Applications are now open for the 2021 cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Canada. Up to twelve Canadian technology startups will be selected for an intensive ten-week bootcamp to prepare for their next phase of growth.



Last year, we launched our Google for Startups Accelerator in Canada and welcomed 9 startups from different industries to learn and scale with Google mentors and tools. I can say without a doubt that this program was one of my proudest projects; in an extremely challenging year, the founders in our program showed no signs of slowing, and consistently brought a positive attitude and new ways to innovate to work every day. We saw our founders secure deals on Dragon's Den, earn Breakthrough Awards and receive media attention.

Our first cohort shared that the most valuable part of the program was the technical mentorship - at the close of the program, many of our startups said that the expertise offered by Google's experts was unparalleled, and that their technical projects jumped leaps and bounds within our program. Quebec cohort graduate ArkAngel AI shares their experience here. We also hosted a Demo Day where hundreds of viewers (including investors across North America!) tuned in to hear from our founders.

With this in mind, we plan to double our efforts in the Canadian startup community this year with additional accelerator programming. Our Voice AI Accelerator is the newest program to come to market for Canadian and US startups, and we have more to share in the coming months.

Today, applications open for our second cohort, and I am thrilled to invite the next cohort for our Accelerator to apply. The program will welcome 10-12 startups, and will kick off on April 19th.

We plan to work with Seed to Series A tech startups that are headquartered in Canada. Participating startups can expect detailed technical training and high-level strategic development opportunities with our machine learning, people, product and growth labs. Our cohort has access to Google's mentors and experts, and is eligible to join the global alumni network for events, connections with global peers, and more.

If you think your startup is a good fit, we welcome you to apply, and can't wait to hear from you.

Applications are now open for the 2021 cohort of the Google for Startups Accelerator Canada. Up to twelve Canadian technology startups will be selected for an intensive ten-week bootcamp to prepare for their next phase of growth.



Last year, we launched our Google for Startups Accelerator in Canada and welcomed 9 startups from different industries to learn and scale with Google mentors and tools. I can say without a doubt that this program was one of my proudest projects; in an extremely challenging year, the founders in our program showed no signs of slowing, and consistently brought a positive attitude and new ways to innovate to work every day. We saw our founders secure deals on Dragon's Den, earn Breakthrough Awards and receive media attention.

Our first cohort shared that the most valuable part of the program was the technical mentorship - at the close of the program, many of our startups said that the expertise offered by Google's experts was unparalleled, and that their technical projects jumped leaps and bounds within our program. Quebec cohort graduate ArkAngel AI shares their experience here. We also hosted a Demo Day where hundreds of viewers (including investors across North America!) tuned in to hear from our founders.

With this in mind, we plan to double our efforts in the Canadian startup community this year with additional accelerator programming. Our Voice AI Accelerator is the newest program to come to market for Canadian and US startups, and we have more to share in the coming months.

Today, applications open for our second cohort, and I am thrilled to invite the next cohort for our Accelerator to apply. The program will welcome 10-12 startups, and will kick off on April 19th.

We plan to work with Seed to Series A tech startups that are headquartered in Canada. Participating startups can expect detailed technical training and high-level strategic development opportunities with our machine learning, people, product and growth labs. Our cohort has access to Google's mentors and experts, and is eligible to join the global alumni network for events, connections with global peers, and more.

If you think your startup is a good fit, we welcome you to apply, and can't wait to hear from you.

Earlier this year, we made a commitment to take our work with startups to the next level, by introducing the Google for Startups Accelerator to Canada. While our original plan was to host programming in-person, we had to pivot our Accelerator model to an online format, while also reworking our program content to make it virtually digestible.

Following the announcement on our shift to a digital program, we were humbled by the support we received from our ecosystem partners, and thrilled with the quality and caliber of the Canadian startup applications we received.

Nine startups have been selected for the inaugural Google for Startups Accelerator Canada cohort, who are all using technology to solve complex challenges. From faster disease detection to real-time crop and pest management, we're inspired and honored to work alongside these companies over the next few months to help solve their most pressing technical and business needs.

And with that, please meet the first cohort of our Canadian Accelerator:

• Arkangel AI is an artificial intelligence algorithm for early detection of preventable diseases, generates results 20x faster, 10x more scalable, 5x more cost-effective, and all this with an accuracy above 95%.

• Bridge7  uses AI to scale clinical expertise to improve the efficiency, consistency and quality of delivering cancer treatment plans.

