When Andrew Klotz first walked through the doors of ventureLAB in 2017, he wasn’t thinking about building an enterprise B2B software company, scaling recurring revenue, or cultivating a high-performing team culture. He was a digital marketer with a simple but ambitious idea: to reimagine virtual tours and fix the many pain points that plagued them. Eight years later, that vision has evolved into Circuit Virtual Tours—a leading SaaS platform transforming how colleges and universities around the world engage prospective students online.

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Today, Circuit serves a growing portfolio of Colleges and Universities across North America, along with a global base of enterprise clients in commercial real estate, recreation and senior living verticals. But higher education remains Circuit’s core focus—where the need is most urgent. As student expectations evolve, colleges and universities are under increasing pressure to deliver digital-first experiences that rival the impact of an in-person visit. Yet most virtual tour solutions fall short: they’re overly basic, hard to use, lacking personalization, and too resource-intensive to sustain. Circuit bridges that gap with a dynamic, easy to use experience that wow prospective students while reducing the burden on staff.

Solving a Massive Market Need

The student journey is changing. With declining yields, rising competition, and shifting expectations among Gen Z, institutions can no longer afford to wait for students to come to them. Circuit helps schools meet prospective students where they are—online—with tools that turn passive browsing into active exploration. From lead generation to visit conversion, Circuit’s visit experience platform is redefining how higher education markets itself in a digital era.

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“We saw an opportunity to not just digitize campus visits, but to turn them into a strategic enrollment channel,” says Andrew Klotz, co-founder and CEO. “Our goal has always been to give institutions a smarter way to showcase their campuses, while collecting meaningful data on who’s engaging and why.”

Backed by ventureLAB From Day One

Klotz’s journey started as a solo freelancer looking for a way to turn an idea into a company. Early mentorship and programming at ventureLAB proved pivotal. “ventureLAB provided two key ingredients: a strong founder community and hands-on guidance from seasoned advisors,” says Klotz. “That early feedback loop gave us the clarity and confidence to take the leap.”

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In 2017, with just a PowerPoint deck in hand, Klotz and his co-founder, Jordan Teichmann, pitched the first version of Circuit. With support from ventureLAB, they secured $60,000 in Smart Start funding through Ontario Centres of Innovation, which enabled them to build their MVP and start validating the product with real users. They moved into the IBM Innovation Space, where they continued to refine their business model and product offering.

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A key part of that support was a long-term relationship with Garry Chan, Head of AI Initiatives and Advisor at ventureLAB and trusted strategic sounding board. “Garry’s been a fixture in our growth story,” says Klotz. “His input has helped us navigate things like establishing quarterly OKRs, articulating product strategy and taking bigger risks to unlock growth.”

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From Early Adopters to Industry Leader
What started as a tool for a few early adopter colleges in Ontario has grown into the go-to virtual tour platform for nearly 100 institutions across North America. Longstanding partnerships with schools like Conestoga College, Seneca College, Algonquin College, and Carleton University speak to the product’s lasting value and impact.

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Today, that momentum extends across the U.S. and beyond, with leading institutions like Texas A&M, UW–Madison and CalTech joining Circuit’s growing customer base. Circuit has earned distinguished recognition as one of the most trusted and user-loved platforms in higher ed—ranked the #1 easiest-to-use virtual tour software on G2 and backed by a 4.9/5 rating from customers.

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Praised for its intuitive design, seamless CRM and website integrations, and a relentless focus on outcomes—driving inquiries, increasing engagement, and helping teams do more with less—Circuit is on a clear path to becoming a category leader in higher education technology.

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Built in Canada. Used Around the World.

Circuit’s growth is a testament to what’s possible when innovation is paired with community support. What began as an early-stage idea between two founders is now one of the most trusted digital engagement tools in higher education. And it all started at ventureLAB.

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“When you're starting out, you don’t realize how important your ecosystem is,” says Klotz. “ventureLAB gave us the support, mentorship, and network to go from a slide deck to a category-defining company.”

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