Accelerator Centre announces Cohort 2 of AC:Incubate+
With support from the Sexual Assault Support Centre and Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE), the Accelerator Centre has created an inclusive space for women, women-identifying, and gender diverse founders in STEM to access mentorship, resources, and networks that help them grow and scale their businesses.
September 22nd - Waterloo, ON – The Accelerator Centre (AC) is pleased to introduce the 10 startups chosen for Cohort 2 of the AC:Incubate+ program — a specialized, six-month initiative dedicated to empowering women, women-identifying, and gender-diverse founders in STEM-based startups.
AC:Incubate+ combines the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region’s (SASC) expertise in fostering education and training in creating equitable workplaces with the AC's award-winning programming for early-stage technology companies. The initiative is bolstered by a $561,000 grant from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) as part of a commitment to invest up to $100 million in 163 projects aimed at enhancing economic and leadership opportunities for women across Canada.
Selected through a highly competitive application process, these founders will engage in immersive, high-impact programming from September 17, 2025, to March 5, 2026, participating in weekly in-person sessions focused on startup fundamentals, inclusive leadership, and market acceleration. Participants will also benefit from one-to-one guidance from the AC’s internal mentors and Founder Experience Team, gain access to virtual learning platforms and community-building events, and receive up to $600,000 in in-kind credits and discounts from partners like AWS and Google for Startups — all delivered at no cost thanks to the funding from WAGE.
Fostering innovation starts with fostering inclusion
Women and gender diverse founders remain significantly underrepresented in Canada’s innovation economy, often facing barriers to capital, mentorship, and the networks needed to scale globally.
AC:Incubate+ was created to directly address these systemic inequities by offering an inclusive, equity-driven pathway for founders in STEM-based sectors to gain traction, build sustainable businesses, and amplify their impact.
“Diversity in leadership is a strategic advantage that directly influences how industries evolve and scale,” says Ruth Casselman, CEO at the Accelerator Centre. “With AC:Incubate+, we are building infrastructure that ensures women and gender-diverse founders can access capital, networks, and expertise at the same level as their peers. This program is not just about inclusion—it’s about strengthening the innovation pipeline and ensuring the companies of tomorrow reflect the markets they serve. Welcoming this second cohort represents an investment in both leadership excellence and economic resilience.”
“We know that gender-based violence does not exist in a vacuum. At SASC, we support survivors, and we also work to educate our community. It's critical to expand our awareness of the systemic issues and norms in our institutions and day-to-day lives that insulate violence,” says Karley Doucette, Education and Communications Manager at SASC. "In this case, we aim to address economic inequality - the barriers and bias that women and gender-diverse people face in the business world. AC:Incubate+ invests in women and gender-diverse founders so that they can gain equal footing to their male peers and become changemakers, creating businesses that disrupt the status quo.”
“The federal government strongly supports the AC:Incubate+ program, which creates a supportive environment for women and gender-diverse founders in STEM to develop their ideas, grow their business, and contribute to Canada’s economy,” says the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism). “Diverse perspectives can lead to groundbreaking ideas and better problem-solving, helping build a future where Canada’s growth and prosperity are powered by the talent of everyone.”
Meet the Cohort
The following companies have been selected to participate in Cohort 2:
• Accessible Digital Design Academy
• IdeaTilt Inc.
• Kavodax
• NetZen AI
• newself
• Octopodi Technologies
• Polimorph AI
• Saaga Events
• Theatric.ai
• uprise impact inc
About
Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region
For 35 years, the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASC) has wrapped survivors of sexual violence in community care, offering counselling, court support, advocacy, and more. In addition to our direct services for survivors, SASC’s Public Education Program works to create social change by developing and providing curriculum, workshops, and resource materials to schools, professionals, organizations, and the community. SASC empowers individuals and workplaces to prevent and address gender-based violence. To learn more, visit www.sascwr.org.
Accelerator Centre
At the AC, we exist to help ambitious dreamers impact global change through their businesses. The AC is ranked among the World's Top 5 private business accelerators by UBI Global. We offer an extensive selection of customizable opportunities for startups across Canada—allowing founders to rapidly bring their innovation to life. We work with our global partners to bolster the innovation ecosystem in Waterloo and beyond. Learn more at acceleratorcentre.com.
Acknowledgement of Funding
This project has been funded through Women and Gender Equality Canada's Women's Program.
Media Contacts
Rebecca Lavigne
Communications Coordinator
Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region
[email protected]
Tabatha Laverty
VP, Marketing and External Relations
Accelerator Centre
[email protected]