Queen’s University and L-SPARK, Canada’s largest accelerator for Software as a Service (SaaS) companies, today announced they will be launching the first cohort for Compass North, an accelerator program focused on growing women-led technology companies.
Compass North is a Kingston-based accelerator program for women entrepreneurs operating a technology-based business in the Belleville-Kingston-Brockville region.
Ignited by Queen’s University and L-SPARK, the five-month program features high-touch mentoring, tactical workshops and a tight-knit community of entrepreneurs. This program is designed to help grow women-led companies with hustle and heart.
“We are proud to partner with Queen’s University on Compass North, which shines a light on women entrepreneurs and helps them grow their businesses”, says Patrick White, Managing Director at L-SPARK. “We look forward to providing mentorship and strategic training to this first cohort of promising companies over the next 5 months.”
- Anthony’s Natural Therapies: develops and markets a therapeutic line of scalp and hair products
- Cold Plasma Group: developing and commercializing a new, patent-pending process for the sterilization of dry cannabis based on the use of cold plasma treatments
- CR Fixture Design: an outsource design solution for the fixture and gauge industry, providing shops with high-quality designs and helping them to keep up with demand
- Cultivate Media: a multi-media platform offering a unique blend of international glamour and small-town charm that seeks to accurately and creatively reflect and engage readers through storytelling
- HeroHub: a charitable ecosystem that creates a greater social impact, by connecting individuals with charities, nonprofits, and their opportunities
- iKare.Med: commercializing a patent-pending medical device that helps women suffering from bladder leaks; provides reusable and insurable urinary incontinence devices for women after life’s physical setbacks
- QC Integrated Solutions: builds and distributes automated testers designed to perform the compliance testing required by manufacturers of disposable AED and ECG electrodes
- StayBillety: the online home sharing platform serving Groups & Organizations and their communities. Shared Interests. Shared Roof.
- The Power Collective: designs, develops, and manufactures renewable energy solutions, including the RidgeBlade Wind Turbine, an innovative and unique, affordable, simple and effective way of harnessing the wind’s power to produce electricity
- The Small Social Company: supports small businesses and startup companies with their online advertising and social media presence
The Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation team offers numerous services, resources and programs to support entrepreneurs and to accelerate the growth of startups and small to medium-sized enterprises within Kingston and Eastern Ontario.
“The Compass North accelerator is one of the premier programs being offered as part of the Queen’s-led WE-CAN Project”, says Janice Mady, Director of Research and Innovation Partnerships at Queen’s. “We are delighted to collaborate with L-SPARK on the design and delivery of Compass North and gratefully acknowledge the support for this program from the Government of Canada through the Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund, delivered in the region by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).”
About Queen’s University
Queen’s University is one of Canada’s leading research institutions, with a history of discovery and innovation. For more than 175 years, Queen’s has shaped knowledge and helped address some of the world’s most pressing questions. Queen’s researchers lead the way in numerous fields, making notable recent advances in particle astrophysics, cancer research, ecological history and environmental change, as well as clean energy technology. Students are an integral part of the vibrant research community, and Queen’s research-intensive environment and interdisciplinary program offerings provide students with the comprehensive and nimble skills required in today’s competitive and evolving workforce.
The Queen’s University Partnerships and Innovation team develops and facilitates partnerships with industry, governments, not-for-profit organizations, and other academic institutions to advance the research enterprise at Queen’s and the commercialization of inventions, and to strengthen the regional innovation ecosystem in Kingston and Eastern Ontario.
About L-SPARK
L-SPARK is Canada’s leading accelerator for Software as a Service (SaaS) companies. The accelerator offers a cohort program focused on future innovative B2B and B2B/B2C companies, as well as targeted programs which partner with leading corporations in Connected Cars (AV), IoT and CyberSecurity.
Since the launch of their first cohort in January 2015, L-SPARK has accelerated 61 companies across Canada. With over 10,000 investors, corporate partners and startups now in their network, L-SPARK has curated a forceful Canadian tech community for participating companies to join.
About FedDev OntarioFor more than 10 years, FedDev Ontario has actively worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation and growth in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving their productivity, growing their revenues, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our Pivotal Projects.
Disclosure: This article includes a client of an Espacio portfolio company.
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