Investment to help founders scale up, strengthen Windsor-Waterloo tech corridor, and support women and non-binary entrepreneurs
WEtech Alliance, a Regional Innovation Center serving Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, is thrilled to announce a new partnership with Communitech through the Scale-Up Platform, an initiative funded by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). This partnership brings $1.275 million in funding to the region over four years, enabling WEtech to further support high-potential tech and innovation founders, foster a peer network between Windsor and Waterloo, and launch new dedicated resources for women and non-binary founders.
“When high-potential businesses are able to scale up, they contribute to long-term prosperity and create jobs across our region,” says the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. “Through our continued support for the Scale-Up Platform, we are investing in the potential and growth of our businesses and entrepreneurs in Ontario.”
The Scale-Up Platform, led by Communitech, Invest Ottawa, and MaRS Discovery District, is a pioneering initiative designed to help Ontario tech companies access capital, talent, and global markets. Supported by a $47.5-million FedDev Ontario investment, the platform accelerates high-potential companies, positioning Canada as a global tech leader and contributing significantly to Ontario’s economic growth.
“This is an exciting step forward in our mission at Communitech to help founders start, grow and succeed. In partnership with WEtech, we’re not only supporting founders across Ontario, but also creating a more connected, resilient and supportive ecosystem,” adds Jennifer Gruber, Interim CEO, Communitech. “This is an opportunity to support even more founders and continue to build a community where they can access the support they need to build and grow their businesses.”
WEtech Alliance’s partnership with Communitech is bolstered by regional supporters, including Libro Credit Union, underscoring the importance of community-driven growth and regional investment in innovation. Together, these organizations are paving the way for a more interconnected and empowered tech and innovation community in Windsor-Essex and beyond.
Strengthening the Windsor-Waterloo tech corridor
“Our longstanding partnership with Communitech, as part of our role as a regional innovation center and member of Canada’s Tech Network, reinforces our dedication to ensuring founders have seamless access to a comprehensive range of programs and resources—no matter where they are located,” says WEtech’s President & CEO, Yvonne Pilon. “This new collaboration bridges Windsor-Essex and Kitchener-Waterloo, fostering a more interconnected ecosystem that empowers high-growth and early-stage founders to start, scale, and drive Canada’s leadership in the global innovation economy.”
The new funding will enable WEtech Alliance to enhance its award-winning ScaleUP Accelerator, expanding next year to include program applications from Kitchener-Waterloo founders. A central feature of this expansion is the creation of the Windsor-Waterloo Corridor—a collaborative network connecting regional founders with Kitchener-Waterloo’s founders and innovation ecosystem. This initiative aims to foster growth through a coordinated peer network, linking founders and building a connected innovation ecosystem between Windsor-Essex and Kitchener-Waterloo.
“At Libro Credit Union, we aim to be a trusted partner for businesses and the people behind them, and our support for programs like the Scale-Up Platform is an important part of that work. We’re focused on strengthening people’s financial well-being and we know that Canada’s entrepreneurs deserve the best possible support to achieve sustainable growth. We’re achieving that through partnerships like this one with WEtech Alliance,” adds Liz Arkinstall, Purpose Integration Manager at Libro Credit Union. “We’ve been supporters of WEtech’s ScaleUP Accelerator since its beginnings and we are thrilled to see the program expanding and increasing its impact.”
A dedicated portion of the funding will support growth-focused women and non-binary founders in tech and innovation. With new programming and seed funding, WEtech Alliance will provide women and non-binary founders access to growth coaches, business acceleration programming, events, and connections to help them scale their businesses. This commitment underscores WEtech’s focus on fostering diversity and inclusion in the tech and innovation sectors, empowering women and non-binary founders to succeed in a competitive landscape.
