There’s no doubt it’s been a challenging year economically in Canada. Startups and small businesses truly hold the key to innovation and creating new opportunities.
With unemployment rate hitting new heights, entrepreneurship and self-employment will explode in Canada in the coming year. We need to create a thriving ecosystem that truly supports venture creation in Canada. This includes funding opportunities, better economic policy, and entrepreneur-led programs.
Founders must navigate the ecosystem and find the right programs and resources to build, grow, and scale. After months of development, we are delighted to announce the Top 100 Accelerators, Incubators, and Programs 2025 for entrepreneurs, founders, and innovators in Canada. This annual report highlights the top programs founders can leverage to get the support they need to build new businesses in Canada. Some of the factors, such as alumni success, funding, level of support, founder-led networks, and entrepreneurs’ feedback, have been considered. This updated list includes accelerators, incubators, and venture studios.
A huge thank-you to our members, community, and partners who made this coverage possible.
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| Ranking | Startup Program |
| 1 | Community Safety and Wellness Accelerator |
| 2 | Innovation Factory |
| 3 | Next Canada |
| 4 | Google for Startups Canada |
| 5 | University of Waterloo Velocity Incubator |
| 6 | Highline Beta |
| 7 | OneEleven |
| 8 | DMZ Tech Incubator |
| 9 | Alberta Accelerator 500 Global |
| 10 | Communitech |
| 11 | Dobson McGill University |
| 12 | Health Innovation Hub @UAlberta |
| 13 | Launch Academy |
| 14 | Creative Destruction Lab |
| 15 | Venture Canada |
| 16 | Founder Fuel |
| 17 | Y Space |
| 18 | Antler Canada |
| 19 | University of Toronto Entrepreneurship |
| 20 | Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation |
| 21 | Entrepreneurship at UBC |
| 22 | Accelerator Center |
| 23 | Treefrog Accelerator |
| 24 | L-spark |
| 25 | Intuit Prosperity Accelerator |
| 26 | Forum Ventures Toronto |
| 27 | EDGE Sheridan College |
| 28 | Reach Canada |
| 29 | TandemLaunch |
| 30 | IDEA Mississauga |
| 31 | Hatchery Incubator University of Toronto |
| 32 | Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship |
| 33 | YEDI Incubator |
| 34 | Dunin-Deshpande Queen's Innovation Centre |
| 35 | ICUBE Incubator |
| 36 | Invest Ottawa |
| 37 | Western Accelerator |
| 38 | Platform Calgary |
| 39 | HATCH ventures |
| 40 | Y2 Labs |
| 41 | Launch Lab |
| 42 | Edmonton Unlimited |
| 43 | Health Innovation Hub |
| 44 | Climate Ventures |
| 45 | Centre for Integrated Transportation and Mobility |
| 46 | Alacrity Canada |
| 47 | The BRIDGE University of Toronto |
| 48 | Laurier StartUp Lab |
| 49 | Synapse Consortium |
| 50 | eCommerce North |
| 51 | Fashion Zone |
| 52 | Women+ Entrepreneur Incubator Elevate |
| 53 | Biomedical Zone |
| 54 | John Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise |
| 55 | JLABS Toronto |
| 56 | Venture Labs |
| 57 | eHUB Entrepreneurship Centre |
| 58 | Volta |
| 59 | Alberta Innovates |
| 60 | Toronto Fashion Incubator |
| 61 | The Knowledge Society |
| 62 | SpinUp |
| 63 | MaRS Discovery District |
| 64 | Altitude Accelerator |
| 65 | Computer Science Innovation Lab UofT |
| 66 | MTLab |
| 67 | Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst |
| 68 | Laurier Women Entrepreneurship Centre |
| 69 | Innovation Hub at Carleton University |
| 70 | Lassonde School of Engineering BEST Program |
| 71 | Bioenterprise Canada |
| 72 | District 3 Innovation |
| 73 | startGBC |
| 74 | Legal Innovation Zone |
| 75 | Toronto Business Development Centre |
| 76 | The Hub University of Toronto |
| 77 | Bhive |
| 78 | Plug and Play Tech Center Toronto |
| 79 | Science Discovery Zone |
| 80 | GreenHouse |
| 81 | Black Founders Network |
| 82 | GENIAL York University |
| 83 | Holt Xchange |
| 84 | InnovED |
| 85 | Imagination Catalyst Incubator |
| 86 | Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre at Algonquin College |
| 87 | Futurpreneur |
| 88 | Station FinTech Montreal Accelerator |
| 89 | Co.Labs |
| 90 | League of Innovators |
| 91 | MC2 Capital |
| 92 | Spring Activator |
| 93 | Social Venture Zone |
| 94 | The Forum |
| 95 | Transmedia Zone |
| 96 | Startup Calgary |
| 97 | New Ventures BC |
| 98 | Global Startups |
| 99 | Brampton Venture Zone |
| 100 | Ideas Inc |
| 101 | Foresight Canada |
| 102 | Brampton Entrepreneur Centre |
| 103 | Parkdale Centre for Innovation |
| 104 | Centre for Entrepreneurship University of Toronto |
