Resources for Spinoffs
University Resources
The University of Alberta is heavily involved in the creation of innovative ideas, research, and businesses. Reach out to one of the areas below for access to support for building and growing your business.
Makerspaces and Coworking Space
The Elko Engineering Garage: The faculty of Engineering runs this student makerspace and provides learning resources, training and access to equipment.
ICE Engineering Incubator: A collaborative working space run by the Faculty of Engineering next door to the Elko Engineering Garage for students exploring technology innovation and entrepreneurship, and for innovators seeking mentorship in product development and commercialization, including students, graduate students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and recent alumni.
The Shack: A makerspace run by the faculty of Science open to interdisciplinary undergraduate student innovators to work on hardware.
Student Innovation Centre: A collaborative working space run by the faculty of Science for innovation-minded students to incubate their ideas and work on creative projects.
eHub is an on-campus hub for entrepreneurial resources, networking, and funding opportunities at the university. eHub has an undergraduate student focus.
Mentorship & Coaching
ThresholdImpact Venture Mentoring Service (VMS): An application-based service that partners experienced business leaders with university alumni or entrepreneurs. VMS focuses on early, mid, and late-stage ventures that are seeking to scale their operations.
Accelerators, Incubators & Foundries
The Health Innovation Hub: Business training, support and access to space for health science spin-offs launched by UAlberta faculty and students.
External Resources
The Edmonton innovation ecosystem boasts a network of potential partners, funders, workspaces and business services geared towards start-up entrepreneurs. University spinoffs are strongly encouraged to network with these entities and other start-ups in the province. Below is a non-exhaustive list of supports for Edmonton startups and spinoffs.
Post Secondary Institution Executive in Residence: Arrange a meeting with one of the Executives in Residence (EIRs) for guidance, advice, and assistance in plotting the next steps of your entrepreneurial journey.
Post Secondary Institution Business Development Support Program: Students, staff and alumni of the University of Alberta who are interested in building a technology focused company are able to access this free program and be matched with subject-matter experts to help address your unique challenges and gaps and develop your company.
Edmonton Regional Innovation Network (ERIN): Provides startups with access to silicon valley networks, advocacy and support programming.
ERIN facilitates the Business Development Support (BDS) Program, which offers free coaching to University of Alberta-based start-ups accepted into the program.
Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE): A non-profit group that offers mentoring services and financing opportunities for women-owned businesses.
Roundhouse: A downtown coworking space for Edmonton’s innovation community based out of MacEwan University.
Work Nicer: Coworking spaces located in downtown Calgary and downtown Edmonton.
URBN Coworking: Coworking and flexible workspace located in South Edmonton.
Homestead: Collaborative coworking space with flexible memberships for creatives, city builders and entrepreneurs located on Jasper Avenue the heart of downtown Edmonton.
Sparrow Cowork: Hybrid workspace options offering space on Jasper Ave, 124 Street and the Highlands neighborhood.
Grow Centre: An Indigenous owned coworking, workshop and creative space near White Avenue offering artists, researchers, students, and creatives Indigenous led programming and daily drop in space.
The Creative Hive: Private event rentals, photo studio and boardroom space that offers venues for corporate meetings, events, workshops, webinars, training and more.
The Workup: Offers collaborative and comfortable coworking space with unique features including mini-golf course, arcade games, business class printing services, gym/fitness rooms and mobile whiteboards.
Edmonton Unlimited: A city of Edmonton initiative that has programming for startups, scaleups, and various accelerator programs.
Alberta Catalyzer: Alberta Catalyzer is a FREE program that supports entrepreneurs looking to launch and grow a tech business in Alberta.
Telus Community Safety & Wellness Accelerator: The TELUS Community Safety & Wellness Accelerator (CSW) is an innovative accelerator dedicated to tackling the social and safety issues that impact our communities.
Velocity: Founded by the University of Waterloo, Velocity equips founders to build and scale their business.
Creative Destruction Labs: Delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies.
500 Global: 500 Global continues to offer founders the opportunity for a seed investment ($150,000), as well as access to full programming that’s focused on startup growth and scaling.