• Curv empowers health providers to build, prescribe and remotely monitor digital therapies. Providers get more efficient business models and decreased churn, and patients get better experiences and improved outcomes.

• Eyeread believes that the time kids spend on screens is the biggest untapped opportunity for learning today. Their purpose is to support educators in the delivery of the best education to all kids through video games they love. Eyeread, the developer of Squiggle Park and Dreamscape, builds digital literacy games that motivate kids to master and love reading through personalized and adaptive games.

• Kabo is a Canadian pet food brand that delivers the healthiest dog food customized to a dog's dietary needs and delivered to customers through contactless delivery. In just 12 months, Kabo has delivered over 250,000+ customized meals to dogs all across Canada.

• Longan Vision provides a professional smart engineering product, platform, and solution of enhanced vision and communication devices. Their current focus is AR glass, aka FVS, for firefighter departments with enhanced sensing capabilities.

• LumenEd is simplifying the process for tutors, tutoring companies and education organizations to run their business, match with students, and provide great tutoring services. Their goal is to increase access to personalized learning, and give educators the freedom to operate from anywhere at a lower cost without purchasing a complex set of disparate tools.

• ProteinQure is a computational platform for protein drug design combining molecular dynamics, machine learning and biophysical models. They partner with large pharma such as AstraZeneca, to help create de-novo therapeutics for challenging diseases.

• Semios offers a precision farming platform that provides real-time crop data and pest management tools for growers of tree fruit, nut and vine crops. Leveraging a proprietary, in-orchard IoT wireless network, machine learning, and big data analytics, Semios helps farmers manage insect pests, disease, frost and irrigation.

We know that investing in these founders will help to grow and scale their business, which in turn supports the larger Canadian startup ecosystem. We can't wait to get started.


Posted by Ashley Francisco, Head of Startup Developer Ecosystems, Google Canada

The Google for Startups Accelerator Canada is launching its first cohort in April. Up to ten Canadian startups will be selected for an intensive three-month bootcamp to prepare for their next phase of growth.


In my ongoing conversations with entrepreneurs, I’m inspired every day by the tenacity, innovation and value that they bring to their communities. Our Director of Developer Ecosystem, David McLaughlin, has spent many years working with local markets around the globe to understand how Google can support startups to scale and grow. One of his key takeaways has been that the world's best ideas come from developers on the ground, connected to local communities. He became invested in helping these passionate entrepreneurs turn their ideas into successful and sustainable businesses.


Our Global Accelerator Program was born out of this passion, to help developers be successful as they solve locally-relevant challenges. The accelerators are each tailored to their market to provide startups with the best of Google’s people, network and technology.


Take TerraTalk as an example. As Japanese teachers struggled with teaching English in growing classroom sizes, entrepreneur Yoshiyuki Kakihara looked to technology to create a solution. Working with Google through the Accelerator program in Tokyo, he built an AI-powered app that could hear and process what students in the classroom were saying. The app reinvigorated the classroom, and created an atmosphere filled with conversation and English learning games.


Looking closer to home, we see incredible startup potential. Our ecosystem has never been stronger: the Toronto-Waterloo corridor was recently ranked a top 15 Global startup ecosystem, Canadian venture capital funding levels are unprecedented, and every day there are more and more Canadian success stories. PointClickCare as an example, is an industry innovator based in Canada, aiming to solve the global challenges for long term care. Plum is also a proudly local company that is using AI to help companies hire, grow and retail top talent.

We’ve been working with startups in Canada for many years, through programming and partnerships with other ecosystem builders. We’re excited to take that work to the next level, bringing the best of Google to the Canadian startup community.

The Google for Startups Accelerator Canada

A few weeks ago, we announced that the first Google for Startups Accelerator was opening in Canada. This will be our 12th accelerator around the world, and the program will provide access to Google’s programs, products, people and technology, with the goal of helping startups build great products and services.

We plan to work with Seed to Series A tech startups that are headquartered in Canada. Selected founders will outline the top challenges facing their startup, and will be paired with relevant experts from Google and the industry to solve those challenges. Participating startups receive deep mentorship on technical challenges and machine learning, as well as education and connections to relevant teams from across Google.


Apply Now

The Google for Startups Accelerator will be based out of Kitchener-Waterloo and commences this spring. Applications for the first cohort are now open through March 15th, and we look forward to working with the next generation of Canadian founders and innovators.




Posted by Steve Woods, Canadian Engineering and Waterloo Site Lead