Accelerating The Ideas of Tomorrow

Waterloo's very own start-up
incubator for high school students.

What Flowboat Provides

Lessons in Entrepreneurship

At weekly meetings, practical lessons in entrepreneurship are given to students, who then apply what they have learned to their companies. We also have guest speakers who cover topics such as programming, 3D printing, and financing.

Industry Mentors and Lecturers

Each Flowboat team is provided with an industry mentor who is a field expert. Past mentors include the former director of velocity, startup CEOs, software engineers, Professors, and even farmers! Mentors provide valuable input for Flowboat members.

Pitch Training and Development

Flowboat teams participate in a variety of pitching competitions throughout the year including: MIT LaunchX Demo Day, Diamond Challenge, and the Paradigm Contest. Past Flowboat teams have received top honours at these competitions.

230+

Alumni

$40,000+

In Capital

40+

Startups

10+

Regents Scholars, Schulich Leaders, National Scholars, And More!

10+

International Entrepreneurship Competitions Won


What Our Members Say

Our Startups


Our Sponsors and Partners

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Frequently
asked questions

Need more help?

Contact Us

Flowboat members are required to pay a single $60 membership fee at the beginning of the season. This allows us to provide members with awesome resources including financial grants, mentors, weekly lectures, and pitching events. It’s an investment with huge returns!

The 2023-24 Flowboat season kicks off on October 7th, 2023, and ends in the month of May. There are twenty weekly lectures that take place on Saturday evenings at the Accelerator Centre in the University of Waterloo.

As well, Flowboat spends time preparing members for two pitching competitions: the Diamond Challenge competition, held in the winter, and the Flowboat Pitching Competition, hosted by Flowboat itself at the end of the season.

For the 2023-24 season, Flowboat’s weekly lectures will be hosted at the incredible Accelerator Centre venue at the University of Waterloo. Please feel free to visit the “Contact” page for the specific address.

As a Flowboat member, you will be working with your fellow peers to locate a problem and develop your own, unique solution to it. You’ll also gain plenty of experience in the vast world of business and will develop vital skills which are essential to being a successful entrepreneur. This will all look great on a résumé!

Additionally, eligible Flowboat members will receive a certificate of completion at the end of this season. This certificate makes you eligible to use Flowboat as a reference for your post-secondary applications!

Members come together on Saturday evenings for weekly lectures, where they can also meet students from across the region. After being given time to brainstorm potential problems they may want to address, members will then find others who show interest in their ideas, with whom they can form groups to work with for the rest of the season. Weekly “Deliverables” are also assigned at the end of each lecture, which groups will work together to complete and submit before the next lecture.

For the 2023-24 season, early applications open on June 19 and run until July 1st. Main applications occur from July 10th to August 14th, and the final window to apply to Flowboat is from the beginning of September to the 24th. However, the sooner you apply, the better!

Please note that there is a limited number of spots available in the Flowboat program each year; be sure to put lots of care and effort into your application to better your chances of acceptance.