Category: AC News

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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_logoDeep 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.

Eventastic_logoFounded 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

 

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

AC Bullet OnlyWaterloo (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.

iaccelerate_logo“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.

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

 

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

AC 499 - Showcase_Web_IconCome 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.

 

Advanced Benefits     City of Waterloo     Communitech     Cowan Insurance Brokers     Cushman and Wakefiled     Gowlings     MillerThompson     OCE    Perry & Currier Inc.|Currier + Kao LLP      PWC               Region of Waterloo     Westmount Signs and Printing

 

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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 2nd, 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.

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Capacity Waterloo Region is now Capacity Canada

WATERLOO REGION, Ont. – July 22, 2014

Capacity Waterloo Region is now Capacity Canada, a name change that reflects the organization’s reach beyond its home borders.

“The success we’ve had building stronger non-profit organizations in our region has been noticed and admired elsewhere,” says Cathy Brothers, Capacity Canada’s executive director-in-residence. “The need we fill isn’t unique to Waterloo Region.”

Founded in 2009, Capacity Canada offers a range of services to help charitable non-profits build capacity to change direction or take on new programs.

More than 2,000 Board Leaders and Executive Directors/CEOs have attended Capacity’s Manulife Board Governance Boot Camp and other training sessions. MatchBoard, a Manulife-Capacity partnership, has prepared about 70 Manulife executives in the region for volunteer roles on the boards of non-profits.

In June, MatchBoard moved outside the region for the first time, launching a pilot program for executives at Manulife’s headquarters in Toronto.

In addition, Capacity:

-Advises on evaluation methods to improve the services and operations of agencies;
-Offers peer-to-peer mentoring for non-profit executive directors;
-Helps non-profits raise their profile in the community through text and video storytelling;
-Provides innovative educational events on a broad range of topics that stimulate social change. Continue reading “Capacity Waterloo Region is now Capacity Canada”

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The Accelerator Centre appoints new Chief Executive Officer

Waterloo (Ontario), CANADA, Thursday, July 3, 2014 – The Accelerator Centre® (AC), an award-winning centre for the cultivation of technology entrepreneurship located in Waterloo, Ontario, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Paul Salvini to the role of Accelerator Centre CEO and Associate Vice-President, Research Commercialization at the University of Waterloo.

Paul SalviniDr. Salvini, a seasoned executive with proven experience in growing highly profitable, world-class technology companies, comes to the Accelerator Centre from Christie Digital Systems Canada Inc., where he served as Chief Technology Officer guiding the company’s global research and innovation strategy. Prior to Christie, Dr. Salvini was CTO at Toronto-based Side Effects Software, where he led an award-winning team of mathematicians and software developers in the creation of 3D animation and visual effects software for Hollywood feature films. He is an active leader within the local and digital media communities serving on numerous boards including as Chair of GRAND (Canada’s Digital Media Network of Centres of Excellence) and President of the University of Waterloo Alumni Council. In 2007, Dr. Salvini was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40™, a national award that honors individuals for outstanding achievements in innovation, leadership, vision, and community involvement.

Dr. Salvini will assume his new Accelerator Centre and University of Waterloo responsibilities in late August.

acceleratorcentre.com“We are exceptionally fortunate to welcome Paul to the AC,” says Michael Stork, Chairman of the Board for the Accelerator Centre. “He is an experienced leader, mentor and collaborator, with deep expertise in both technology and business, and extensive entrepreneurship experience in the creation, funding and operation of new companies, as well as growing and expanding existing companies. Paul brings to the AC extensive connections throughout the technology and digital media community, a fresh vision for growth and expansion, and a track record for transforming vision into reality that has us all very excited for the possibilities that lie ahead.”

UniversityOfWaterloo_logo_horiz_rgbUniversity of Waterloo Vice-President of University Research, George Dixon, offered his congratulations on Dr. Salvini’s appointment:

“Paul is a proven leader in technology commercialization. His technical expertise, leadership abilities, and business acumen is widely respected and admired within the commercial enterprise and within academic communities. We warmly welcome Paul into his role as Associate Vice President of Commercialization at the University of Waterloo.”

Dr. Salvini holds a BMath degree in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo, MASc and PhD degrees in Engineering from the University of Toronto, and an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He lives in Kitchener with his wife and two children.

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.

Since 2006, the Accelerator Centre has developed and nurtured over 130 early-stage technology start-ups, creating 1100+ new jobs, generating over $120 million in revenue, and attracting over $180 million in investment. Thirty-eight companies have graduated from The Accelerator Program®, and more than 85 percent of these companies have remained in Waterloo Region. For more information visit 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 Mentor/Advisor
Accelerator Centre
Cell: (519) 574-2196
E-mail: ewinters-robinson@acceleratorcentre.com

George Dixon
Vice-President, University Research
University of Waterloo
Tel: (519) 888-4567, ext. 32531
Cell: (519) 829-5658
E-mail: dgdixon@uwaterloo.ca

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Prime Minister Announces Advancing Selections for Canada Accelerator and Incubator Program

Source: Prime Minister News Release

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the organizations that have been chosen to advance in the selection process for the Canada Accelerator and Incubator Program (CAIP) which is designed to help outstanding small- and medium-sized Canadian enterprises to grow, prosper and create jobs. He made the announcement at Communitech, a hub for the commercialization of innovative technologies in Waterloo, Ontario. The Prime Minister was joined by Ed Holder, Minister of State (Science and Technology), Peter Braid, Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, and Stephen Woodworth, Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre.

