September 2014 – AC Demo

September 26, 2014

AC Grad Kik Messenger reaches 700,000 five star ratings

Kik Messenger is a fairly new free messaging app that allows smartphone users to easily communicate with each other. As of September 2014, there are over 150 million people using Kik Messenger.

Kik Messenger’s appeal is derived from its ability to allow users to effortlessly communicate with people from a variety of backgrounds and all walks of life. It integrates individuals from work, school, and social interaction. Users who want to use the application simply have to download the app, sign up for an account, create a username, and get to messaging. Best of all, a personal cell phone number is not required.

A significant advantage to using Kik Messenger is that it allows users of the application to interact with people worldwide without giving away personal phone numbers.

The application also allows users to do much more than simply chat with each each other. Kik users are able to play a wide variety of games with each other, share music, discuss relevant news topics, among many other practical features. As previously stated, with over 150 million currently using the app, Kik Messanger is already one of the most popular social applications available for mobile devices.

Besides simple interaction, a large number of users employ Kik to attempt to connect with one another, whether it be for social, romantic, or business reasons.

The Kik Messenger application has over 700,000 5 star reviews, and an overall rating of 4.3 stars.

To read the full article click here.

September 23, 2014

AC Grad Clearpath Robotics wins People's Choice Award

Clearpath Robotics is voted Favorite Company in International Business Awards

(Kitchener, ON, Canada – September 22, 2014) Clearpath Robotics is named the winner of the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Company, in the category of Manufacturing, in The 11^th Annual International Business Awards today.

“We owe thanks to our customers, the global robotics community, and the local technology ecosystem, where we are headquartered, for this award,” said Matt Rendall, Chief Executive Officer at Clearpath Robotics. “The support and the votes we have received is incredibly humbling; we’re very honored.”

More than 23,000 votes were cast in public voting to determine winners across seventeen categories. Among the winner’s circle, Clearpath Robotics is accompanied by the likes of Virgin Group, Union National Bank, and Globe Telecom.

“The People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite Companies are one of the most rewarding features of The International Business Awards. They provide our awards competition with another level of validation by allowing the public to cast their vote for Stevie Award winners,” said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards.

Over 3,300 nominations were submitted to this year’s International Business Awards by organizations in more than 60 nations and territories, for consideration in a wide range of categories, including New Product or Service of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, Management Team of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year, and Executive of the Year, among others. Clearpath Robotics was also named a 2014 winner in the awards program for Company of the Year – Manufacturing.

About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in six programs: The International Business Awards, The American Business Awards, the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at www.StevieAwards.com.

Read the full press release here.

September 18, 2014

AC Client GoalRecorder showcases its strategy execution management solution at the largest HR tech expo

GoalRecorder, a Waterloo-based technology startup will be showcasing its strategy execution management solution at the HR Tech Conference. The conference is home to the world’s largest Expo of HR technology products and services. We will be exhibiting GoalRecorder at the conference in Las Vegas between October 7 and 10.

On average, companies achieve only 63% of the financial target in their strategic plan. These failures are linked to poor execution 93% of the time. Poor execution happens because of misalignment among business leaders, departments, teams, and a disconnect between actual work and strategic plan.

To learn more, click here.

September 18, 2014

AC Grad Clearpath Robotics launches the Jackal Unmanned Ground Vehicle

Jackal UGV is released with world’s leading researchers at IROS 2014 in Chicago

Clearpath Robotics today released Jackal Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) at the International Conference for Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) in Chicago. Jackal is portable, fully-integrated, and weatherproof, enabling researchers to bring their research to the field faster, and with more flexibility, than ever before.

“We designed Jackal for quick and easy application development,” said Julian Ware, General Manager for Research Products at Clearpath Robotics. “Jackal’s standard accessories come fully integrated with documented libraries and programming examples. Everything about the robot is ready to work out of the box.”

Jackal offers end-to-end integration including a built-in GPS, IMU, and computer, and a configurable top-plate. Engineered for ruggedness, Jackal’s sturdy metal chassis, weatherproof design and skid-steer drive enables all-terrain operation, as well as lab experimentation, for a variety of applications. The ROS-ready platform allows users to leverage the open source community, and the complete ROS API provides full visibility into the operation of the system. Jackal automatically detects the standard perception packages at startup, providing necessary ROS driver and simulation integration.

Jackal originated as a contract from US Army Research Labs (ARL) to create an affordable, portable research platform for outdoor use. ARL have been strong partners throughout the development phase by providing feedback for iteration on the platform’s performance and capabilities.

Learn more about Jackal at www.clearpathrobotics.com/jackal.

