Planet Hatch, Fredericton’s flagship business accelerator, has formed a partnership with the DMZ at Ryerson University in Toronto.

The partnership with the DMZ -- formerly known as the Digital Media Zone – allows members from both organizations access to one another’s facilities, expertise and resources.

Planet Hatch already has a relationship with the University of New Brunswick’s International Business and Entrepreneurship Centre, or IBEC. So the latest partnership will help UNB help students to connect to more resources and educational opportunities across Canada.

“Having a partnership with the DMZ at Ryerson University will be a great aid to Fredericton’s startup community and UNB students,” Karen Murdock, Chief Program Officer at Planet Hatch, said in a statement. “Creating new and innovative opportunities for our clients is always in the forefront of our minds, and this agreement will open a lot of doors for our startups.”

Last year, Planet Hatch struck a similar agreement with Walnut Accelerator in Chengdu, China.

The statement said one Planet Hatch company, Spatial Quest Solution, is already taking advantage of the relationship with the DMZ. Its CEO Eddie Oldfield has been using the DMZ offices in downtown Toronto for client meetings.

“Our partnership with Planet Hatch will provide startups with the opportunity to leverage resources across the country, while building a successful company in their home base,” said Abdullah Snobar, executive director of the DMZ. “We expect this to be the first of a much larger initiative that will connect the DMZ network with emerging startup communities to build connections that will foster best-in-class Canadian entrepreneurs.”

DMZ helps startups by connecting them with customers, capital, experts and a community of entrepreneurs and influencers. In 2015, it was ranked the top tech incubator in North America, and third in the world by UBI Global.

Planet Hatch is a business incubator in the New Brunswick capital and helped 48 new startups across several sectors commercialize their ideas during 2016.