What stage does Brilliant Catalyst invest at?

Brilliant Catalyst invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.

What sectors does Brilliant Catalyst focus on?

Brilliant Catalyst focuses on Mobility & Transportation, Sector Agnostic.

Where is Brilliant Catalyst located?

Brilliant Catalyst is headquartered in Oshawa, CA.

Brilliant Catalyst

Accelerator

Oshawa · Pre-Seed–Seed · 10 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Brilliant Catalyst is the startup incubator at Ontario Tech University, focused on cultivating entrepreneurial talent and building a community of experts, entrepreneurs, advisors, and influencers to support Canadian ventures. It delivers curated programs, hackathons, work-integrated learning, and specialized initiatives such as the Start-Up Visa Program and the Black Entrepreneurship & Skilled Trades program. The incubator provides access to mentors, experts in residence, cutting-edge resources, and business guidance to help early-stage ventures grow. Rather than operating as a capital-investing fund, it emphasizes experiential learning, community engagement, and support for student and international entrepreneurs.

Invests inMobility & TransportationSector AgnosticCanada

Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.

Stage

Pre-Seed–Seed

Oshawa, CA

Instruments

Equity

Portfolio companies

Team · 10 people

from the firm's website

Osman Hamid· Executive Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Executive Director of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Ontario Tech University, passionate about the entrepreneurial mindset and experiential learning. He previously spent a decade leading innovation and community engagement initiatives at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University).

Alizah Zaidi· Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant at Brilliant Catalyst and a three-time Experience Ventures participant who also assisted with program delivery. She represented Ontario Tech at the Experience Ventures National Hackathon, winning silver, and applies design thinking to program design.

Angelique· Administrative Assistant

Administrative Assistant at Brilliant Catalyst and an Ontario Tech Political Communication graduate. A former participant in several Brilliant Catalyst programs and Enactus Ontario Tech advisor, she focuses on communication, student engagement, and event planning.

Connor

Joined Brilliant Catalyst in 2018 and has worked with over 200 startups. He leads the Brilliant Catalyst team and oversees its experiential learning and entrepreneurship programs.

Denzel· Program Coordinator, Black Entrepreneurship & Skilled Trades

Program Coordinator for the Black Entrepreneurship & Skilled Trades program at Brilliant Catalyst. He draws on experience in e-commerce, web development, and graphic design to support program delivery.

Fatama· Digital Marketing Coordinator

Digital Marketing Coordinator at Brilliant Catalyst with experience across Ontario Tech departments. She specializes in content research and social media management to drive the organization's online presence.

Leen Jaber

A communication specialist who focuses on storytelling across media channels, internal communications, and coordinating technology-driven projects. She creates and delivers programs, workshops, and events while managing stakeholder relationships.

Lina Hamouda· Program Coordinator

Program Coordinator at Brilliant Catalyst who leads the Start-Up Visa Program, fostering a community of international changemakers. She is known for creating dynamic environments for entrepreneurs and connecting people and ideas.

Marissa Dunk· Program Coordinator

Program Coordinator for the Incubator Program at Brilliant Catalyst. She brings a diverse skill set from various Ontario Tech departments, including communications, student development, project management, and event planning.

Maryam· Program Officer, Experience Ventures

Program Officer for Experience Ventures at Brilliant Catalyst with experience across industries including hospitality, tourism, telecommunications, and healthcare. She delivers entrepreneurship programming such as hackathons, challenges, and work-integrated learning.

What they invest in

from 1 of 2 portfolio companies

EdTech ×1

HQs:Canada×1

Portfolio companies · 2 tracked

alumni founders can tell you what the program is really like

555 Bryant Streetgoo.gl

Co-investorsAccess Venture Partners Adit Ventures Management, Llc Agilitas Private Equity Alba Infra Partners ALIVE Israel HealthTech Fund Alkemi Growth Capital+73 more

Ontariotechuontariotechu.ca in 𝕏

Ontario Tech University is a public university offering undergraduate, graduate, college-to-university transfer, and continuous learning programs, with a focus on connecting students to industry and hands-on experience.

EdTech

Frequently asked questions

What stage does Brilliant Catalyst invest at?: Brilliant Catalyst invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
What sectors does Brilliant Catalyst focus on?: Brilliant Catalyst focuses on Mobility & Transportation, Sector Agnostic.
Where is Brilliant Catalyst located?: Brilliant Catalyst is headquartered in Oshawa, CA.

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