Innovation with a difference

Since 1957, entrepreneurial researchers and students have been drawn to the highly productive innovation ecosystem of the University of Waterloo. Breaking from tradition, our founders established a university that integrated work-experience with academic and research excellence. This became the foundation for a unique culture of innovation. Today, innovators can access for-credit programs along with mentorship, funding and connections in a collaborative environment of more than 45 programs that includes our flagship incubator Velocity.

Entrepreneurial researchers and students are drawn to Waterloo because of our distinctive innovation ecosystem. We encourage entrepreneurs by opening pathways from research to commercialization through incubators, corporate partnerships and a unique intellectual property policy that lets creators own what they invent. Our co-op program allows students to move between jobs and the classroom every four months, integrating theory with real-world experience. We actively support student-run programs like Zero, the Student Venture Fund and Hack the North, the largest hackathon in Canada.

Waterloo provides tailored support at every stage of the journey, whether for students committed to creating social change, early-stage inventors or creators of a commercial venture about to take the world by storm.

Engage directly with entrepreneurial researchers and founders as an early-stage investor, co-founder, technology licensee and more. Not sure where to start? Waterloo Ventures can help  →