Rebellion Media Forges Strategic Partnership with Hyperdrive

Rebellion Media has become a strategic investor in Hyperdrive in Waterloo.

While details on the partnership are scarce, we know that Rebellion has already been offering coaching and mentorship to Hyperdrive startups. Further, the company acquired Hyperdrive graduate Incentivibe for an undisclosed sum earlier this month.

“Rebellion has been a great partner for Hyperdrive, offering coaching and mentorship, and opening their doors to our high-performing startups,” said Doug Cooper, Managing Director of Hyperdrive. “Rebellion shares our vision for Hyperdrive, so we welcome them wholeheartedly as an investor in the program.”

“We’ve been impressed with the caliber of companies coming through Hyperdrive, many of which fit strategically with Rebellion’s vision,” says Ted Hastings, CEO of Rebellion Media. “It was time to further our partnership with Hyperdriveand become an active investor in the program.”

Since its creation a year ago, Hyperdrive has admitted 18 companies in two cohorts of a $30-million program based at the Communitech Hub in Kitchener. According to Hyperdrive, these startups have created more than 70 jobs, raised more than $2.5 million in investment, and generated more than $500,000 in revenue. 

Incentivibe was a member of the program’s inaugural cohort of seven startups; the acquisition came six months after Incentivibe’s pilot launch. Incentivibe pools small and medium-sized companies so they can hold shared contests with expensive giveaway prizes while paying a fraction of the prize cost.

“Hyperdrive is the best thing that happened to our company,” said Adeel Vanthaliwala, cofounder and CEO of Incentivibe, recently. “We got investment, mentors, incredible traction and eventually an acquisition all because of Hyperdrive.”

Hyperdrive starts with a “rigorous three-month sprint,” in which startups focus on validating their markets and acquiring customers. The companies then spend nine months refining their businesses and building sales channels, followed by a full year of scaling up operations.

Hyperdrive is now accepting applications for its third cohort.