Welcome to Venture13
Venture13 is a 30,000 sq. ft. innovation and entrepreneurship centre located in Cobourg, Ontario, just over an hour East of Toronto, in Northumberland, along the Eastern Ontario lakeshore.
Background
Venture13 (Building 13 of the Northam Industrial Park) opened its doors in May, 2018 with a mission to advance entrepreneurial development and help build the industries of the future. Venture13 is owned by the Town of Cobourg. With the support of FedDev Ontario and the Government of Canada, multiple organizations came together to retrofit and repurpose the building and now form the Venture13 Board of Partners, a group of co-locating organizations committed to innovation and entrepreneurship, and chaired by the municipality’s CAO.
Anchor organizations co-locating at Venture13 and sitting on the Board of Partners:
- The Town of Cobourg
- The Cobourg Police Service
- NCFDC
- Northumberland Manufacturers’ Association
- Northumberland Makers
Together, we have designed this space to connect and empower industry, investors, makers, tech start-ups, the research community, the educational sector, and key collaborative innovation partners locally and across the regional ecosystem. We provide a place for ideation, prototyping and commercialization as a pathway to economic development and diversification.
Onsite collaborations include:
- The V13 Policetech Accelerator
- Canada’s first Microfactory Co-operative (a for-profit alliance of hardware entrepreneurs offering member and commercial services, utilizing shared resources, equipment and talent)
- Start-up simulations, tech/digital co-op placements with area high schools, and student internships
Venture13 frequently hosts community events, fireside chats, hackathons, competitions, conferences, training days and more. Please contact the Venture13 team to learn more about hosting your event (including live interactive broadcasting capabilities)—fees apply and services subject to availability.
Follow Venture13 on Twitter.
Assets and Infrastructure
- 80-seat public lecture hall and breakout seminar rooms
- 800 sq. ft. hardware and mechatronics-focused MakerLab (for prototyping, engineering and design)
- VentureZone co-working space (seats and private offices for entrepreneurs and digital freelancers) plus access to flexible meeting spaces
- Public Wi-Fi, high-speed fibre connection
- Reception services and mailbox, locker
- Access to NCFDC in-house Strategic Advisor (for VentureZone members and other participating clients only)
- 24/7 secure access for members
- Free parking
- Solar microgrid and free EV charging station
- Community kitchen
The second floor of Venture13 is the headquarters and secure data centre of the Cobourg Police Service’s Corporate Services business unit, the leading national wholesale provider of online criminal record checks in Canada.
VentureZone Eligibility
To be eligible your business must be an innovative SME or tech start-up or you must be:
- self-employed and working on an innovative or technological application
- a digital freelancer
- working remotely for an innovative SME or tech start-up
You must have adequate insurance in place for operations on premises.
You must agree to the Code of Conduct as part of the VentureZone Membership Agreement.
Please complete the application form below to express your interest in V13 VentureZone Membership. You will receive a transcript of the application emailed to you and copied to NCFDC. A representative will be in touch with you on behalf of Venture13 (normally within 24 hours) with next steps. There is no obligation to proceed. If you are not eligible, we may nevertheless contact you to assist with your entrepreneurial and business development or as appropriate, to provide helpful referrals.
Dedicated Desk
$150/month, minimum two-month commitment (effective January 1, 2022 for new memberships)
Members receive:
- one fully furnished dedicated seat in the VentureZone co-working space with frosted Plexiglas dividers, an ergonomic chair, and locking filing cabinet
- wireless internet (fibre connection)
- unlimited access to colour printer/copier
- access to private meeting space (booked as available, on a first-come, first-serve basis)—conditions apply
- discounted rates on booking Innovation Commons facilities
- mail and parcel collection
- other superior amenities.
Private Office
$600/month, minimum two-month commitment (effective January 1, 2022 for new memberships).
Members receive:
- fully furnished dedicated private office with sit-stand desk, ergonomic chair, task chair, lockable filing cabinet, and mounted TV with HDMI connection
- wireless internet (fibre connection)
- unlimited access to colour printer/copier
- access to private meeting space (booked as available, on a first-come, first-serve basis)—conditions apply
- discounted rates on booking Innovation Commons facilities
- mail and parcel collection
- other superior amenities.
VentureZone Membership Application
The application can be completed in less than five minutes. You can always revise your requirements later (e.g. number of seats required).
Please note that NCFDC’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use applies to disclosure of confidential information.
Looking for another option? Consider The Factory, Northumberland County’s co-working space for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Fees and additional terms and conditions apply.
Latest News from Venture13
CCI Co-Op Student Sawyer Barlow Profiles NCFDC Student Internship Program Alumni
As part of his 2022 Cobourg Collegiate Institute (CCI) high school co-op placement, Sawyer Barlow has written a post about some of the graduates of NCFDC’s student internship program—inspiring individuals whom he interviewed and connected with as part of his final project.
Student Cleantech Startup Simulation and Pitch Contest at Venture13
On April 6th, NCFDC held a Cleantech-themed student startup simulation and pitch competition at Venture13 with Molly Klintworth’s Grade 9/10 business class from Port Hope High School. It was an INCREDIBLE day. The students brought huge energy, enthusiasm, innovative ideas and compelling presentations which they presented to a panel of serial tech entrepreneurs who judged and scored their pitches.
Policetech Accelerator Highlights (2020-2021)
Our V13 Policetech Accelerator is a joint initiative of Northumberland CFDC and the Cobourg Police Service to drive community safety innovation. The first of its kind in North America, the initiative provides competitively selected Startups and Scaleups with investment, entrepreneurial support and business development opportunities including participation in frontline demonstration projects carried out in a defined small town pilot-scale environment.