Two startup companies with ties to Waterloo Engineering were among the recipients this week of $30,000 in seed funding and mentorship for their efforts related to COVID-19.
In all, eight companies won backing through the AC Jumpstart program at the Accelerator Centre and FedDev Ontario in a 10-month program to drive innovative business growth in southern Ontario to support outbreak recovery and enable expansion following the pandemic.
MobiStream was co-founded by Jason Musyj, who earned a master’s degree in management sciences from Waterloo in 2010. It is building ultra-secure communication tools to support remote work.
Efforts by Canadians are 'inspiring'
TyltGo was co-founded by Aaron Paul, who is studying management engineering at Waterloo. It is working to extend the reach of retailers to allow them to offer fast and affordable delivery while maintaining brand identity.
“In the fight against COVID-19, we must harness the talents of both our public and private sectors – and it’s inspiring to see so many Canadians mobilizing,” Mélanie Joly, the minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, said in an announcement.
Past participants in the AC Jumpstart program include ApplyBoard, which was co-founded by Waterloo Engineering alumnus Martin Basiri and recently became Canada’s newest unicorn company with a $2-billion valuation.