Incubation, Hubs and Accelerators

1855 Whitby

The 1855 Accelerator is a public private partnership (PPP) to support the growth of high potential technology companies. It fills a gap that exists in the Durham Innovation Ecosystem so that rapidly growing companies can stay in Durham to continue their trajectory. At the accelerator, entrepreneurs can move to the next stage in the business development cycle; receive greater depth and breadth of support; and secure resources and capital to grow their business.

AI Hub

The Durham College Hub for Applied Research in Artificial Intelligence for Business Solutions (the AI Hub) offers industry partners access to technical expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, and platforms and student talent. This allows you to uncover business insights, while providing intelligent and autonomous solutions that increase your company's productivity and growth. The AI Hub also provides consultation, advisory and support services to organizations beginning to consider how artificial intelligence fits into their business. These introductory services include workshops, seminars, printed and digital collateral and one-on-one meetings.

C.C.Chan Academician Science and Technology Innovation Centre

The C.C. Chan Centre will be a space for electric vehicle academic research projects and will connect academic experts from around the world. The sharing of expertise and discoveries will speed up the development of better and more efficient technologies for our automotive sector, increasing their global competitiveness and speeding up the transition from gasoline to clean electricity.

CO-iLAB HUB

The Co-iLab Hub was created by the Community Innovation Lab and partners to provide entrepreneurs with access to affordable work space, professional development, skills training and business advisors and mentors. The Co-iLab Hub also offers entrepreneurs opportunities to connect with other entrepreneurs, industry leaders, innovators and thinkers. It is a central access point for all entrepreneurs to collaborate, convene and co-create.

Durham Innovation Tech Hive (D-Hive)

The Durham Innovation Tech Hive (D-Hive) is a regionally based, global innovation network located on the eastern border of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). D-Hive spans 225 kilometres from Pickering to Kingston, Ontario and is comprised of innovation “cells” located within both urban and rural communities, giving it a unique urgency for creating high-momentum companies.

Within their network are industry leaders from nuclear energy/clean tech, logistics, advanced manufacturing and agri-tech, amongst others. More importantly, D-Hive boasts a network of global partners that supports its sector-specific focus and expands its reach into foreign markets. This allows talent and founders to move seamlessly between world geographies. Together, they are pioneering technologies that will transform society and economies for the better.

Spark Centre

Spark Centre, Durham's Regional Innovation Centre (RIC), provides support to earlier stage and pre-revenue technology start-up companies. Spark Centre acts as a “one-stop shop” providing business coaching and mentorship, learning tools and connections to business and research networks. The centre also offers help with access to investment and funding, ultimately creating jobs and wealth within Durham Region. Spark Centre has advised close to 600 companies in all facets of business and has 19 professionals focused on helping clients achieve scalable revenue and long-term success. Clients range in focus and include wearable technology, clean tech, health, software and invention.