About Clearpath Robotics

Clearpath Robotics, a global leader in unmanned vehicle robotics for research and development, is dedicated to automating the world’s dullest, dirtiest, and deadliest jobs. The Company serves robotics leaders in over 30 countries worldwide in academic, mining, military, agricultural and industrial markets. Recognizing the value of future innovation, the Company proudly supports programs that facilitate growth within the academic disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Clearpath Robotics provides robust solutions that are engineered for performance and designed for the customer – we are your unmanned experts. Visit Clearpath Robotics at www.clearpathrobotics.com, follow us on Twitter@clearpathrobots or like us on Facebook.

Visit Clearpath Robotics to find out more.

September 17, 2014

Deep Trekker and Eventastic extend AC's Graduate track record to 40!

Waterloo (Ontario), CANADA, September 17, 2014 – World renowned for its cultivation of technology entrepreneurship, Waterloo’s Accelerator Centre (AC) announced today the graduation of Deep Trekker and Eventastic. The companies, which become the 39th and 40th start-ups to graduate from the AC’s globally recognized tech accelerator program, will be honoured today in front of more than 200 guests at the 2014 AC Client Showcase.

Deep Trekker is on a mission to give anyone on earth the ability to explore the depths of our vast oceans, seas, lakes and rivers with its small, affordable remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The company is an emerging leader in the global unmanned underwater vehicles market, valued at $457 million in 2014, with a compound annual growth rate in excess of 30 percent.

Founded by serial entrepreneur Randy Bird, Eventastic is a powerful online event planning and event management platform, designed to help event organizers plan and execute highly successful events. Eventastic helps event organizers and planners fill more seats, drive more traffic, generate more revenue and raise more funds – all while tracking, rewarding and motivating volunteers and employees to succeed like never before.

“We are incredibly proud of our track record for success, and in our program’s ability to shape and grow strong, sustainable businesses,” says Accelerator Centre CEO Paul Salvini. “With their graduation today, Deep Trekker and Eventastic join a growing list of Accelerator Centre graduates and tech success stories that include Clearpath Robotics, Kik, Miovision, Top Hat Monocle.”

About the Accelerator Centre

The Accelerator Centre (AC) is dedicated to building and commercializing technology startups. The AC provides an essential combination of mentorship, educational programming, professional office space, networking, and access to funding, with a goal of building successful companies. Over a 2- to-3 year period, we help entrepreneurs move from start-up to scale-up, accelerate their time to market, and attract customers, investment and revenue.

Since 2006, the Accelerator Centre has developed and nurtured over 130 early-stage technology start-ups, creating 1100+ new jobs and generating over $120 million in revenue. Forty companies have graduated from the Accelerator Centre, and more than 85 percent of these companies have remained in Waterloo Region. For more information visit our website at www.acceleratorcentre.com.

Social Media Links
Follow us on Twitter @AC_Waterloo
Join us on LinkedIn

For further information, please contact:
Ellyn Winters-Robinson
Communications Advisor, Accelerator Centre
Phone: 519-574-2196
Email: ewinters-robinson@acceleratorcentre.com
@ellynjane

September 17, 2014

The Accelerator Centre enters into a five year partnership agreement with University of Wollongong's iAccelerate

Waterloo (Ontario), CANADA, Wednesday September 17, 2014 – The Accelerator Centre® (AC), an award-winning centre for the cultivation of technology entrepreneurship located in Waterloo, Ontario, announced today it has entered into a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the University of Wollongong to provide programming and mentorship to iAccelerate, a University of Wollongong initiative aimed at helping young technology companies and entrepreneurs achieve sustainable business growth in the Australian start-up landscape.

The MOU sets out the terms on which the Accelerator Centre team in Waterloo will collaborate with the University of Wollongong to further develop iAccelerate serving Australia’s greater Illawarra Community, and provides iAccelerate with full access to the Accelerator Centre’s world-class programming and methodologies, as well as deepens the ongoing knowledge sharing between Accelerator Centre and iAccelerate staff and each organization’s in-house team of mentors.

The agreement between the two accelerators further enriches a longstanding commitment between the University of Waterloo and the University of Wollongong. University of Waterloo currently offers study abroad opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students with the Australian University.

“We have long admired the entrepreneurial spirit and technology ecosystem in Waterloo Region, with UW as its centerpiece,” says Elizabeth Eastland, CEO of iAccelerate and Director of Innovation and Commercialization Research, University of Wollongong. “We are incredibly excited that discussions with the AC team, which began a few years back, have now culminated in this agreement. The opportunity to leverage the AC’s world-class programming and learn from the team’s hands-on experience in building great companies is truly wonderful, and will allow us to fast track program delivery, establish iAccelerate as a peer and partner in the global incubation market, and ultimately develop new opportunities for start-up success in our own country.”

