Google opens applications for third cohort of Startups Accelerator Canada

Google
The program is one of the six Google accelerators available to Canadians.

Google has opened applications for the third cohort of Startups Accelerator Canada. Applications are due on June 21.

Startups Accelerator Canada was first launched in Kitchener-Waterloo in 2020, marking the tech giant’s first Canadian-focused accelerator program. Steven Woods, who was at the time the senior engineering director at Google and Waterloo site lead, called the Toronto-Waterloo corridor “the perfect place for [Google] to expand our footprint, and help grow the next generation of founders in Canada.” Woods later joined Inovia Capital as partner and CTO last August.

The latest three-month program intends to focus on technical mentorship, in which participants can work with Google experts and tech to improve their businesses’ strategies and systems. Google said that the program offers mentorship from over 20 Google teams, including Google Android, Cloud, Machine Learning, and Web.

Led by Google’s head of startup developer ecosystem, Ashley Francisco, the program is open to startups headquartered in Canada across all sectors, and will begin in the week of July 25th. As with its other cohorts, Google doesn’t take equity in companies, and plans to work with 10 to 12 seed to Series A-stage tech startups.

After launching Startups Accelerator Canada, Google rolled out five additional accelerator programs in the country. Google’s other accelerator programs that are available to Canadian founders include the Cloud Accelerator, Women Founders Accelerator, Black Founders Accelerator, and Climate Change Accelerator.

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Last year, Google also launched Voice AI, an accelerator program focused on product design, customer acquisition, and leadership development. Google claims that over 50 Canadian startups have graduated from its programs.

AccessNow, AVA, Homewise, Neurescence, and Phelix AI were among the 12 startups that took part in Startups Accelerator Canada last year.

In 2020, Google took the inaugural edition of the Startups Accelerator Canada program online. The initial aim for the program was to host two cohorts that year, but ended up only completing one. It was initially expected to begin in April, but was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photo by Paweł Czerwiński via Unsplash.

Charlize Alcaraz

Charlize Alcaraz

Charlize Alcaraz is a staff writer for BetaKit.

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