AC Graduates Magnet Forensics officially opened their new headquarters at an open house event that brought together community, business and educational leaders from Waterloo and the surrounding areas.
Guests at the event included Federal Cabinet Minister, Julian Fantino, local Members of Parliament Peter Braid and Harold Albrecht, Waterloo Mayor, Dave Jaworsky, Accelerator Centre CEO, Paul Salvini, University of Waterloo Dean of Engineering, Pearl Sullivan, and Conestoga College’s Chair of the School of Engineering, Ignac Kolenko.
The new facility on Columbia Street West, in close proximity to the University of Waterloo, will house the company’s team which has grown from 8 dedicated professionals two years ago to over 65 with plans for further expansion in the future.
“We are proud to invest in the community where Magnet Forensics was founded and have a new home to collaborate on creating the tools that police and national security agencies require to keep our communities and country safe,” said Adam Belsher, CEO of Magnet Forensics. “Our new facility will not only give us the space we need to continue our growth trajectory, it will also give us proximity to local Universities and Colleges so that students and faculty alike can learn about how we at Magnet Forensics are making a real difference in Canada and around the world and consider joining us in our mission.”
Magnet Forensics was founded by Jad Saliba in 2011. He had been serving as a digital forensic examiner with the Waterloo Regional Police Service, where he was responsible for recovering Internet related evidence. Around this time, web and online usage was exploding. Finding evidence on a suspect’s hard drive was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Facing this new challenge, Saliba set out to find a solution that would help him, and others, recover relevant data faster.
“We at Magnet Forensics are passionate about supporting our partners in law enforcement here in Canada and around the world,” said Magnet Forensics Founder, Chief Technology Officer and former Waterloo Police Officer, Jad Saliba. “Our dedicated team at Magnet Forensics is focused on developing the best digital forensics tools that support police forces in everything they do to keep citizens safe.”
Photo Caption: From left to right, Communitech CEO, Ian Klugman, Waterloo Mayor, Dave Jaworsky, Magnet Forensics CEO, Adam Belsher, Magnet Forensics Founder/CTO, Jad Saliba, Kitchener-Waterloo MP, Peter Braid, Accelerator Centre CEO, Paul Salvini, Waterloo Innovation Network CEO, Brenda Halloran, Associate Minister of National Defence, Julian Fantino and Sergeant Eugene Silva, Waterloo Regional Police Service. Photo by Neil Desai