Entrepreneurship

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Velocity companies secure more than $2 billion in funding

by Media Relations

Companies at the University of Waterloo’s flagship entrepreneurial incubator have broken through a major funding milestone.

The total amount of funding raised by Velocity companies surpassed $2.4 billion in recent weeks, less than two years after the program announced it had reached the $1 billion mark over the previous decade.

Friday, July 30, 2021

Breaking new ground with BlackBerry

by Lauren Ward, Gateway for Enterprises to Discover Innovation (GEDI)

For more than three decades, BlackBerry and the University of Waterloo have shared a strong relationship. Spanning research collaborations and offering co-operative education opportunities, Waterloo students past and present have benefitted from starting and maturing their careers at the multi-billion-dollar company.

Thursday, July 15, 2021

Artificial Intelligence for fun

by Rose Simone, Faculty of Science

A serious passion for physics was what drew Parshant Utam to study Mathematical Physics at the University of Waterloo. Little did he realize that the University’s entrepreneurial atmosphere would lead him to become a co-founder of viral smartphone app that is pure fun.

Parshant came to Waterloo as an international student from Pakistan, fascinated by theoretical physics. He was drawn by the presence of both the University of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum computing and the nearby Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

From student startup to US $5.16B market capitalization

by Brian Caldwell, Faculty of Engineering

A startup founded by second-year Waterloo Engineering students just five years ago would have a market capitalization of US $5.16 billion under a proposed merger to make it a publicly traded company.

Embark Trucks, which is based in San Francisco, was launched by former mechatronics engineering students Alex Rodrigues and Brandon Moak to bring autonomous technology to the trucking industry.

Friday, June 18, 2021

Candid career advice

by Mayuri Punithan, Office of Advancement

Every Monday, we hand control of the @uwaterlooalumni Instragram account to an alumnus. From Youtubers to entrepreneurs, they’ve offered an inside look at their typical work days and some great memories of Waterloo. But our favourite part of these takeovers is the unique career advice they share. Here are some of our favourites.



Turning obstacles into opportunities

Friday, June 11, 2021

Waterloo recognizes distinguished alumni

by Ryon Jones, University Relations

University of Waterloo’s alumni Calvin Choi (BA '01), who has distinguished himself in the international financial sector, and Chuck Magro (BAsc '93), a renowned business leader in Canada, will be the recipients of honorary doctorates at this spring’s convocation ceremonies.

Calvin Choi
> Calvin Choi (BA '01)
> Chairman, AMTD Group; Founder, AMTD Charity

Thursday, June 10, 2021

Turning research into commerce

by Brian Caldwell, Faculty of Engineering

An alumnus of Waterloo Engineering who parlayed his graduate research into a startup company that is out to solve worldwide water problems has been recognized by a national innovation organization.

Jason Deglint, a co-founder of Blue Lion Labs, is one of five winners of a Mitacs Entrepreneur Award for turning research into businesses that impact the lives of Canadians.

Monday, May 31, 2021

Math model helps major league sports safely welcome fans back

by Robin Morden, Faculty of Mathematics

After a year of playing games to empty bleachers, sports franchises are beginning to welcome back fans. Yet, with COVID-19 circulating and a significant portion of the population still unvaccinated, finding ways to open safely is paramount.

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Alumnus digital platform expands pharmacy care

by Alana Rigby, School of Pharmacy

Rui Su (PharmD ’18is used to rejection. The Rx2018 pharmacy grad has worn many hats over the years, but the one that suits her best is trailblazer. Su is an entrepreneur committed to improving Canada’s health-care system. On this journey, she’s learned that rejection is part of the process.