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Waterloo: Canada’s AI Powerhouse

Waterloo is Canada's AI Powerhouse - home to top research centres, top talent and companies like Google, Faire and SAP.

For companies looking to innovate in artificial intelligence or incorporate AI into their operations there is no better location than Waterloo. Our community is home to Canada’s top technology university, a renowned AI research centre and 130+ companies working in applied AI, including machine learning, data science and analytics, human-machine interaction, smart robotics and more.

Here is Waterloo’s AI ecosystem in a nutshell:

What are our artificial intelligence ecosystem advantages?

Waterloo is one of Canada’s most innovative regions and offers many advantages to AI companies and businesses looking to incorporate AI into their products and services. What gives Waterloo this edge over other regions?

  1. Tap into the region’s world-class AI ecosystem, with more than 130 AI companies, 8 research centres and 26 research labs.
  2. Take advantage of the world’s highest concentration of mathematical and computer science talent. The University of Waterloo is recognized globally for its tech programs. It is currently ranked #25 in the world in Computer Science and provides students with exceptional work opportunities through co-operative education.
  3. Hire from Canada’s highest quality tech talent workforce and the top-ranked small tech talent market in North America.

What major AI players are located here?

Waterloo is home to numerous companies working in AI, including:

  • Google
  • Oracle NetSuite
  • Artic Wolf
  • BlackBerry
  • SAP
  • Miovision
  • Faire
  • OpenText

What organizations support the AI industry?

Waterloo’s AI ecosystem is fueled by its entrepreneurial nature, an exceptional talent pipeline and research institutions such as:

  1. Waterloo AI Institute – A joint venture between the University of Waterloo’s Faculties of Engineering and Mathematics, the Waterloo AI Institute unites more than 200 researchers working to advance AI innovation. The multidisciplinary research teams at the AI Institute develop intelligent systems in a broad array of areas, including vehicle navigation, disease detection and treatment.
  2. Accelerator CentreThe Accelerator Centre, Canada’s #1 business accelerator, offers a wide variety of programs and resources, including funding, world-class mentorship and programming to support technology startups and corporate tech leaders.

Last but not least, our position within the Toronto-Waterloo Corridor means that tech companies located in Waterloo are able to tap into one of North America’s largest tech talent pools, with 15,000 companies and 300,000+ tech workers.

Want to know more about Waterloo’s extraordinary AI ecosystem?

Download our Artificial Intelligence Feature Sheet (PDF).