The University of Ottawa and Wesley Clover International, have launched Alacrity Ottawa, a new technology business program. Wesley Clover is a private investment management firm and holding company; they invest in a range of technology companies, bringing impressive innovation to markets and clients around the globe. Together, they will educate, train and support engineering graduates with mentorship and funding opportunities aimed at fostering a pipeline of new Canadian tech startups.
The collaborative program leverages the Wesley Clover Alacrity model of start-up founding and funding, which has been deployed around the world and combines the expertise, resources and networks of Wesley Clover (and its local L-SPARK technology Accelerator) with the Master’s degree in Entrepreneurial Engineering Design (MEED), a two-year program at the University’s main campus. As students move through the program, they spend time at the uOttawa Kanata North campus and intern with local tech companies, many of which are in Kanata North, home of Canada’s largest tech hub.
Successful applicants for Alacrity Ottawa will form teams to tackle identified industry challenges. Teams with viable and potentially scalable solutions will be presented to investors. If a match is made, teams will secure funding to form a new company and start their journey as a new technology start-up. Through the Alacrity process, graduates get exposure to an ecosystem that would otherwise be difficult for young entrepreneurs to access, and investors gain opportunities and insights into young ventures that are already supported by a group of experienced advisors in a solid business framework.
