List of Designated Startup Incubators in Canada for 2022
Under the Canadian Startup Visa Program, the business aspect of your application – i.e. getting a Letter of Support from one (or more) Designated Organizations – is arguably the most important requirement.
There are 3 types of Designated Organizations, namely Startup Business Incubators, as well as Angel Investor Groups and Canadian Venture Capital Funds.
Below we include the list of current Designated Canada Startup Incubators for 2022, along with a brief overview of each organization:
Designated Canadian Business Incubators
| INCUBATOR | LOCATIONS | DESCRIPTION………………………………………………………………… | WEBSITE | Key People……….. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alacrity Foundation | Victoria, BC | Alacrity Foundation combines graduate entrepreneurs with world-class mentors to create the next generation of hi-tech companies in Canada. | Click here | N/A | Richard Egli, Owen Matthews |
| Alberta Agriculture and Forestry | Alberta | This governmental ministry supports the growth, diversification and sustainability of Alberta’s agriculture and forest industries and rural communities. | Click here | N/A | Various |
| Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator | Alberta | The Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator supports new food businesses and established food manufacturers in Alberta. | Click here | [email protected]. | N/A |
| Food Processing Development Centre | Alberta | The Food Processing Development Centre supports the growth and commercialization of food, beverage and ingredient companies serving local and global markets. | Click here | Various – see site contact page. | Various |
| Biomedical Commercialization Canada Inc. (trading as Manitoba Technology Accelerator) | Winnipeg, Manitoba |
The Monitoba Tech Accelerator (MTA) is the leading business accelerator in Manitoba. It is designed for entrepreneurs with a scientific or technology oriented business idea, and early-stage technology companies. |
Click here | N/A | Various |
| Brilliant Catalyst | Ontario | This business incubator’s mission is to build a community of experts, influencers, entrepreneurs and advisors to fuel innovative change and put more Canadian ventures on the map. | Click here | [email protected] | Various |
| Creative Destruction Lab | Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto | Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a non-profit organization that provides incubation progams for massively scalable, seed-stage startups in the fields of science and technology. | Click here | [email protected] | Various |
| Empowered Startups | Vancouver |
Empowered Startups (ES) mentors, accelerates and incubates innovative domestic and global business ideas. They work with both aspiring founders and product stage startups capable of achieving outstanding success and enhancing the prosperity of their chosen ecosystem. |
Click here | N/A | Paul Girodo, |
| Extreme Innovations | Toronto | Extreme Innovations is a government approved Canadian Startup Visa Accelerator that helps creative teams to optimize their business ideas.
|
Click here | N/A | N/A |
| Genesis Centre | Newfoundland and Labrador | Genesis Centre is renowned for its flagship incubator program, Enterprise, which was launched more than 2 decades ago. Since its inception, Genesis has expanded its programming to support start-ups from the ideation stage all the way through to scaling. | Click here | [email protected] | N/A |
| Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal | Highline BETA is a corporate innovation and venture development firm that works with Fortune 1000 companies. The incubator identifies new areas of growth, and facilitates the development of a portfolio of venture investments. | Click here | N/A | Marcus Daniels | |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | Innovacorp identifies, funds and nurtures innovative start-ups that strive to change the world from within Nova Scotia. |
Click here | [email protected] | Andrew Ray | |
| Peterborough and the Kawarthas | The Innovation Cluster supports innovative entrepreneurs in the formation and growth of their technology-driven startups. | Click here | [email protected] | N/A | |
| Ontario | Innovation Factory is a business incubator that helps businesses launch, scale, and succeed in Ontario. The accelerator provides start-ups and scaling companies with advisory services, training, mentorship, and strategic connections to help bring disruptive technologies to market. | Click here | [email protected] | N/A | |
| Niagra | Innovate Niagara provides the structure, services and resources startups need to get their great ideas off the ground in Niagra. | Click here | Jeff Chesebrough | N/A | |
| Ottawa | Invest Ottawa is the lead economic development agency for knowledge-based industries in Canada’s capital. It facilitates economic growth and job creation in Ottawa. | Click here | N/A | N/A | |
| New Brunswick | Planet Hatch is an entrepreneurship centre located in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The centre supports entrepreneurs and startups to grow into well-positioned, internationally competitive companies through programs, mentorship and coaching, funding, facilities and events. | Click here | [email protected] | N/A | |
| Toronto | LatAm Startups is a non-profit accelerator that works exclusively with international startups. As a designated sponsor for Canada’s Startup Visa program, LatAm Startups brings the world’s top startups to Canada and helps them scale globally. | Click here | [email protected] | N/A | |
| Vancouver | Launch helps emerging tech companies expand their business to North America. We assist tech startups in identifying the best path for immigration for their team and their families through Startup Visa and other programs. | Click here | [email protected] | N/A | |
| Prince Edward Island | LaunchPad PEI is a non-profit incubator that supports the growth of new technology companies in Prince Edward Island, Canada. As a designated business incubator in the Startup Visa Program, LaunchPad PEI provides an anchor for foreign businesses to immigrate and grow in Prince Edward Island. | Click here | [email protected] | N/A | |
| Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario | Millworks provides individuals with access to tools, education, capital, mentorship and networking opportunities to assist with their sustainable development as an entrepreneur. | Click here | [email protected] | N/A | |
| Toronto |
NEXT Canada accelerates the growth trajectory of aspiring and scaling startups and entrepreneurs through education, mentorship, funding and access to Canada’s strongest entrepreneurial network.
