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Flexible space for early-stage high potential companies.

Apply to Velocity

Our space

Located at the heart of Kitchener’s Innovation District, Velocity offers 36,000 sq.ft of offices, product development, and events spaces designed to support early-stage founders.

Thanks to our  connection with the University of Waterloo, we are one of the very few places in Canada with dedicated resources for technical founders.

We can help you quickly and cost-effectively:

  • De-risk technology
  • Generate IP
  • Build prototypes
  • Test your products before launch
Apply to join Velocity

Space to build a product

Founder using the Velocity wet lab

Labs

Accelerate your product development

Velocity houses 5,000+ ft2 of flexible development lab space. Our workflows are customized to each product development and founders share resources to maximize productivity.

Our laboratory supports product development space and resources in major areas such as Advanced Materials and Biotechnology and Medical devices for a variety of applications including therapeutics, diagnostics, green energy, genomics, food and agriculture.

Our facility includes:

  • Wet chemistry lab equipped to support synthetic chemistry, solvent-based operations including coating and dispersion work, and low-risk biological work;
  • BSL-2 lab for higher risk biological development; and
  • Lab ‘lite’ space for lower-risk operations that may involve solvents, dusts, or fumes.
Velocity founder using equipment

Hardware workshop & assembly space

From prototypes to early production

At Velocity, we know that developing products can take many different paths.

Our founders can access:

  • Laser cutter
  • 3D printers
  • Electronic test equipment
  • Prototyping shop

We also have a network of cost-efficient service providers (e.g., PCB fab, injection molding) both locally and abroad.

Dozens of past Velocity companies have created critical prototypes, demos, and shipped $1M+ of product from our incubator.

Perkin-Elmer lab at Velocity

PerkinElmer demonstration lab

Thanks to a co-location agreement with PerkinElmer, a $2.8 billion health care diagnostics, life sciences, and food and environmental testing giant, $2 million worth of equipment is made available for Velocity startups.

Velocity acts as a dynamic environment for PerkinElmer to host their current and prospective customers. While the Velocity community gains access to the innovations and experts of PerkinElmer.

Space to build a company

Meeting room at Velocity

Office services & amenities

Velocity startups will get access to an office that is designed for collaboration and longer working hours, as well as amenities you’d expect from a modern co-working space.

A sample list of goodies available:

  • 16 meeting rooms and secluded enclaves
  • High speed Wi-Fi and/or Ethernet internet
  • Printing
  • Caffeine (coffee, tea) and hydration (filtered water)–in order of importance
Velocity staff showing students how to use the 3D printing machines

Administrative & operational support

Velocity startups receive key administrative and operational support while they incubate their ideas. You’ll have access to:

  • Front desk and mailing support services.
  • A lab manager who is responsible for operational oversight of the lab space as well as training and guidance on the use of chemical and biological instrumentation.
  • A facilities manager who offers training and guidance with workshop, 3D printer and laser cutting tools.

Perks & deals

Velocity startups have access to exclusive business deals and discounts such as AWS credits.

A space to build a community

Velocity Garage grand opening celebrations

Join a community of peers

Startups at Velocity are not in direct competition with each other, which fosters a much more collaborative atmosphere. Companies share and learn together through working groups and domain specific meetups.

Connect with peers and recharge at our social events, like as Startups & Snacks and Velocity Founders’ Night, or join our very active Incubator Slack group.

Support from Velocity alumni

The Velocity alumni network comprises hundreds of experienced, seasoned founders who, collectively, have a collective enterprise value of $26 billion dollars and generated over 5,000 jobs.

Velocity Alumni are eager to support those who are at the beginning of their startup journey through:

  • 1:1 meetings
  • Alumni networking events
  • Coaching sessions on accelerator applications/interviews (e.g., Y Combinator, IndieBio)
  • Introductions to key contacts and investors
Tannery building

Located at the
heart of Canada’s Innovation District

Velocity is located in Kitchener-Waterloo’s Tannery building. In 2023, Velocity will move to our new headquarters: the Innovation Arena, in Downtown Kitchener. This 90,000 square-foot refurbished warehouse is close to the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy, the Waterloo Regional Campus of McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Medicine and Communitech. The Innovation Arena is also close to dozens of Velocity alumni scaling within 5 km, including Faire, Vidyard, Nicoya, Kenota, ApplyBoard and other notable tech companies like Google, Shopify, D2L, Axonify etc.

Photo credit: Tony (Communitech)

The Innovation Arena

Innovation Arena

Coming soon: The Innovation Arena

In 2024, Velocity will move to the Innovation Arena, occupying 90,000 sq.ft on the 1st floor of the new building. 

Located in the City of Kitchener’s innovation district, the Innovation Arena will amplify Canada’s health tech sector. In partnership with the City of Kitchener, and with Velocity – Waterloo’s renowned startup incubator – at its core, the new collaboration space will streamline commercialization pathways for businesses, fast-track delivery of health technologies and drive Canada’s next wave of economic growth.

Learn more about the Innovation Arena