Next Canada: Accelerate growth and access entrepreneurial networks with one of 3 programs: Next 36, Next Founders and Next AI.
Ycombinator: Helps founders make something people want and the results speak for themselves.
Techstars: Support many of the world's best entrepreneurs with access to capital, mentoring, finding customers, hiring talent, choosing the right infrastructure, and more!
Founder Fuel: Founder Fuel is a startup accelerator that helps early stage companies go to market and raise seed capital.
Growthx: helps B2B founders get to market and grow revenue by pairing you with a dedicated get-to-market expert and proven sales playbooks covering every step along your path to product-market fit.
ATB X Accelerator: ATB’s business accelerator and banking program that supports Albertan businesses seeking to scale.
Business Link: A government-sponsored accelerator that provides programming, mentoring and training services for Albertan entrepreneurs.
Northern Alberta Business Accelerator (NABI): Business support programming, networking events, and coworking space located in St. Albert.
Innovation Masterminds Edmonton (ImYeg): A new venture foundry that connects early-stage academic ventures to industry experts for mentoring, support and investment opportunities.
Canadian Technology Accelerator: Various American partnership and accelerator programs focused on developing international competencies for Canadian technology companies.
A100: A member-based association for Alberta’s technology industry that connects entrepreneurs to networking opportunities and funding.
Discovery Lab: An open forum for researchers, start-up founders and small business owners to discuss and explore opportunities for technology development and commercialization.
Connectica: An Alberta Innovates sponsored database for linking academic innovators to facilities, funding, and support services.
Startup TNT: Organizes networking events and funding opportunities for Edmonton entrepreneurs.
Start Alberta: A networking platform and database connecting start-ups with resources and potential investors.
Rainforest Alberta: A community of Alberta innovation professionals that hosts networking and collision events.
BioAlberta: An association for life sciences companies in Alberta that offers industry advocacy and networking.
Entrepreneurs’ Organization: A chapter-based membership network of global entrepreneurs.
Strategic Clinical Networks (SCNs): An Alberta Health Services-sponsored networking platform that connects health experts with clinics and health innovators.
Alberta Innovates: A government corporation provides funding, access to industry contracts, and support programs for start-ups in Alberta. Popular programs include:
Voucher: Funding up to $100,000 towards utilization of up to three service providers for development of a business or technology.
Micro Voucher: Funding up to $10,000 towards utilization of a service provider for business, engineering, product development, patenting, or related development activities.
Tecterra: A funding and support entity for companies specializing in geomatics technology.
Government of Alberta Small Business Resources: A government hub for a variety of small business supports, including grants, tax credits, coaching, a purchasing directory and a financer directory.
Campus Alberta Neuroscience: Select funding opportunities for research commercialization related to advances in neuroscience.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada: A suite of support programs, funding opportunities, business resources and information. The federal government also offers support for innovative businesses and non-profits through Western Economic Diversification Canada, including flexible financing for entrepreneurs through Community Futures Alberta.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada: Funding and support for agriculture-based ventures.
Sustainable Technology Development Canada: Funding opportunities for clean technology companies.
Boost Your Business Technology: will offer support to small and medium Canadian-owned businesses (SMEs), such as small manufacturing and food processing operations, to adopt new technologies.
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC): A bank offering financing and business services for small companies and entrepreneurs. They also have a free finance-focused Entrepreneur toolkit.
InnoTech Alberta: A subsidiary of Alberta Innovates that offers access to research facilities for prototyping and scaling and opportunities for industry partnerships and research services.
Advanced Technology Development Group (ACAMP): A technology development centre open to innovators for prototyping and product development.
Amii: A non-profit institute offering artificial intelligence adoption solutions for every type of business.
MITACS: Funding and placement support for companies to hire graduate student or postdoc employee contracts.
BioTalent Canada: Wage subsidies and hiring programs to support employers in the Bio-economy.
Venture For Canada: Training and wage subsidy programs for student and post grad employees at Canadian start-ups.