AVIN Waterloo Ventures at Communitech Announces Next Cohort of Startups

Ten companies will receive up to $50,000 each for eligible costs related to autonomous vehicles or HD mapping technologies

KITCHENER, Ontario — AVIN Waterloo Ventures at Communitech has named 10 companies to its second cohort, each of which will receive investment and mentorship as they work on autonomous vehicle technology and connected transportation solutions.

The Autonomous Vehicle Innovation Network (AVIN) is a program offered by the Province of Ontario, and includes six regional technology development sites in Durham, Hamilton, Ottawa, Southwestern Ontario, Toronto, and Waterloo. The AVIN Waterloo Ventures Fund is offered through the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), and includes partners such as Communitech, University of Waterloo’s Centre for Automotive Research, and the Waterloo Economic Development Corporation.

Each participating startup will receive up to $50,000 for eligible product development costs. Companies must use the funding to develop or demonstrate a viable working prototype or make product or service improvements that generate more sales and greater market traction. Companies will also get access to mentors with expertise in areas like spatial analytics, HD mapping, data science, data strategy, and data engineering, as well as a data concierge to help companies connect with external sources of data and other resources.