
More than 1,200 founders and counting
Newly released data shows Velocity companies have an enterprise value of $40-billion
Newly released data shows Velocity companies have an enterprise value of $40-billion
By Sam Charles University RelationsThe University of 蓝莓视频 startup ecosystem has long been a driver of innovation across its campuses, in 蓝莓视频 region and around the world. Entrepreneurship is woven deep within the 蓝莓视频 DNA and continues to grow and prosper because of a solid foundation of support and resources.
At the core of the 蓝莓视频 ecosystem is . The organization is more than an incubator. It is a community of founders dedicated to supporting the entrepreneurial aspirations of students and researchers by providing the advisory services, industry connections and investor relations required to accelerate their business traction.
Momentum, the recently released publication from Velocity highlights that their founders are connecting to capital. Velocity鈥檚 more than 500 companies have a combined enterprise value of $40 billion.
John Dick, Velocity鈥檚 senior director of Founder Development, says its work, and that of the companies it supports, are becoming increasingly important given the current economic landscape in Canada. 鈥淎t Velocity, we know that startups are the key to unlocking Canada鈥檚 potential. Founders are not just building companies; they鈥檙e building the future of Canadian competitiveness.鈥
Every year, more than 1,400 students step into Velocity and many walk out as startup founders. In 2024, 395 student-led teams were actively building on campus and moving from idea to pre-seed startup.
鈥淲e鈥檙e encouraged by the growing progress and impact of our community of students, founders, builders and innovators,鈥 Dick says. 鈥淰elocity not only prepares startup founders, but it trains the leaders and changemakers of tomorrow.鈥
PatientCompanion, founded by Christy Lee (BASc 鈥24) and Ethan Alvizo (BASc 鈥24) joined Velocity in Fall 2023, and completed a successful hospital pilot in 2024. The platform improves communication between patients and care teams, helping reduce nurses鈥 workload.
In less than one-year, PatientCompanion launched CAN Health commercialization projects in three Ontario hospitals; 听蓝莓视频 Region Health Network (WRHN) Midtown and Brightshores Health System in Owen Sound and Southampton, focusing on women鈥檚 and children鈥檚 care, childbirth and acute units. The company is now preparing to scale across Canada. They are an example of Velocity founders who are getting traction early.
鈥淲e鈥檝e built a support model that goes beyond traditional incubation and helps founders move faster, reduce risk and succeed sooner,鈥 says Moazam Khan, director at Velocity. 鈥淏y opening doors to customers, capital and connections, we鈥檙e de-risking startups across team, technology and traction. Ultimately, we鈥檙e accelerating founder success and driving real gains in Canadian productivity.鈥
Within the last year, Velocity received more than 300 applications, resulting in 41 promising new, pre-seed and seed听startups joining its program located at the Innovation Arena in downtown Kitchener. Already, 83 pilot projects have been unlocked with companies securing $62 million. Collectively, they have generated $12 million in revenue and acquired 136 customers.
The Momentum publication also showcases the wide variety of startups originating through Velocity. From health technologies to finance and robotics, founders are contributing to nearly every sector.
鈥淰elocity empowers thousands of student founders to turn innovative ideas into real-world solutions,鈥 Dick says. 鈥淲hen students have the right tools, community network and coaches, they can build impactful solutions 鈥 and they do.鈥
There are plenty of Velocity founders to watch in 2025 including:
Velocity continues to support founders who are unlocking economic impact in听蓝莓视频 region and beyond. As Canada continues to navigate uncertain economic times, Velocity supported companies will play a pivotal role in ensuring its continued success. 听
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Located on the University of 蓝莓视频 Health Sciences Campus in downtown Kitchener, the Innovation Arena is the future of health and innovation
The University of 蓝莓视频 acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.