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This release was initially posted on the Accelerator Centre’s website.
13 southern Ontario-based companies are receiving $30,000 in seed funding and $10,000 of in-kind business support services such as one-to-one professional mentorship under the Accelerator Centre’s AC JumpStart program, aimed at helping technology startups establish and grow their business in the region.
Funded by FedDev Ontario and delivered in partnership with Conestoga College, the University of Guelph, the University of Waterloo, and Wilfrid Laurier University, the program has supported 305 southern Ontario-based businesses since launching in 2015. Former recipients include ApplyBoard, Canada’s newest unicorn company after raising $100 million in Series C funding on a $2 billion valuation, and NERv Technology, winner of the world’s first Entrepreneurship World Cup and its accompanying $500,000 USD prize.
“This was AC JumpStart’s most competitive application round to date, which is wonderful considering we have provided funding to over 300 companies across 13 cohorts over the past five years,” says Dr. Paul Salvini, Accelerator Centre CEO. “The program’s sustained popularity is one of many indicators that innovation is alive and well in southern Ontario. It’s terrific news as we look to strengthen our economy in the wake of the pandemic. As we’ve seen with past AC JumpStart recipients, these are the up and coming technology companies to watch. We’re excited to see what they will achieve during their time with the Accelerator Centre.”
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The AC JumpStart recipients of Cohort 14 are:
“This was AC JumpStart’s most competitive application round to date, which is wonderful considering we have provided funding to over 300 companies across 13 cohorts over the past five years.”
Dr. Paul Salvini, Accelerator Centre CEO
“When I was first accepted into the AC JumpStart program, I was initially more excited about the $30,000 grant than I was about the included mentor hours. Looking back, it makes me laugh because I didn’t realize the incredible valueof mentorship,” says Luke Begley, CEO of Circuit IQ, a current AC JumpStart recipient company that created a solution for digitizing circuit directories of electrical panels. “No one is an expert in everything, so it’s really nice to have additional people to consult with who are genuinely interested in your product and want you to succeed. I used to think you had to be super human to lead a start-up. Now I realize you just need great mentors.”
Interested entrepreneurs are encouraged to sign up for updates on future funding opportunities.