# Accelerator Centre

> Accelerator Centre is a Waterloo nonprofit that helps early-stage technology founders validate products, sell, raise capital and scale through personalized mentorship and accelerator programs. It takes no equity; selected programs are publicly funded, while AC:Incubate charges a subsidized fee and workspace is leased separately.

- **Founded:** 2006
- **Headquarters:** Waterloo, Canada
- **Founders:** David Johnston (Founding partner and patron; then University of Waterloo president)
- **Products:** AC:Incubate, AC:Studio, AC:RevLab, AC:Incubate+, AC:Health
- **Notable:** More than 400 alumni companies listed on its current website., Inaugural Studio cohort reported 597 new jobs, 104 new products and CAD 62 million in investment at its March 2025 graduation. These are participant outcomes reported by AC, not causal estimates., 25 companies graduated from the inaugural Studio program in March 2025.

## Products & services

- **AC:Incubate** — Milestone-based founder support, mentoring and investment readiness. Subsidized participation fee; no equity taken.
- **AC:Studio** — Matched, non-repayable seed funding and tactical support for eligible southern Ontario technology ventures aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Cohort 3 offers $30,000 to 23 companies; seven may receive another $70,000.
- **AC:RevLab** — Free five-month program for building repeatable sales systems; supported through Communitech’s FedDev Ontario Scale-Up Platform.
- **AC:Incubate+** — Free six-month STEM entrepreneurship program for women and gender diverse founders, with SASC and Women and Gender Equality Canada support.
- **AC:Health** — Free nine-month accelerator connecting digital health founders with healthcare expertise and validation partners.
- **Aerospace Accelerator** — Commercialization mentoring and aerospace connections with the Region of Waterloo and Skywise; previous participants pursued airport pilots.
- **Global Impact Creator** — Purpose-driven entrepreneurship programming for University of Waterloo students, faculty and recent graduates.
- **Workspace and meeting rooms** — Separate paid coworking, office, meeting-room and business-address memberships.

## Achievements

- More than 400 alumni companies listed on its current website.
- Inaugural Studio cohort reported 597 new jobs, 104 new products and CAD 62 million in investment at its March 2025 graduation. These are participant outcomes reported by AC, not causal estimates.
- 25 companies graduated from the inaugural Studio program in March 2025.
- First AC:Health cohort included 30 companies in August 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Third Aerospace Accelerator cohort announced on September 23 with 10 participating companies.
- **2026-08** — Inaugural AC:Health cohort welcomed 30 Ontario health innovators on August 26.

## Links

- Website: https://www.acceleratorcentre.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accelerator-centre/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ac_waterloo
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accelerator_centre/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/acceleratorcentre

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/accelerator-centre
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-08