“We warmly welcome the University of Wollongong and iAccelerate into our now global, growing Accelerator Centre family,” says Paul Salvini, CEO of the Accelerator Centre. “This agreement allows both sides to learn and share our respective knowledge while working together to create a compelling worldwide environment for sustainable business success.”

2014 AC Client Showcase

Join clients, graduates and staff of the AC, various partners and dignitaries from the Waterloo Region for the AC’s 2014 Showcase, taking place 4-7 PM on Wednesday, September 17, 2014. Elizabeth Eastland, CEO of iAccelerate will be in Waterloo for the event and will deliver a keynote address at the event speaking to the continuing relationship forged with the AC. The event will introduce more than 40 AC clients, and provide guests with the opportunity to discover more about their entrepreneurial determination, and the products and services that are driving them towards commercialization at the AC.

About the Accelerator Centre

The Accelerator Centre® (AC) is dedicated to building and commercializing technology start-ups. The AC provides an essential combination of mentorship, educational programming, professional office space, networking, and access to funding, with a goal of building successful companies. Over a two- to three-year period, we help entrepreneurs move from start-up to scale-up, accelerate their time to market, and attract customers, investment and revenue.

Social Media Links
Follow us on Twitter @AC_Waterloo
Join us on LinkedIn

For further information, please contact:

Ellyn Winters-Robinson
Communications Mentor/Advisor
Accelerator Centre
Cell: (519) 574-2196
E-mail: ewinters-robinson@acceleratorcentre.com

September 9, 2014

Join us for the 2014 AC Client Showcase-Wednesday September 17th from 4pm-7pm

Come celebrate success at the Accelerator Centre!

What do Clearpath Robotics, Kik, Magnet Forensics and BigRoad have in common?

They are all successful, growing tech companies in Waterloo Region. And, they are all Graduates of the Accelerator Centre (AC). They said yes to the AC, and their success began here.

On Wednesday September 17th from 4pm-7pm, we invite you to join in our success story. Meet up with 40 of our current Clients for an interactive evening showcase. You’ll enjoy discovering more about their entrepreneurial determination, as well as the products and services that are driving them towards commercialization at the AC. You’ll also enjoy cocktails, snacks, guest speakers, and even a few one-minute pitches to keep you entertained and intrigued.

Building better businesses since 2006, the AC has developed and nurtured over 130 early-stage technology startups.

Come meet our next success stories!

Out of town during this event? Be sure to check out the Client and Grad pages on our website to find out more about the entrepreneurs that have said yes to the Accelerator Centre.

Thank you to the following supporting partners for making this event possible.

September 4, 2014

AC Grad NetSuite TribeHR partners with Maxwell Health

NetSuite Inc. (NYSE: N), the industry’s leading provider of cloud-based financials / ERP and omnichannel commerce software suites, today announced a strategic partnership with Maxwell Health that combines Maxwell’s revolutionary cloud solution for employee healthcare and benefits administration with the NetSuite TribeHR human capital management (HCM) platform. Leveraging the combined strengths, the partnership transforms the way companies manage their human assets by ridding them of tedious, time-consuming and error-prone manual processes. With a modern HCM platform, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can now run end-to-end HCM business processes from recruiting, managing and rewarding employees, to facilitating flexible, streamlined healthcare benefits enrollment, administering benefits and promoting workforce wellness – all in the cloud.

To read the full article click here.

September 4, 2014

Accelerator Centre CEO, Client and Grads featured on 570 News #TechHour

Mix together a CEO 6 days on the job, one AC Grad, one soon-to-be AC Grad, and one AC Client, and you’ve got yourself one fantastic #TechHour!

On Tuesday September 2^nd, the Accelerator Centre was a hot topic on the 570News Midday Show with Eric Drozd. Listen in as Dr. Paul Salvini, CEO of the Accelerator Centre; Terry Frey, COO of BigRoad; Sam MacDonald, COO of DeepTrekker; and Rini Gahir, co-founder of Mozzaz chat about the role the Accelerator Centre plays in the startup community.

Listen to the full broadcast here.

September 3, 2014

AC Grad LoyaltyMatch partners with Etix to improve fan experience

Etix, the largest independent ticketing company in North America, is partnering with LoyaltyMatch Inc., the leading developer of loyalty program platforms for entertainment venues. In addition to providing various benefits to customers, the partnership will allow all of Etix’s client venues to create and manage their own loyalty programs and learn more about their customers.

“Loyalty programs are not just about getting fans to return to a venue by giving them free stuff. A well-designed loyalty program will provide valuable information on what fans really want when they attend a show, buy food and drink, or scoop up merchandise. The ability to gather that information is at the core of our platform,” explains Brad Ball, CEO of LoyaltyMatch.

Etix provides web-based ticketing services for the entertainment, travel, and sports industries, processing more than 50 million tickets per year in 40 countries.

To read the full press release click here.