Incubation, Hubs and Accelerators

1855 Whitby

The 1855 Accelerator is a public private partnership (PPP) to support the growth of high potential technology companies. Located in Downtown Whitby, 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.

Brilliant Catalyst at Ontario Tech University

Open to all Ontario Tech Students, Faculty, Recent Alumni, and Staff, Brilliant Catalyst focuses on helping founders develop their venture and expand their entrepreneurial skills. Located at Ontario Tech University's Oshawa campus, participants benefit from access to the Brilliant Catalyst space and resources, funding opportunities, mentorship from industry experts and exclusive invites to events in the Durham Region and GTA.

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. Located in Oshawa, 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.

FastStart at Durham College

FastStartDC is a free, extra-curricular program offered to students of Durham College (DC). Students from all of DC’s programs and from any campus are eligible to participate. The FastStartDC program, which is located within the 360Insights Entrepreneurship Centre at DC's North Oshawa campus, is designed to help entrepreneurial students develop and launch their own businesses, while they are studying at Durham College. There are five industry streams of FastStart programming – Food, Technology, Social Enterprise, E-Commerce and the Arts.

OPEN.innovate Creative Arts Incubator of Durham Region

OPEN.innovate is an Ajax-based organization with a mission to provide safe, inclusive and accessible spaces for young people of all backgrounds to find the resources they need to feel supported in building and maintaining careers that are considered unconventional. The vision is to create a connected local community of diverse creatives who are supported by accessible mentors and experts, along with pathways to new opportunities and a dedicated space to collaborate, learn, grow and create together.

Spark Centre

Spark Centre, Durham's Regional Innovation Centre (RIC), provides support to earlier stage and pre-revenue technology start-up companies. Located in Downtown Oshawa, 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.

Venture Development Institute 

Venture Development Institute (VDI) is a specialized startup incubator located in Pickering that provides comprehensive and immersive programs and services to help founders at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey. VDI’s incubation programs provide entrepreneurs and start-ups with the resources and tools to convert their innovative ideas into scalable businesses. As of December 2020, VDI has supported over 80 companies from more than 20 countries and raised over $20 Million in investment capital.