The Nucleus

The fastest growing tech hub in the world has discovered a new neighbourhood. Owned by Menkes and managed by MaRS in partnership with anchor tenant, U of T, The Nucleus at the Waterfront Innovation Centre (WIC) provides 55K SF of work, meeting, and event space needed to grow entrepreneurial ventures. The space has been designed to support early-stage firms, mostly working in cleantech, digital health, SaaS, and AI — all in one of the city’s most exciting neighbourhoods.

Located adjacent to Canada’s Sugar Beach and minutes away from Downtown, WIC stands at 400K SF across two towers: The Hive (11 Floors) and The Exchange (10 Floors). WIC anchors Toronto’s surging innovation cluster on the eastern waterfront. High-tech, loaded with amenities and accessible by mass transit and cycling, this curated space is surrounded by restaurants, beaches, parks, global headquarters and smart-city communities. In other words, it’s a perfect place to work for those craving a dynamic urban lifestyle.

The East Harbour is the city’s newest innovation neighbourhood. The neighbourhood is host to a mix of entrepreneurs, artists and creators, filling its arsenal of high-tech buildings that bring digital connectivity, environmental features and accessibility to the city.

The Waterfront Innovation Centre is MaRS and U of T’s second real estate partnership. In 2015, U of T invested in the MaRS West Tower in Toronto’s Discovery District, taking a 20% equity share in the building. The 780K SF tower is more than 99.8% full and is currently home to more than 50 startups as well as companies such as PayPal, Autodesk and the Canadian Foundation for Advanced Research (CIFAR).

The Nexus is a space for community. Programmed and curated by MaRS, users and the local community can come together in this all-in-one lounge, event and conference space. Expect an exciting mix of symposiums, panel discussions, demo days and more. It features:

Continuing an innovative partnership, The Nucleus at WIC has been delivered in collaboration with MaRS and the University of Toronto, Canada’s leading research institution. The partnership is a recipe for success: a strong commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship fueled by the University of Toronto’s unmatched resources and talent in areas such as A.I., machine learning and drug discovery, coupled with the proven MaRS legacy of helping young companies grow and prosper.

WIC represents another step in the revitalization of Toronto’s Waterfront. The complex will not only drive economic development with the creation of nearly 3,000 jobs, but will also help to shape East Harbour into a beautiful new neighbourhood where people can live, work and play. Its purpose-built functionality ushers in the next evolution in workplace design that helps reinvent how today’s workforce collaborates in the city’s burgeoning creative and technology sectors.

The Nucleus offers everything needed to grow companies in one place, from startup to scale-up. Sometimes a quiet two-person room for brainstorming is needed; other times, a videoconference with clients around the world; or perhaps a 150-seat amphitheatre to showcase the latest win. Place matters. The Nucleus offers the resources and attracts the people with its beautiful work and event spaces to the international city of Toronto.

MaRS is North America’s largest urban innovation hub. A registered non-profit, MaRS supports high-growth startups and scale-ups tackling key issues in health, cleantech, fintech and other sectors. In addition, MaRS convenes all members of the tech ecosystem to drive breakthrough discoveries, grow the economy and make an impact by solving real problems for real people — in Canada and around the world.

Environmental

Blending the outdoor and indoor boundaries, the building emphasizes surrounding natural vistas in its floor-to-ceiling windows, with spaces overlooking the Toronto waterfront and outdoor patio space available during the warmer seasons.

• Three outdoor work patios with high-speed internet.
• Underfloor duct system (excellent HVAC with individual control).
• Passive and active systems to minimize environmental impact.
• Exposed concrete ceilings.
• Targeting LEED Platinum certification.

Social

From lecture series and innovation challenges to charitable fundraisers and international conferences, MaRS hosts and supports mission-driven events across the innovation ecosystem in its frequent building programming.

Entrepreneurs, researchers, non-profits and capital providers come to WIC to join a network of crucial stakeholders and access first-class facilities, events and services.

• With state-of-the-art amenities, scalable office space and hot desks, customers can be comfortable, connected and inspired to move effortlessly between workstations to meeting rooms and social spaces throughout the day.
• Nucleus Café: A place to refuel and connect.
• Lounge areas: Well-appointed spaces for informal discussions.
• Modular furniture: Work areas tailored to team needs.

WIC is the tech community’s premier destination for special events. Whether an exhibition, reception, private meeting, or conference, WIC offer versatile spaces to meet event needs.

Governance

Onsite support: Member-focused support and space management.

Audio Visual Technology: MaRS AV Services are the exclusive providers of equipment and labour within Nexus spaces and are fully equipped to service event audio-visual requirements. An excellent in-house team provides both rental equipment and technical support for activations, including onsite support, live streaming, and recording services.

Network of private, semi-public and public spaces.

Sensors to monitor occupancy and light levels.

As technology and creative sectors continue to merge, the Innovation Centre –and the ultra-high-speed broadband infrastructure it’s built on – will allow many different types of industries to collaborate.

Companies focused on advanced analytics and cognitive computing will access, work on and share very large sets of data in real time. Additionally, because of its location within the East Bayfront community, potential employees in the Waterfront Innovation Centre will have the opportunity to live in the same community where they work, fulfilling a growing demand in Toronto for downtown live-work-play neighbourhoods.

Partners

• Architects: Sweeney & Co.
• Fit-out: FlatIron and HOK Canada.
• Property Manager: MaRS.

Press

Toronto’s Waterfront is new destination for MaRS innovation hub.

Awards

• Waterfront Innovation Centre received a Real Estate Excellence.
• (REX) Award for ESG Impact from NAIOP Greater Toronto Chapter.
• Targeting LEED Platinum certification.