Entrepreneurship Discovery and Growth Engine (EDGE)

What Entrepreneurship Discovery and Growth Engine (EDGE) does

EDGE (Entrepreneurship Discovery and Growth Engine) is the entrepreneurship and innovation hub of Sheridan College, founded in 2018 and headquartered on Sheridan's Hazel McCallion Campus in Mississauga, Ontario. It operates as a non-profit initiative targeting impact entrepreneurs — founders of registered social enterprises, non-profits, co-ops, or impact-driven for-profits — alongside Sheridan students seeking entrepreneurial skill development. The organization's portfolio spans coworking and student memberships, workshops, an InnocaS.E student innovation competition, the EDGEncy community job board that connects member ventures with Sheridan student talent, and the flagship Rise Program, an eight-month online accelerator priced at $125/month (HST included) for a curriculum valued at $10,000.

The underlying platform is operations-heavy rather than technology-heavy: member onboarding is handled through HubSpot forms and the RiseConnect portal, the EDGEncy job board is positioned as a community-first marketplace, and no proprietary AI, ML, or data systems are disclosed. Technology is therefore a supporting layer for community programming, not a product moat. The organization does not appear to build software; its assets are program curriculum, advisor network, workspace, and access to Sheridan's student talent pipeline.

The business model mixes low-fee recurring subscriptions (Rise at $125/month, coworking memberships, student memberships) with substantial government and institutional funding, anchored by a flagship relationship with FedDev Ontario that underwrites programming across Southern Ontario. Ancillary monetization includes a $1,000 vendor service credit bundled into Rise and a 50% coworking discount for participants. Customer concentration is diffuse across many small impact ventures across cohorts, and partner ecosystems include the Afro-Caribbean Business Network (cleantech), Sheridan Student Union, and a curated service-directory of professional vendors. EDGE is not an investable equity target in the conventional PE/VC sense; it is best understood as a publicly funded community-development platform whose strategic value lies in talent, programming, and ecosystem coordination rather than revenue capture.

Name

Entrepreneurship Discovery and Growth Engine (EDGE)

Legal name

Entrepreneurship Discovery and Growth Engine (EDGE)

Website

https://edge.sheridancollege.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EDGE is Sheridan College's non-profit entrepreneurship hub in Mississauga, Canada, supporting impact entrepreneurs and social enterprises through coworking, student memberships, an 8-month accelerator (Rise at $125/month), a community job board, and government-funded programming across Southern Ontario.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Support and Business Incubation Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubation & Pitch Programs (EDAMAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific) (EDAMAKAA), Career Readiness & Employability Skills (Resume, Interview, Networking) (EDAMAKAG)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship support services
• Social enterprise accelerator
• Coworking workspace memberships
• Startup talent job board
• Community-led business incubator

Headquarters

HQ city

Mississauga

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Rise Program Fees: Monthly subscription fees for the Rise accelerator program, priced at $125/month + HST, providing access to coaching, peer circles, advisory services, and community support for social entrepreneurs.
2. Coworking Membership: Revenue from coworking space memberships offering inclusive community workspace for aspiring founders and growing social impact startups.
3. Student Membership: Membership program for Sheridan students providing entrepreneurial skill development, networking, and hands-on learning opportunities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EDGE is Sheridan College's community-led entrepreneurship hub offering coworking and student memberships, the 8-month Rise accelerator for social entrepreneurs, a startup-focused job board (EDGEncy), and ongoing workshops and events. Its core commercial offering is recurring subscription programs that bundle coaching, peer circles, advisory services, workspace access, and connections to talent and funding for impact-focused founders across Southern Ontario.

Product overview

EDGE (Entrepreneurship Discovery and Growth Engine) is Sheridan College's entrepreneurial hub offering a suite of interconnected programs and services for impact entrepreneurs. The core offerings include: the Coworking Membership providing workspace access, the Student Membership for Sheridan students, and the Rise Program as the flagship 8-month online accelerator for scaling social enterprises. Supporting these are EDGEncy (a job board connecting student talent to startups), the InnocaS.E Competition (student innovation challenge), and Workshops and Events for skill development. The programs work together to provide holistic support from exploring entrepreneurship through scaling impact ventures, with emphasis on community wellbeing, collaboration, and sustainable economic growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rise: Rise is an 8-month online accelerator program for social entrepreneurs ready to scale their impact enterprises, offered by EDGE at Sheridan College.
• EDGEncy

