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actualize your ideas

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

Discover who we are

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

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

Rockwell Automation Completes Acquisition of Autonomous Robotics Leader Clearpath Robotics and its Industrial Offering OTTO Motors

Acquisition gives Rockwell end-to-end autonomous production logistics solutions

Read More

Success Stories

Accelerator Centre Launches New International Market Immersion Program

The Accelerator Centre is pleased to announce a new International Market Access and Investor Readiness Program, designed in partnership with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE).

Read more

Success Stories

Empowered EDI Works to Dismantle the Societal Systems of Oppression, Beginning in the Workplace

Empowered EDI is on a mission to make companies more equitable, diverse, and inclusive.

Learn more

Success Stories

Client Spotlight: Scott Oldewening, Founder of SilvaSugar

Scott Oldewening is changing how the world produces sugar with SilvaSugar. His research has led him to a solution that increases the amount of sap collected from maple and birch trees—without harming the trees and reducing waste byproducts from the traditional sap collection process.

Learn more

Success Stories

Client Spotlight: Phillip Mohabir, Founder of Vivo Surgery

Vivo Surgery is on a mission to bridge the gap between surgical expertise and accessibility. Founder Phillip Mohabir is leading the startup’s development of a SaaS platform to help remotely train medical professionals on the latest surgical advancements during live surgeries.

Learn more

Success Stories

Client Spotlight: Sheida Shahi, Co-Founder & CEO of Adaptis

Adaptis co-founders Sheida Shahi and Aida Mollaei have been investigating strategies and methodologies for reducing carbon emissions in the construction sector since 2018. Adaptis, founded in 2022, is a platform that helps building owners, developers, architects, and engineers reduce emissions and decarbonize buildings, and provides accurate reporting of climate actions and progress toward net zero carbon to stakeholders, investors, and

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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