Velocity

Velocity supports early-stage founders and student entrepreneurs at any stage from idea validation through pre-seed and seed-stage development, with particular strength in deep tech, health tech, and industrial innovations. The organization focuses on Canadian entrepreneurship while welcoming founders globally, emphasizing customer discovery, rapid market validation, and preparation for capital raising.

Check Size

Not specified

Stages

Pre Seed, Seed, Series A

Focus Areas

Ai Ml, Enterprise Saas, Developer Tools

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Investment Thesis

Velocity operates on a founder-first philosophy centered on believing that great founders build great companies. The organization is committed to helping founders achieve their dreams by keeping them focused and providing comprehensive resources for rapid growth. Rather than taking equity, Velocity removes obstacles, opens doors, and applies strategic pressure to help founders move faster while holding them accountable. The underlying model emphasizes reducing startup risk through the ‘3Ts’ (Team, Technology, Traction) enabled by the ‘3Cs’ (Customers, Capital, Connections), creating a cyclical ecosystem of accelerated validation and de-risking.

What Sets Them Apart

Takes zero equity and charges no fees - funded through University of Waterloo and other sources
Integrated physical spaces including 45,000 sq ft office, hardware lab with $1.5M+ equipment, and world-class chemistry/biology labs
Rolling applications with onboarding every 2 months rather than cohort-based model
Direct access to experienced coaches who are themselves founders with proven track records
Sister organization Velocity Fund provides pre-seed capital to portfolio companies
Strong emphasis on customer discovery metrics during application - 'We put very high emphasis on customer discovery'
No geographic restriction despite University affiliation - 'Whether you're from Waterloo or want to plug into the incredible talent and tech ecosystem we have here'
Access to 600+ student entrepreneurs and network of 1,200+ founders across 500+ companies