
• Featured at Cannabis Innovation Summit
Who's in the lab>>
Growth stage startups
Late stage lab partners
Corporate lab partners
Growth stage startups
Late stage lab partners
Corporate lab partners
Built with industry experts
Entrepreneur-In-Residence
Brad Spirrison
CEO of Grown In
Brad Spirrison is a serial entrepreneur, journalist and community organizer with a passion for ascending industries including cannabis, education technology, mobile applications and the Internet. He started Grown In in 2019, and previously served as a co-founder / founding executive of professional development platform Participate.com, mobile application discovery service Appolicious, and publisher Midwest Business Inc.
Anchor partner
The trusted source for news and compliance.
“We’re thrilled to combine our extensive cannabis industry knowledge and learning expertise with the robust resources and network of 1871.”
Supported by
Why Cannabis in 2024?
It’s election year! Cannabis is on the ballot for state elections. The majority of the largest cannabis players in the country are based in Chicago: Cresco, Green Thumb, PharmaCann, & Curaleaf
AI, Web3, and Cannabis go hand-in-hand!
AI can be used to help cannabis growers and distributors with cultivation optimization, strain selection, quality control, and other variables for consumer safety and effectiveness.
Web3 enters the cannabis space for seed-to-sale tracking, verifying the authenticity and quality of cannabis strains and products, and tracking its entire product journey for regulatory compliance and preventing illegal sales.
“4 months, where they get content, support, resources, and networking”
1871’s CPO Rachael Feuerborn and CXO Stephanie Miller discuss the Cannabis Innovation Lab.
Join the lab
The experience is open to other players within the cannabis innovation community that offer specialized value to each other, while also getting their unique interests met.
Growth-stage startups
For a cannabis tech company with a demonstrated product market fit.
Exclusive benefits
- Share their product with corporate innovators and VCs
- Level up their product and business strategy
- Create a network of peers in their industry
Get advisory from the best cannabis operators tech companies
Applications close 1.05.24
Late-stage Partner
For a series b+ cannabis interested in making their name in cannabis and influencing major industry outcomes.
Exclusive benefits
- Access to canna-curious corporations exploring their strategy
- Emerge as a showcased thought leader
- Connect with the largest operators + early startups innovating
- Explore curated connections to potential partners and VCs
- Network with leaders in the industry
- Scale with new tech talent interested in cannabis
- Give back by mentoring early-stage startups
Book a discovery call by 1.05!
Corporate innovator
For a corporation exploring cannabis tech solutions, solving for legal restraints, and product pipeline.
Exclusive benefits
- Network with approved and vetted retailers
- Amplify your industry leadership with press, events, and more
- Engage in curated networking and exclusive events
- Activate your employees with engagement points
- Connect with tech talent interested in the cannabis industry
- Give back by mentoring early-stage startups
- Explore curated connections to potential partners and VCs
- Sit on the 1871 Cannabis Innovation Advisory Council
Book a discovery call by 1.05!
Lab timeline
Programming
Week 1
1.22.24 - 1.26.24 [Virtual]
Week 2
2.12.24 - 2.16.24 [In-person]
Week 3
3.18.24 - 3.22.24 [Virtual]
Week 4
4.15.24 - 4.19.24 [In-person]
Cannabis Innovation Summit
Capstone event w/ public showcase
April 17th 2024
Lab breakdown
The lab is made up of 4-weeks of immersive programming and culminates with a capstone-like event, our Cannabis Innovation Summit.
Startup recruitment & application
Deadline 12.29.23
Apps open 11.27.23
2024 Immersive Lab
Week 1
1.22.24 - 1.26.24 [Virtual]
Week 2
2.12.24 - 2.16.24
Week 3
3.18.24 - 3.22.24 [Virtual]
Week 4
4.15.24 - 4.19.24
2024 Cannabis Innovation Summit
Public showcase
4.18.24
2023 partners
Thanks to the following companies for supporting our immersive week program + summit event.
