The start of a new year always dazzles with possibility. It is a time to set new goals, explore new opportunities and seek out new experiences. Or perhaps, time to seek out new locations.
There is no better place to locate, relocate or expand than Waterloo in 2022. World-class talent, top post-secondary schools, thriving clusters in tech, manufacturing and more, countless innovation opportunities… Our community dazzles with possibility all year long.
You don’t have to take only our word for it. Throughout 2021, we interviewed six different companies operating in Waterloo about their experiences coming here, growing here and working with us.
In these Q&As, you’ll read first-hand accounts of the local business community, the supporting academic ecosystem and how the featured companies are inventing the future right here in Waterloo.
Here are six Waterloo EDC Q&As from 2021:
DarwinAI brings explainable AI to manufacturing
DarwinAI is a local artificial intelligence (AI) innovator and leader in solving manufacturing problems with machine learning solutions. In our Q&A with DarwinAI CEO Sheldon Fernandez, we learned that their mission is to “help manufacturers adopt AI they can trust” to transform manufacturing operations.
Fernandez shared that the Waterloo community is an exciting place for companies working in AI. “The University of Waterloo [has] an excellent co-op program as well as state-of-the-art facilities,” said Fernandez. “It’s no surprise that Waterloo is a tech hub for AI companies, since there are so many intelligent people and opportunities to expand here.”
TripleLift continues their rapid growth with an expansion to Waterloo
“It’s hard to keep a good thing secret,” said Jaison Zachariah, SVP of Technology at TripleLift, referring to Waterloo’s thriving business community. TripleLift, a major adtech company headquartered in New York City, landed an expansion in Waterloo to scale their engineering team. “The entrepreneurial nature of the talent pool in Waterloo matched our company’s values well,” Zachariah told us. “And the general long-term growth trajectory of the [community] made Waterloo extremely compelling.” Find out why TripleLift’s expansion to Waterloo “exceeded all [their] expectations.”
EPAM Systems expands their engineering team to Waterloo
EPAM Systems, a major multinational tech company, joined the Waterloo ecosystem in 2021. A company of problem-solvers, EPAM Systems fits right in with Waterloo’s innovative culture. In our Q&A, Ethan Matyas, the SVP and Head of North America Delivery at EPAM Systems, explained why EPAM decided to expand to Waterloo. “Waterloo offers a leading-edge ecosystem for EPAM to expand its global footprint,” he said, “and partner with the thriving tech community and local, world-class universities.”
ATS Automation automates innovation in the manufacturing sector
ATS Automation is a major player in Waterloo’s robotics and automation cluster – which is saying something, as it happens to be the largest in Canada. We asked Simon Drexler, General Manager of Automation Products at ATS Automation, what keeps this company growing in Waterloo. Our Q&A with Drexler delves into topics such as talent, culture, workforce, community collaboration and advanced manufacturing opportunities in Waterloo.
Cognitive Systems automates your world with Wifi
Taj Manku, CEO & Co-Founder of Cognitive Systems, believes there is no better home for his company than Waterloo. In our Q&A, he talks about Cognitive Systems’ new WiFi motion sensing technology and the innovative quantum ecosystem in Waterloo. “The sheer diversity in talent and tech competition pushes us in our work,” shares Manku. “The quantum ecosystem [in Waterloo] also adds opportunities … to commercialize cutting-edge science. You won’t find an ecosystem like this anywhere else.”
Clearpath Robotics is a product of the Waterloo ecosystem
What does it take to build a robotics company? In this Q&A, Matt Rendall, CEO & Co-Founder of Clearpath Robotics, explains how the entrepreneurial and collaborative nature of Waterloo’s ecosystem was monumental in building Clearpath Robotics. “The resources inside the Waterloo tech ecosystem helped us stay grounded, get oriented and navigate our way through some challenging economic times,” he shared. Rendall touts the depth and diversity of Waterloo’s talent pool and the local post-secondary institutions as pivotal resources in his company’s success over the last fourteen years.
As you set your 2022 goals to explore new opportunities and experiences, consider adding “invent the future in Waterloo” to your list.