UW partnering with Silicon Valley firm in mentorship program
Posted May 27, 2016 03:25:27 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A former student at the University of Waterloo is helping our Region’s reputation as the nation’s leading tech hub.
The school announced a partnership with Silicon Valley venture capital firm Spectrum 28 founded by UW grad Lyon Wong.
The partnership is a $2 million funding agreement and mentorship program for students who plan on starting a company.
Wong has been inspired by what the University has done, and wants to help them.
“Waterloo comes first. My goal is to see what value I can add,” says Wong. “With the new funds, we have the resources and connection. We’ve been fortunate to do pretty well here in Silicon Valley and we want to help other Waterloo students that would have those goals get that exposure.”
The partnership bridges a gap between the Velocity incubator at UW and the faculty, allowing them to be more hands on with students.
It also gives those students direct access to experts in Silicon Valley, with a mentorship component.
“The program encourages faculty and some more of the grad-level students to apply,” says Wong. “I think if you add-in grad students and faculty, you add a level of technical depth, that gives you a long-term advantage.”
The year-long program includes a Demo Day, where faculty and the firm will offer funding to those teams which meet the program’s rigorous criteria.
