Skip to main content

Your web browser is out of date. Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site.

Update your browser

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful, to better understand how they are used and to tailor advertising. By using our website or clicking “ALLOW”, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

Increase your pace

Fast-track your ambitions—and reach unforeseen heights.

Contact for more details

Acceleration

Whether you’re an industry partner, corporate leader, or founder—we’ve got you covered.

Looking to make an impact and connect with startups? Or maybe you’re a founder yourself wanting to partner with corporations. Either way, this is the place for you. Our passion for solving the world’s biggest problems is what keeps us focused on inspiring the innovators in our community, pushing them to thrive.

ac:Studio

Up to $100,000 to launch your startup

Have a high-impact startup idea or interest in joining the founding team of one?

With AC:Studio, we’re going beyond the status quo.

This hybrid accelerator/venture studio program combines the best of our award-winning AC:Incubate program with a venture studio model that funds high-impact startups, matches great ideas with talented founders and delivers:

  • Up to $100,000 in seed funding grants from FedDev Ontario
  • One-to-one mentorship with our team of in-house and specialist mentors
  • Sales training from pros like Uvaro to build a team that delivers
  • Tactical support in product development, marketing, UI and UX from industry experts and freelancers through partnerships with experienced startup builders at SnapPea and Conestoga College's Gig Lab
  • In-kind hours with industry experts like RSM, Bereskin & Parr and Gowlings WLG
  • Access to market research, investment intelligence and lead generation reports

INTERESTED?

Looking to join the AC:Studio?

Applications for the first cohort of AC:Studio are now closed. Let us know if you would like to be updated when the next cohort begins.

Contact us

ac:match

Partnerships built for innovating

When ambitious innovators connect with some of the world’s largest corporations, they often create the next big idea. The AC community, immersed in Waterloo’s tech and innovation corridor, is a hotbed for those who want to take on challenges that equate to global impact.

Our corporate innovation programs create pathways between industry, academia, innovators, and entrepreneurs to curate and accelerate tenacious ideas—and solve some of the biggest problems in industry today.

city skyline with palm treesgroup having a meeting with sticky notes on the wall

Success Stories

Client Spotlight: Chloe Beaudoin, COO & Founder of Apricotton

Not only is Apricotton selling the best-fitting tween and teen bras—they’re the “big sisters you’ve always wanted” on TikTok. Check out the viral teen bra that’s made to grow as girls grow.

Learn more

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

Get in touch

Interested in getting involved?

It’s time to activate your ambition by tapping into the opportunities that help you create, continue to think big, and actualize your business. We can’t wait to hear from you.