How many investments has The Forge Business Incubator made?

The Forge Business Incubator has 28 tracked investments.

What stage does The Forge Business Incubator invest at?

The Forge Business Incubator invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth stages.

What sectors does The Forge Business Incubator focus on?

The Forge Business Incubator focuses on Sector Agnostic.

Where is The Forge Business Incubator located?

The Forge Business Incubator is headquartered in Hamilton, CA.

The Forge Business Incubator

Accelerator

Hamilton · Pre-Seed–Growth · 8 people tracked

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Lauren Brown18 people can intro you

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✨ Fox Verdict

Investment thesis

The Forge is a university-affiliated startup incubator that supports McMaster-connected entrepreneurs across a range of industries. It runs a Business Incubator program and the Startup Survivor competition, and explicitly does not take equity in participating companies. Instead, it offers mentorship from industry experts, serial entrepreneurs and investors; a co-working facility at McMaster Innovation Park; investor events and pitch coaching; and a community of founders through meetups and events. The program is aimed at accelerating early-stage ventures toward growth by connecting them with advisors, service providers and strategic guidance.

Invests inSector AgnosticCanada

Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.

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Stage

Pre-Seed–Growth

Hamilton, ON, CA

Instruments

Grants

Founded

2015

Portfolio companies

Team · 8 people

from the firm's website

Brittany Sostar· Forge Makerspace Lead

Forge Makerspace Lead overseeing the space, providing tool and equipment training, and supporting makers on their projects. Joined The Forge in late 2024.

Lauren Brown· Business Incubator Manager· Toronto, Ontario, Canadain

Manages the Business Incubator at The Forge, providing hands-on support to startups. A former entrepreneur who co-founded two companies, she holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster and an MBA from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Leigh Wilson· Interim Director· Hamilton, Ontario, Canadain

Interim Director of The Forge and Assistant Director, New Ventures at McMaster's Industry Liaison Office, where she manages the McMaster Seed Fund and supports commercialization of life sciences technologies. She holds a PhD in medical sciences from McMaster and is an adjunct lecturer in Biochemistry.

Manil Jadawala· Program Coordinator Intern – Business Incubator· Brampton, Ontario, Canadain

Student intern serving as Program Coordinator Intern for the Business Incubator.

Maria Plazas· Program Coordinator· Greater Hamilton (Burlington) Metropolitan Areain

Program Coordinator for The Forge and MILO with over a decade of experience in Canada's entrepreneurship ecosystem across government, non-profit, and post-secondary institutions. She holds a Bachelor of Public Relations from Humber College.

Marissa Principato· Marketing & Events Manager· Hamilton, Ontario, Canadain

Marketing and Events Manager at The Forge, responsible for marketing and communications and facilitating student-focused events including Startup Survivor and McMaster's Entrepreneurship Week. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster.

Nora Habashy· Communications Assistant· Burlington, Ontario, Canadain

Student intern serving as Communications Assistant.

Zijian Chu· Program Coordinator Intern – Startup Survivor· Hamilton, Ontario, Canadain

Student intern serving as Program Coordinator Intern for the Startup Survivor program.

What they invest in

from 1 of 28 portfolio companies

Biotech ×1Healthtech ×1Longevity ×1

Portfolio companies · 28 tracked

alumni founders can tell you what the program is really like

AgeRateagerate.com

AgeRate develops science-based tools to measure biological aging, drawing on research in genetics and molecular epidemiology.

BiotechHealthtechLongevity

Dr. Guillaume Paré(Founder and Chief Scientific Officer)Dr. Michael Chong(Chief Research Officer)Kevin Peters(Chief Technology Officer)

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

20/20 OptimEyes TechnologiesAdMassAeroVasQAfyniaAI EnduranceAlloBiotechArthroRootAxon HealthBoardballCapital CompassCapRefillCellectConveneCrewd IncCyclePlastixGreenveilIntuva HealthIomaiJetson InfinityLawEzMetias MedicalOctopodi TechnologiesSanaré TechnologiesSensera HealthSunbeam HealthSurgiSightTranquilo

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has The Forge Business Incubator made?: The Forge Business Incubator has 28 tracked investments.
What stage does The Forge Business Incubator invest at?: The Forge Business Incubator invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth stages.
What sectors does The Forge Business Incubator focus on?: The Forge Business Incubator focuses on Sector Agnostic.
Where is The Forge Business Incubator located?: The Forge Business Incubator is headquartered in Hamilton, CA.

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