The following organizations have been chosen to advance in the selection process under the CAIP:

  • BC Technology Industry Association (BCTIA) (Accelerator)
  • Bioenterprise Corporation (Accelerator)
  • Centre d’entreprises et d’innovation de Montréal (CEIM) (Incubator)
  • Centre for Drug Research & Development (CDRD), in collaboration with CDRD Venture Inc. (Accelerator/Incubator)
  • Communitech Corporation, in collaboration with University of Waterloo Velocity, Laurier LaunchPad and the Waterloo Accelerator Centre (Accelerator/Incubator)
  • Corporation Inno-Centre du Québec (Accelerator/Incubator)
  • GrowLab Ventures Inc., in collaboration with Extreme Startups (Accelerator)
  • Invest Ottawa, in collaboration with Wesley Clover, PARTEQ Innovations and InnovationPark at Queen’s University (Accelerator/Incubator)
  • Manitoba Technology Accelerator (MTA) (Incubator)
  • Prince Edward Island BioAlliance Inc. (Incubator)
  • Propel ICT (Accelerator)
  • Ryerson University, in collaboration with Simon Fraser University and University of Ontario Institute of Technology (Accelerator/Incubator)
  • The Next 36 (Accelerator/Incubator) University of Alberta, in collaboration with TEC Edmonton and Innovate Calgary (Accelerator/Incubator)
  • Wavefront Wireless Commercialization Centre Society (Accelerator/Incubator)
    – See more at: http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2014/06/20/pm-helps-canadian-start-companies-grow-and-prosper#sthash.bmwzBFRz.dpuf

Read the full news release here

Check out a 24 SEVEN exclusive video on Why Accelerators Matter here

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TitanFile Reflects on their Accelerator Centre Experience

Source: TitanFile Press Release
Author: Olga Lioudvinevitch

TitanFile was welcomed into the Accelerator Center (AC) in December of 2011 and we are grateful for having had the opportunity.

titanStarting out on the East coast – in Halifax, Nova Scotia, we chose Waterloo because we wanted to be closer to the core of the Canadian innovation community. Here, we would look for the talent and mentorship instrumental to our success, and the  Accelerator Program seemed to have it all.

Our first point of contact was a gentleman named Josh Wright; co-founder of a great up-and-coming company named Blitzen. Suffice it to say, we were more than a little excited to have gotten in. “When we joined we did not have many customers or revenue and now we have both” says CEO Tony Abou Assaleh, “the AC really made an impact on that.”

The Accelerator program gave us support through mentorship, networking opportunities, connections to capital; services including access to office facilities, education, and commercialization expertise.

Our space at Communitech became a second home – an experience most startups can attest to. Working deep into the  night, on weekends, only to come back to the grind again on Monday.

As you can imagine, leaving here garners mixed feelings. There is something about this place though, an electric energy – something that motivates you to keep going. You feed off the successes of your peers while knowing you have all the tools and support to achieve the same thing.

We’d like to thank our capable entrepreneurs in residence David Littweiler and Jaafer Haidar along with our public relations mentor Ellyn Winters-Robinson, finance adviser Kevin Elop, HR mentor Jackie Lauer,and Kevin Hood – our sales and marketing expert for giving us continuous guidance through our time with the AC.

We would also like to thank Frank Erschen, Communitech’s Pitch Coach, for working with us and helping us connect with angel groups in the region.

And special thanks to: Tim Ellis – CEO – Accelerator Center Gary Pooley – CFO – Accelerator Centre Andrew Jackson – Vice President of Client Services – Accelerator Center For making the program an ongoing success.

We could not have achieved what we have without the wonderful people of Communitech and the Accelerator Center, many of whom have gone unmentioned in this particular blog post.  Thank you to all, from the bottom of our hearts.

Our graduation is this Thursday June 12, at 9:30 AM at the Accelerator Center. If you can make it, we’d love for you to join us!

Read the press release here: https://www.titanfile.com/blog/graduation-day-titanfile/

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Intellijoint Surgical and TitanFile Graduate from the Accelerator Centre

The Accelerator Centre Graduates Intellijoint Surgical and TitanFile

Waterloo (Ontario), CANADA, June 12, 2014 – World renowned for its cultivation of technology entrepreneurship, Waterloo’s Accelerator Centre today celebrated the graduation of Intellijoint Surgical and TitanFile from its award-winning tech start-up accelerator program.

intellijoint surgicalFounded by University of Waterloo mechatronics grads Armen Bakirtzian, Andre Hladio and Richard Fanson, Intellijoint Surgical is setting the new standard for surgical hip alignment. Intellijoint’s technology provides surgeons with affordable, smart tools that improve precision and accuracy in joint replacement surgery, lowering the possibility of complication and improving patient outcomes.  Intellijoint Surgical received its Health Canada Medical Device License in December 2013, and the company’s technology has been used in more than 100 joint replacement surgeries.

titanTitanFile is on a mission to build better ways for people and companies to communicate securely. The company allows users to easily connect and securely share files from any device, ensuring that privileged information remains private at all times.  TitanFile’s technology has been adopted across a wide range of industries, from healthcare for the secure and HIPAA-compliant transfer of patient information, to lawyers for secure collaboration, to educational institutions for secure research collaboration.

“We are incredibly proud to celebrate Intellijoint and TitanFile’s graduation from the Accelerator Centre today.  Each company has approached its respective market opportunity with tenacity – taking full advantage of the Accelerator Centre’s educational programming and unique cross-disciplinary mentorship model to transform their ideas into viable, sustainable businesses,” says Gary Pooley, Acting CEO, the Accelerator Centre.

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 2-3 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, generating over $120 million in revenue, and attracting over $180 million in investment. Thirty-six companies have graduated from The Accelerator Program, and more than 85 percent of these companies have remained in Waterloo Region.  For more information visit our website at www.acceleratorcentre.com.

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