| 105 | Canada’s Tech Network |
| 106 | Digital Media and Gaming Incubator |
| 107 | Startup Garage |
| 108 | Lazaridis ScaleUp |
| 109 | Clean Energy Zone |
| 110 | ideaHUB |
| 111 | Halton Region Small Business Centre |
| 112 | Centech |
| 113 | TechAlliance |
| 114 | CEED |
| 115 | LiftOff |
| 116 | Design Fabrication Zone |
| 117 | The Forge |
| 118 | Innovation Boost Zone |
| 119 | La Piscine MTL |
| 120 | Canada's Music Incubator |
| 121 | ACCEL Centennial College |
| 122 | Artscape Daniels Launchpad |
| 123 | Shad Canada |
| 124 | Canadian Technology Accelerators |
| 125 | Le Pont Quebec |
| 126 | LabaseHEC Montreal |
| 127 | C100 |
| 128 | North Forge |
1. Community Safety & Wellness Accelerator Powered by AlchemistX
Alberta’s tech ecosystem is on the rise. The Community Safety & Wellness Accelerator (CSW) is a first-of-its-kind accelerator focused on addressing the social and safety challenges facing our communities. Currently in cohort 6 the program and the cohort will be graduating with a global delegation trip to Silicon Valley in April. The CSW Accelerator is part of the Alberta Innovates Scaleup and Growth Accelerator Program which helps businesses scale, grow and contribute to a thriving innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
2. Innovation Factory
Innovation Factory runs number of programs for entrepreneurs, innovators, and tech leaders in city of Hamilton and recently with the merge of Haltech supporting entrepreneurs in the Halton region. One of the top programs include Innovation Factor’s annual startup competition called LiONS LAIR is known for a spot where many startups get a head start. The competition features a gala for entpreneurs and community to network.
3. Next Canada
With the recent funding round, Next Canada’s program is geared towards fuelling more young entrepreneurs into creating their own opportunities.
4. Google for Startups Canada
Google is renowned for its DNA in innovation, consistently pushing boundaries in technology and user experience. Among its many initiatives, this program stands out as one of the top online platforms, offering exceptional resources and opportunities to its users worldwide.
5. University of Waterloo Velocity
University Waterloo is a hot spot for Canada’s top technical talent. The Velocity delivers offers numbers of programs for Uwaterloo students and alumni that are looking to build the next big thing.
6. Highline Beta
Highline Beta is a leading venture studio based in Canada, renowned for its innovative approach to building and scaling startups. By bridging the gap between corporations and the startup ecosystem, Highline Beta helps entrepreneurs turn their ideas into viable businesses while also enabling corporations to accelerate their innovation strategies.
7. OneEleven
OneEleven is one of the fastest-growing tech communities in Toronto, known for its strong focus on scaling high-growth startups. Over the years, it has become a central hub for entrepreneurs and innovators in the tech space, offering a variety of services designed to support the development of startups at every stage. Since its shake-up in 2020, the program has undergone a rapid transformation, adapting to the changing needs of the startup ecosystem.
8. DMZ Tech Incubator
The DMZ is one of the growing tech hubs in Toronto, renowned for its dynamic ecosystem that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. Located at Toronto Metropolitan, the DMZ provides startups with access to resources, mentorship, and funding opportunities, helping early-stage companies succeed.
9. Alberta Accelerator 500 Global
Alberta Accelerator 500 Global (A500 Global) is a notable startup accelerator program based in Alberta, Canada, designed to support and scale high-potential early-stage companies. This initiative is a key player in Canada’s burgeoning startup ecosystem, offering entrepreneurs a combination of mentorship, funding, and networking opportunities to help them navigate the growth and development of their businesses.
10. Communitech
Waterloo continues to be the hot spot for startups. Communitech is Waterloo’s innovation community. The Fierce Founder program for women and female founders has had a significant traction over the years to creating women-led companies in Ontario and Canada.
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About the Author
Eric Rafat is a passionate founder with expertise in startups, building high-performing teams, and growth marketing. He is a top ranked tennis player and always up for a conversation about startups and tech. Connect with Eric here.