Anniversary Event will Showcase Innovative Entrepreneurs and Venture13 Members

The Town of Cobourg along with the Venture13 founding partners, Northumberland Community Futures Development Corporation (NCFDC), and the Cobourg Police Service (CPS), are celebrating the 5-year anniversary of the Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre.

Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre opened its doors in 2018. The two-storey, 30,000 square foot post-war building, dating back to 1954, was formerly the headquarters of No. 26 Ordnance Depot of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps. On May 17, 2017, Town of Cobourg, in partnership with NCFDC and with the support of FedDev Ontario, embarked on a project to transform the municipally-owned ‘Depot’ into a thriving centre of opportunity for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Today, Venture13 hosts a vibrant, mixed-use space, perfectly suited to support enterprise startups and advancement. The VentureZone, delivered by Town of Cobourg and NCFDC, offers flexible co-working space for entrepreneurs. Adjoining the VentreZone is the NCFDC office, where experienced advisors provide VentureZone members with direct access to their network of like-minded businesses and financial supports to help them grow.  NCFDC clients can also gain access to the 800 sq ft. mechatronics lab leveraged for prototyping and engineering with advanced equipment support. Occupying the second floor is the secure facilities of the Cobourg Police Service’s technology business unit. With the goal to find new technologies to create safer communities, the CPS has partnered with NCFDC on the V13 Policetech Accelerator™, a pipeline for innovative policing technologies and best practices for community safety in Ontario and around the world.

Since Venture13’s grand opening in May 2018, the founding partners and collaborators have provided programs focused on entrepreneurial development and skills training, pitch competitions for entrepreneurial start-ups, community discussion panels, mentoring and coaching, and technical and entrepreneurial programs for youth. Venture13 is a place and pathway for business growth, synchronized with support services. The partner organizations seek to build the industries of the future, contributing to increased employment, economic activity, and innovation.

Join us in Celebrating 5-years of Community Driven Innovation
Members of the public, business community and service organizations are invited to join the 5-year anniversary celebration on Friday, May 12, 2023. The event will highlight the individual and collaborative accomplishments of the partners and members and showcase the innovative work that businesses within the VentureZone co-working space are doing. Additionally, guests will learn future short-term plans for the facility and what the community can expect from Venture13 in the next five years.
Date: Friday, May 12, 2023
Time: 8am – 10am
Location: 739 D’Arcy Street, Cobourg, ON
RSVP: Please RSVP for this event here.

Learn more about the VentureZone Success Stories
Over the last five years, the Venture13 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre has seen the evolution of inventive businesses and tech startups. Booths will be set up in the V13 meeting rooms to allow guests to speak with VentureZone members and learn more about their innovative products, including:

• Braille Energy: Braille Energy Systems Inc. is focused on bringing innovative Lithium Battery solutions to consumer and industrial customers.
  Learn more about Braille Energy at https://brailleenergy.com/
• Solvest: Solvest is a northern Canadian solar company specializing in residential, commercial, First Nations & Inuit, and utility-scale solar installations.
  Learn more about Solvest, https://www.solvest.ca/
• Boomer Brand Management: Boomer Brand Management creates functional packaging, graphic design, websites, and 3D prototypes that look terrific and satisfy federally enforced regulations.

Learn more about Boomer Brand Management at https://boomerbrandmanagement.ca/

• Cence Power: Developers of the world first all-in-one direct current distribution system.
  Learn more about Cence Power at  https://www.cencepower.com/
• Wittaya Aqua: Providing intelligent tools for the Aquaculture Industry.
  Learn more about Wittaya Aqua at https://wittaya-aqua.ca/

Explore the Facility:

Following brief speaking points from Venture13 partners and local government officials, guests are welcome to explore the facility to learn more about the space and currently members.