|
Click here | [email protected] | Kyle Winters | |
| Pinawa, Eastern Manitoba | As a member of the National Angel Capital Organization (NACO), North Forge East helps startups develop faster, cheaper, and with greater success. North Forge East curates resources to help startup founders solve problems in real time, and reduces the cost and risk of innovation. | Click here | Shane Li | ||
| Vancouver, Calgary | Pactech Ventures is the official operator and licensee of Founder Institute in Western Canada. Founder Institute is the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator program. | Click here | N/A | N/A | |
| Calgary | Launching in 2022, the Platform Innovation Centre will move the city’s best entrepreneurial minds and startup ideas forward. | Click here | N/A | N/A | |
| Toronto | Pycap is registered by the Canadian Federal Government as a Designated Organization for the Startup Visa Program. In addition to facilitating Canadian immigration for foreign entrepreneurs, Pycap provides an acclaimed incubation program for entrepreneurs to launch their business in Canada, raise capital, and expand throughout North America. | Click here | [email protected] | Stuart Browne | |
| Quebec | FounderFuel works to develop both the skillsets and mindsets of the founders shaping our future through innovative and highly scalable technology. New founders learn and grow, hone their business models and brand stories to take their companies to the next level. | Click here | N/A | Various | |
| Oshawa, Ontario | Spark Centre is a business incubator providing advisory services, office space and day-to-day operational support for early stage and rapidly growing innovation and technology startups. Depending on what stage a business is at, they offer a range of services to help startups grow and scale. | Click here | [email protected] | N/A | |
| Vancouver | Spring acts globally as a collaborative partner to guide and empower change-makers with high-impact knowledge, tools, and a network to help them thrive. Their services span training programs, capacity-building, mentorship, advisory services, and more. | Click here | [email protected] | Caroline von Hirschberg | |
| Toronto | The DMZ provides high-impact, high-intensity and highly customized programs for the best and brightest startup founders in the world. Founders enjoy access to capital, coaching, operational support, talent sourcing, financial management support as well as a world-class community. | Click here | [email protected] | N/A | |
| Toronto | TBDC is one of Toronto’s premier start-up accelerators, helping grow the next wave of tech start-ups in Canada. |
Click here | Ed Hobbs | ||
| Toronto |
Techstars is an operational investor supporting startup founders on their entrepreneurial journey, from idea to building the most successful startup possible. Built and run by entrepreneurs, Techstars understands the complexities of putting your ideas into action and scaling them. |
Click here | N/A | N/A | |
| Toronto | The Hatchery is a tech startup incubator based in Toronto. | Click here | N/A | Eric Ramirez | |
| Victoria, BC | VIATEC is a startup incubator based out of Victoria, BC. Started in 1989, the community of technologists and entrepreneurs was launched to share information on how to build companies and support the tech industry. | Click here | [email protected] | Dan Gunn | |
| Waterloo, Ontario | The Waterloo Accelerator Centre offers holistic, milestone driven programs that helps startup founders and entrepreneurs build businesses that thrive. They’re ranked the #1 private business accelerator in the country, and have been named Accelerator of the Year in both 2018 and 2019. |
Click here | [email protected] | N/A | |
| Toronto | YEDI’s mission is to create a rigorous and free institute where startup founders and innovators can access training, top-tier education, and mentorship in order to produce high-calibre effective startup businesses and nonprofit organizations. | Click here | [email protected] | Various |