Products and services

• Coworking Membership Inclusive community workspace membership for aspiring founders and growing social impact startups, offering collaborative environment with holistic support grounded in community wellbeing, intentional collaboration, and sustainable economic growth.
• Student Membership Membership for Sheridan College students providing entrepreneurial skill development, networking, and hands-on learning so they can build a purpose-driven career or venture.
• Rise Program Eight-month online accelerator program for social entrepreneurs ready to scale impact enterprises, featuring individualized coaching ($1,200 value), peer circles ($1,200 value), advisory services ($1,200 value), a $1,000 credit for venture services, priority coworking access at a 50% discount (valued at $650+), wellness support, and financial sustainability sessions. Program is valued at $10,000 and priced at $125/month + HST.
• EDGEncy Community-first job board connecting startups with skilled Sheridan College student talent, featuring opportunities posted by EDGE member ventures and highlighted in the EDGE newsletter and social media channels.
• InnocaS.E Competition A 48-hour student innovation competition jointly run by Sheridan's Student Union and EDGE, in which student teams develop creative ideas to address pressing social issues. Over 100 students and alumni have applied to participate.
• Workshops and Events Curated events, workshops, and community gatherings designed to help diverse entrepreneurs grow revenue-generating, impact-focused ventures. Open to everyone, with accessible pricing options for those facing financial barriers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue grew from early stage to $1.2M within one year for Cadence
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Afro-Caribbean Business Network (ACBN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2024Sheridan EDGE and ACBN partnered on a groundbreaking two-year Black Founders in Clean Technology (BFIC) certificate program. This initiative created a cleantech program specifically designed for Black founders, wrapping up in April 2025 with multiple cohorts served.
• Sheridan Student Union (SSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative with SSU on the InnocaS.E competition, a student innovation competition addressing pressing social issues over 48 hours, with participation from over 100 students and alumni.
• Service Directory VendorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRise participants receive a $1,000 credit to access services from a curated group of vendors in the EDGE service directory, providing discounted access to professional services for venture growth.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centre for Social Innovation: Toronto coworking and community hub for social purpose ventures and impact entrepreneurs. Highly comparable to EDGE's coworking membership and impact-founder focus, serving overlapping member profiles in the same Ontario region.
• Innovation Factory: Hamilton-based accelerator supporting tech and innovation startups in Southern Ontario. Comparable to EDGE given overlapping regional scope (Southern Ontario), accelerator cohort structure, and government-aligned funding support.
• DMZ (Ryerson/TMU): Toronto Metropolitan University's startup incubator providing cohort accelerators, mentorship, and student talent access. Directly comparable as a Canadian university-embedded entrepreneurship hub with similar mission to support early-stage founders and leverage host-institution resources.

Broad incumbents

• MaRS Discovery District: Toronto-based innovation hub offering accelerator programs, advisory services, and workspace for impact-driven and tech startups. Comparable to EDGE because both serve Canadian founders with programming, mentorship, and community infrastructure, though MaRS operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• Creative Destruction Lab (CDL): University-affiliated (Rotman School, University of Toronto) seed-stage accelerator for science- and technology-based startups. Comparable as a Canadian university-embedded accelerator program with cohort structure and faculty-driven mentorship, though CDL targets later-stage and tech-heavy ventures.
• Community Futures Network of Canada: Federally-supported network of 269 Community Futures offices providing business services, loans, and advisory support to rural and small-town Canadian entrepreneurs. Comparable in mission and government funding model, though focused on non-urban markets rather than EDGE's college-anchored urban/suburban base.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator running cohort-based programs with mentorship and structured curriculum. Comparable to EDGE's Rise program in accelerator format and mentor-driven model, though Founder Institute operates at global scale with a profit-driven structure.

Emerging players

• Black Business and Professional Association: Canadian non-profit supporting Black entrepreneurs and professionals through mentorship, networking, and capacity-building programs. Comparable to EDGE's equity-deserving focus and ACBN-adjacent programming, though operating with a national scope rather than a single-college hub.

Others

• Sheridan Centre for Elder Research: Other Sheridan College applied research and innovation centre. Comparable as a sibling initiative within Sheridan's ecosystem that shares institutional channels, faculty research resources, and student-talent pools that EDGE leverages, though it serves a different mandate.

Regional players

• Volta (Volta Labs): Halifax-based entrepreneurship hub offering accelerator programs and coworking for Atlantic Canadian startups. Comparable as a regional Canadian hub-and-accelerator model but serving a different geography than EDGE's Southern Ontario focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EDGE_Sheridan
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHXcRujIKDOj3VOmRC-WgqQ/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/EDGEEntrepreneurshipHub
• Instagraminstagram.com/edge_sheridan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Entrepreneurship Discovery and Growth Engine (EDGE)