Innovation continues to thrive in the Waterloo Region. Slated to open in the summer of 2017, Catalyst137 will be the world’s largest hardware technology hub. Housed in a massive 475,000 square foot warehouse in the heart of Kitchener’s Belmont Village, Catalyst137 will provide a workspace and innovation center for hardware technology companies in the region, and draw entrepreneurs from around the world to the state-of-the-art facility.
Kurtis McBride, chief executive officer of hardware technology company Miovision, co-created Catalyst137 with Voisin Capital of Kitchener and Osmington Inc. of Toronto on the $55-million redevelopment.
“The buzzword these days is the Internet of Things (IoT) or what I like to call device-enabled software. Catalyst137 is for device-enabled software companies like us.” says McBride, whose company plans to take 130,000 square feet of the space. Miovision manufactures technology that connects traffic lights to the Internet, allowing them to be monitored in real-time.
The idea for Catalyst137 came out of McBride’s frustration. Each year, more than two dozen hardware companies graduate from the incubator programs at the University of Waterloo and Communitech. Until now, requirements for manufacturing space and loading docks relegated hardware companies to the outskirts of Kitchener-Waterloo while software companies needing less space swarmed to the city center.
“We realized that if we had a problem finding suitable space in the core of the city, other technology manufactures might too,” says McBride. “The space is designed so that as companies grow, they can expand or adapt their spaces to their unique needs.”
Catalyst137 will establish an ecosystem of supporting services for tenants including industrial design, digital marketing, RF testing, electronics manufacturing and a make rspace.
It will house 20 companies, alongside a new restaurant, bar, coffee shop and gym. “Catalyst137 is the perfect spot for hardware technology companies to accelerate their time-to-market.” says Frank Voisin. “Our vision is that Catalyst137 will make Kitchener- Waterloo the IoT capital of the world.”
Catalyst137 will be located just 3km southeast of the University of Waterloo and about 1km west of Google’s new Kitchener headquarters and Communitech, the region’s technology hub and accelerator center. The historic Iron Horse Trail runs adjacent to the site providing convenient access along the region’s busiest pedestrian corridor. For leasing inquiries contact Whitney & Company Realty Limited at 519.746.6300 or visit catalyst-137.com today.
