Founded by Albertans
with direct exposure to the U.S.
AAEI exists because the path from an Alberta cap table to an American one is rarely as clean as it should be. We've spent our careers inside the rooms where that transition gets structured — and built AAEI as the readiness layer we wished existed for Alberta founders.
Markets and
relationships we know.
Over the course of our careers we have built direct relationships with a network of U.S. funds, family offices, and the gatekeepers around them — the people who decide which Canadian deals get a serious look. AAEI brings that network to bear for the founders on our platform.
- Los AngelesTransactional practice
- MinneapolisCross-border deal work
- American MidwestLegal education & early career
- AlbertaOrigins and operating base
Our role, verification & legal services.
Our role
AAEI is an independent cross-border readiness network focused on helping Alberta companies prepare for opportunities in the United States.
AAEI operates as a platform for visibility, education, intelligence, and ecosystem development. The platform provides founders, investors, family offices, and strategic partners with access to information regarding Alberta companies pursuing U.S. growth opportunities.
Participation in the AAEI platform, directory, network, or verification program does not constitute legal advice, investment advice, securities advice, brokerage services, fundraising services, or a recommendation regarding any company, investment opportunity, or transaction.
AAEI Verification
AAEI Verified is an independent readiness designation administered by AAEI. The verification process is designed to assess a company's preparedness for U.S. market engagement, investor communications, corporate structuring considerations, governance practices, and related cross-border readiness factors.
As part of the verification process, companies may undergo a legal due diligence review conducted by qualified U.S. legal professionals and subject matter experts retained or engaged by AAEI. Where applicable, participating companies may receive a written legal assessment or memorandum addressing specific readiness categories evaluated during the review process.
Verification criteria may include:
- Corporate organization and governance
- Founder and management verification
- Corporate records review
- Intellectual property considerations
- U.S. market readiness
- Investor-facing materials
- Regulatory and compliance considerations
- Cross-border structuring considerations
Verification standards, procedures, requirements, and approval decisions are established solely by AAEI and may be modified from time to time at AAEI's discretion. Verification does not constitute an endorsement, guarantee, certification of investment quality, assessment of business viability, prediction of future performance, or recommendation to invest.
Legal services
Certain services referenced throughout the AAEI ecosystem may be provided by independent legal professionals, law firms, or affiliated professional service providers operating under separate engagement agreements.
Any attorney-client relationship exists only upon the execution of a formal engagement agreement between the client and the applicable legal service provider.
Use of the AAEI platform, submission of company information, participation in the verification process, receipt of educational materials, attendance at events, or communication with AAEI does not, by itself, create an attorney-client relationship. Legal services are separate from platform participation and are governed by their own engagement terms, professional obligations, and applicable legal and ethical requirements.
Josh Bykowski
Corporate & Transactional Attorney
Josh is a corporate and transactional attorney whose practice focuses on the structural and commercial work that sits beneath growth, capital formation, and emerging technology. He advises on intellectual property, commercial transactions, and the regulatory intersections where new technologies meet established markets.
Raised in northern Alberta by a small business owner, Josh was educated in the American Midwest and began his legal career between firms in Los Angeles and Minneapolis. He is licensed to practice in the United States, and that cross-border grounding gave him a working fluency with both Canadian and U.S. legal and capital markets — the same fluency that underpins AAEI's cross-border work.
He has published with Columbia Law School and the Journal of Investment Banking and Finance, and has spoken on law and technology through CLE lectures. Through their careers, the AAEI team has built relationships with a network of American funds, family offices, and gatekeepers — the people who decide which Canadian deals receive serious consideration.