Peterborough Ranked the Best Place for Watertech Startups to Thrive in Ontario by Water Canada

Peterborough, Ontario has been ranked first place in Ontario and second in Canada (Sherbrooke, Quebec listed at number one) for a watertech startup to thrive, as listed in the most recent issue of Water Canada Magazine.

What makes Peterborough the place to be is the abundance of resources including the Innovation Cluster, Peterborough Region Angel Network, VentureNorth, Trent University and its Trent Makerspace and coming Cleantech Commons, Fleming College’s Centre for Advancement of Water and Wastewater Technologies, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development, all supporting startups in the cleantech sector. The collaboration of these resources makes the region one of the top places in Canada for companies to receive individual high-class support on a global scale.

“The Innovation Cluster staff and client companies have worked tirelessly to set our region apart as a watertech hub and is proud to compass a prominent role in providing cleantech support through company mentorship and acceleration,” says Michael Skinner, President & CEO of the Innovation Cluster. “We have helped push multiple startups to market success and are excited to see that Canada is beginning to take notice.”

Water Canada noted the previous cleantech companies that have thrived in the Peterborough area, including Aclarus, ozone water treatment systems, Noblegen, a lab space that produces sustainable proteins for a large scope of products, and Rainmaker Worldwide, a company that has gone worldwide with its innovative systems that turn air vapour into potable water.
The feature references the affordability of living with the median cost for a four-bedroom house at $329,000, one of the province’s shortest average commute times, a close-knit business community and being surrounded by bodies of water as just a few of the factors that led to the decision. Water Canada Magazine boasts that Peterborough also holds the highest percentage of immigrant entrepreneurs in Canada.

“The Kawarthas’ comes from the Anishinaabe word meaning ‘the land of shining waters’,” says John Gillis, Cleantech Innovation Specialist at the Innovation Cluster. “We’ve got the Trent-Severn Waterway here, 151 lakes, and countless rivers, which makes it the perfect place for the cleantech sector to thrive.”
You can download the magazine here.