Velocity
Velocity is the University of Waterloo's startup incubator, founded in 2008. It provides workspace in Kitchener-Waterloo, coaching, programming and grants, and runs the Velocity Pitch Competition for student founders. It accepts solo founders and teams, including those that have already raised money. Founders must work full-time on the startup from Kitchener-Waterloo.
At a glance
Velocity key facts
- Deal terms
- No equity terms are published for the incubator. Funding comes as non-dilutive grants and pitch-competition prizes: the September 2026 Velocity Pitch Competition top prize was CAD $5,000, and the April 2025 All-Stars first prize was CAD $25,000. The pitch competition requires one team member to be a current Waterloo student or postdoc.
- Duration
- Ongoing incubation; at least 1 day a week on site for the first 3 months
- Format
- In-person
- Headquarters
- Waterloo, Canada
- Cohort locations
- Waterloo, Canada; Kitchener, Canada
- Stage
- idea, pre-seed, seed
- Sectors
- general, hardware, health, ai
- Application cycle
- Rolling; new teams onboarded every two months
Verified November 4, 2026 against the sources below. Terms change; confirm on the official site before applying.
Timing
Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, and the process takes about 2 to 8 weeks. The latest Velocity Pitch Competition was held September 12, 2026.
See all upcoming accelerator deadlines
Notable alumni
- Faire
- ApplyBoard
- Avidbots
- Bridgit
- Float
FAQ
Applying to Velocity
- How much does Velocity invest?
- Velocity's standard deal: No equity terms are published for the incubator. Funding comes as non-dilutive grants and pitch-competition prizes: the September 2026 Velocity Pitch Competition top prize was CAD $5,000, and the April 2025 All-Stars first prize was CAD $25,000. The pitch competition requires one team member to be a current Waterloo student or postdoc.
- When is the Velocity application deadline?
- Application cycle: Rolling; new teams onboarded every two months. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis, and the process takes about 2 to 8 weeks. The latest Velocity Pitch Competition was held September 12, 2026.
- Where is Velocity based?
- Velocity is headquartered in Waterloo, Canada. The program runs in person. Cohorts run in Waterloo, Canada, Kitchener, Canada.
Preparing answers? Our accelerator application tips cover what reviewers look for.
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