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actualize your ideas

Ready to move from idea to actuality and see your startup thrive?

Discover who we are

How can we help?

Are you
a startup?

Are you a founder looking for programming and opportunities to actualize your goals?

Are you
a corporation?

Are you a company looking to connect with a startup and build a partnership?

Are you
thinking global?

Are you looking for help to build programming for founders globally? Or are you wanting to bring your startup to Canada?

achieve your goals

What we offer

Community: connection to mentors, investors, and other founders

Our thriving community offers in-person and virtual platforms that enable programs, funding opportunities, and access to partners with expertise, so you're never going it alone.

Access the AC community

What we offer

Acceleration: your hub for action

Our acceleration programs help you actualize your idea faster and connect corporations to the world's most energizing and impactful startups. Let us help you increase the pace of innovation for your startup or corporation.

Accelerate your idea

What we offer

Global Frontier: bringing the magic of Waterloo to the world

Set up your business in one of the world's most thriving startup ecosystems through the Startup Visa Program. Or build your own innovation ecosystem based on our proven model through the Global Hubs Program.

Go global

Want to get involved?

Apply in 4 easy steps

You have a vision to improve and change the world. We’re here to help. Give us a little bit more information about you and your business, and we’ll be in touch soon with next steps.

1

Are you a startup or a corporation? Or maybe you’re interested in our global initiatives. Let us know who you are.

2

We’ll ask you for some simple info about yourself so we can follow up with next steps.

3

Tell us more about you. What’s your company’s name? Who is your target market? What impact are you trying to make?

4

Let us know what type of support you’re looking for, so we can offer the right pathway for you to build a business that thrives.

The AC

In numbers

Different’s good—real change never happens without it. It’s through pushing the envelope and turning big ideas into worthwhile risks that we have been among the World's Top 5 Private Business Accelerators since 2017.

Our programs and pathways, combined with our world-class team of mentors and customizable opportunities, are proven to build and scout businesses that are set up to thrive. See for yourself.

750+
startups supported

20,000+
hours of one-to-one mentorship

5,000+
jobs created

5B+
portfolio valuation

$1.7B+
in investment raised

85%
survival rate

400
alumni companies

Awards

One of the World's Top 5 Private Business Accelerators

We're among the World's Top 5 Private Business Accelerators Since 2017. We own these awards because we’re reimagining what a startup hub looks like. We help turn big ideas into worthwhile risks. Through our founders and alumni community, courage and grit change the world.

Top Business Accelerator Linked to University award

Top Business Accelerator Linked to University

UBI Global | 2017/2018 | Worldwide

Top Private Business Accelerator award

Top Private Business Accelerator

UBI Global | 2019-2020 | World Top 5

World Top 5 Private Business Accelerator

UBI Global | 2021-2022 | World Top 5

Our alumni

For Corporations

Truly transformative partnerships

Learn More

Access to the expertise and network of a variety of industies and services providers is a key component of a full-stack startup hub. Connect with us to learn how we work with larger companies to support founders, increase the pace of innovation, and create a truly connected startup hub.

Success Stories

Client Spotlight: Salar Enjedani, Founder and CEO of Innorobix Automation

Innorobix Automation is helping manufacturers use their data to improve productivity and efficiency, founder and CEO Salar Enjedani shares how his team is connecting disparate systems to move forward on the road to Industry 4.0.

Learn more

Success Stories

Client Spotlight: Stefanie Bruinsma, Founder of AutoCate

Stefanie Bruinsma is empowering women to be confident car owners through AutoCate, a membership-based platform that aims to answer any and all automotive questions to drive equality in car maintenance.

Learn more

Success Stories

Client Spotlight: Doris Wenbo Yi, Founder of Plantal Support

Optimal plant care made simple, Plantal Support, owned and operated by Doris Wenbo Yi, is improving the lives of plants and people alike—one moss pole at a time.

Learn more

Success Stories

Client Spotlight: Thiv Paramsothy, CEO and Founder of Hera Fertility

Meet Hera Fertility: the virtual fertility care center that offers individualized treatment plans and compassionate care for every fertility journey, from consultation to conception and beyond.

Learn more

Success Stories

Client Spotlight: Ryan Gallagher, Founder and CEO of Scribenote

Scribenote sets out to cherish and protect the human-animal bond by improving the lives of the veterinary professionals who make it possible. Co-founder Ryan Gallagher developed the first AI scribe for vets after shadowing his sister on the job—and discovering an administrative burden he was determined to help fix.

Learn more

Working through the program with the mentors gave us the confidence to grow our business knowing that whatever challenges we ran into, someone at the AC would be there to help us.

Dr. Abdul Rehman, CEO, SSIMWAVE

I came to the AC because of their focus on long-term success and their stellar mentorship team. They are incredibly experienced, can shift focus easily, and go as deep into my business as I need them to.

Mary Pat Hinton, CEO, Emmetros

A tree can’t grow unless it has strong roots and is part of a supportive ecosystem. The AC provided us with a foundation to transform our passion into a thriving business.

Matt Randell, CEO, Clearpath Robotics

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