The Hub Incubator
At the Hub Incubator, we can bring your 'business' ideas to life!
The Hub Incubator collaborates with UofG students who aspire to become entrepreneurs and establish their own startup ventures. Through our three programs, we empower student founders to cultivate their early-stage venture ideas. We offer comprehensive training, strategic guidance, mentorship from industry experts, and essential funding to lay the groundwork for a successful business. Our goal is to enhance their knowledge and experience within a supportive and innovative environment conducive to the development of commercially viable ideas. Ultimately, they emerge with a confident plan to bring their products to market.
Programs
We offer three distinct programs at the core of the Hub Incubator, guiding participants through the entrepreneurial journey, from ideation to startup launch.
Prospective participants have the option to apply to the initial program and advance sequentially, or to enter at any stage should their business concept be more advanced. Each program features mandatory weekly sessions supplemented by assigned tasks to develop your startup. These sessions form the cornerstone of the Hub Incubator, and comprise of presentations, insights from industry experts, coaching and mentorship, and peer to peer learning. They serve as the program's backbone, providing continuous opportunities to learn the essentials of business building and realization. Additionally, participants are eligible to receive up to $4000 in funding to accelerate their growth.
The Spring term program caters to students passionate about entrepreneurship but lacking a specific business idea. Rather than focusing on generating ideas, we initiate the process by identifying problems worth solving. We guide participants through various tools to analyze and address these pain points, nurturing their creative confidence to ideate potential solutions. The aim is to impart a problem-solving framework, leveraging tools commonly utilized in entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and innovation to address significant societal challenges. This program provides foundational knowledge on identifying compelling problems, which may ultimately lead to innovative business solutions.
Eligibility:
- UofG students returning to school in September
- No entrepreneurial experience required
- Can attend every 1-hour session over 6 weeks
Applications: Open mid-March and close early April
Program Dates: Mid May to Mid June
Platform: Zoom (Virtual)
Stipend: Please note that there is no stipend associated with this program.
The Fall term program is tailored for early-stage business development, providing foundational tools to unlock your venture's potential. Emphasis is placed on validating your concept to determine its viability as a business. Through extensive market research, participants may make modifications or pivots based on their findings during the program. The ultimate objective is to determine if there is a product-market fit supported by credible data, indicating the concept's potential success in the marketplace.
Eligibility:
- UofG student or recent alumni
- Must have a developed concept for a business or a problem you want to solve through your business idea
- Can attend every 2-hour session over 10 weeks
Applications: Open mid-August and close early September
Program Dates: Week of September 25th to the Week of November 27th
*Please note end and start dates are subject to change based on the selected availability date of applicants to the program.
Program Structure: A two-hour session once a week for the duration of the program.
Stipend: $1000
The winter term program seamlessly picks up where 'IgniteLab' left off, with the groundwork already laid that validated your business idea. This phase delves deeper into essential business concepts, including budgeting and financing, go-to-market strategies, branding, sales, and crafting an investor pitch deck. The program culminates in an exhilarating public Expo and pitch competition for cash prizes. The ultimate objective is to formulate a strategic plan for your next steps, whether it involves seeking financing, joining an external incubator or accelerator, or preparing for launch!
Eligibility:
- UofG student or recent alumni
- Must have validated your business concept with customer discovery and know the problem you want to solve
- Can attend every 2-hour session over 10 weeks
Applications: Open mid-November and close early December
Program Dates: End of January to beginning of April
Program Structure: A in-person 2-hour session once a week for the duration of the program.
Stipend: $3000
- 150 +
- We've launched over 150 companies since 2018
- 230+
- Supported over 230 student-entrepreneurs
- 10+
- Industries We've Launched In
Why Apply to the Hub?
Grow Your Business. With dedicated space that fosters the entrepreneurial spirit, you will be able to better focus on growing your business.
Meet Like-Minded People. Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely road, but not at the Hub. You will be working in a space with other like-minded entrepreneurs who can offer advice, support and motivation!
Build Your Network. Having a strong network is an important part of success. We will connect you with business and thought leaders and other young entrepreneurs. You will also have the opportunity to connect with various people at workshops and in our makerspace!
The John F. Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise is developing innovators and entrepreneurs at the University of Guelph. We look for innovative and sustainable solutions to economic, social and environmental problems. It is through this mission that we empower a new generation of business leaders committed to community engagement and a sustainable future. We instill in our students a sense of social responsibility and leadership, character-building values that help develop citizenship. We help to bring ideas to life!