The Tent Village

July 11-12, 2019

It takes a village…

At Startupfest, the Tent Village is one of the most unique, and attractive aspects of the entire event.

Our goal is to create an environment that encourages people to look away from their screens, and make real-time connections. We have over 30 tents, ranging from themed sectors, to demo spaces, pitch competitions and geographic divisions. There is no substitute for face to face interaction and our Tent Village facilitates this by putting you in the same physical space than all of the people you want to meet.

Unlike other events, where you’ll see a speaker onstage and then whisked away to catch their flight, you can catch ours hanging out in the Tent Village, perhaps with a beer in hand, happy to talk and available for you to connect with. The Tent Village provides attendees with an unbeatable networking opportunity we promise you haven’t experienced anywhere else.

Become a Tent Champion!

2019 Tents

$100k Prize

Champion: Startupfest

A group of angel investors have come together to create 2, $100k Investment prizes, in the form of a convertible note. One is open to all startups in attendance, and one is solely for a female-led startup! You’ve got until end of day Thursday to impress one of these judges – identified by a blue lanyard or found in their tent. If you’re shortlisted, you’ll be contacted Thursday evening and invited to a private breakfast Friday morning. Winner will be announced onstage Friday afternoon!

Innovative Media and Content Prize

Champion: Québecor

Videotron has teamed up with our counterparts at Quebecor, NumeriQ and MELS to award $50,000 in cash prizes and in-house partnerships to burgeoning content/media startups.
We’re looking for startups that serve the content industry, through disruptive means and mechanisms for creating, distributing, or managing content (text, video, audio, etc.). These can be innovative solutions for the content industry manifesting in hardware or software, that increases the value of content in a digital world, encourage new modes of interaction, or help to better curate what already exists.

Grandmother Judges

Champion: Startupfest

Our illustrious Grandmother Judges are back. You have Thursday, and Friday afternoon to pitch to them in their tent, and vie for the title of Grandmother’s Choice. (In case you didn’t know, analytics startup Onavo was a previous winner, and months later went on to be acquired by Facebook for $250 million. You want to win this one).

Elevate your ideas

Champion: National Bank

Prizes to be won: Give us your best elevator pitch and you could win prizes worth up to $7,000, including a grant and free services from our partners Budgeto, Operio and Lex Start. Representatives of 10 start-ups will also get the chance to share a VIP meal with a Bank executive.

Expand your horizons with National Bank and its partners

Advice for your business: Whether you’re at the start-up phase or looking to take your business to the next level, come see us and our partnersBudgeto, Operio and Lex Start. We’ll give you some tips on managing your finances and accounting and guide you through the legal aspects you’ll need to consider as a business owner.

Inspiring speakers: Want more info on accelerator programs in Quebec and the start-ups they support? We’re bringing together speakers:

Ghyslain Goulet and Cécile Vincent from the ACET program at the Université de Sherbrooke and Simon Gaudreau from Immune Biosolutions ;

Richard Chénier and Julian Lucchesi from Centech program at ÉTS with Jade Doucet-Martineau from Puzzle Medical Devices and David Hétu from Flare Systems;

Mo Akif and Hilary Lee from McGill University’s X-1 Accelerator with representatives from FemTherapeutics and CHK PLZ

Valérie Forget from OSMO

Jonathan Thériault from Technology and Innovation Banking Group, National Bank and his colleague Stéphane Bousquet, Digital Solutions Commercial Banking along with Jan Christopher Harp from Holt Accelerator, David Nault from Luge Capital and a representative from CDPQ Ventures.

VIP cocktail evening on Thursday: A great networking opportunity. Our Technology Group has a few free invites to give away. Investors, partners of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and representatives of investment funds and fintechs will all rub shoulders around appetizers and cocktails. You could be there too!

Mentors by BDC

Champion: BDC

The Mentor Zone, hosted by BDC, is where you can find Startupfest speakers and mentors available for open office hours in the Tent Village. The schedule will be posted one week prior to the event!

Demo Zone

Champion: Startupfest

In this tent, you’ll find a variety of startups showcasing what they’re working on.

Ministère de l’Économie et de l’innovation

Champion: Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation

Organisé par le ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation, ses conseillers ainsi que plusieurs collaborateurs, dont le Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Diversité et de l’Inclusion (MIDI), Femmessor, un consortium d’organismes œuvrant sur la mobilité durable et divers autres organismes de soutiens aux startups, participeront à ce kiosque afin de présenter les services d’appui offerts aux startups. Plusieurs activités sont au rendez-vous : réseautage, ateliers, rencontres, séances d’information, etc. Il y aura également un sondage pour les startups, les incubateurs et accélérateurs d’entreprises afin de mieux connaître leurs enjeux actuels et leurs besoins.

Ville de Montréal

Champion: Ville de Montréal

Creative and vibrant, Montreal is a dynamic city to launch your startup! Come meet with representatives from the City of Montreal, the PME MTL network and the École des entrepreneurs du Québec à Montréal. Pitch competitions, conferences and networking, face-to-face meetings with experts, workshops and tastings will be at the forefront of our tent. Many prizes to win : three 1000$ awards, specialized trainings and access to business events across the city.

Accelerator Zone

Champion: Startupfest

Come meet some of Canada’s leading technology Accelerators and Incubators, and see what they’re looking for in 2019. Next36, NextAI, DMZ, Creative Destruction Lab and more are hosting prizes here.

The Flight is Right

Champion: Air Canada

Air Canada for Business is a free program designed for small and medium-sized companies to help them save on business travel, earn rewards and enjoy exclusive member offers. Come by our tent for our Startupfest exclusive offers, prizes and to pitch your next business travel plan for a chance to win a pair of Air Canada tickets*. *Present in 2-3 minutes your name, your company, targeted destination, the reason to fly there and what will you do.Certain conditions apply.

startupMontreal.io

Champion: Montreal International

You’re an international start-up and you’re interested in coming back to Montreal for more?
Come pitch your idea or start-up to our team to have the opportunity to live and work in Montreal for a week.
If you’re the lucky entrepreneur we choose, you’ll win a 5-night stay in Montreal, a spot in a coworking space for the week, and an agenda tailored to your needs.
Come see us for more details.

Toronto by DMZ

Champion: DMZ

It’s becoming a saying: “Good mentors send you to an accelerator. Great mentors send you to the DMZ.”

What makes the DMZ great? No-equity customized growth programs with world-renowned mentors, a network of 350+ investors that are ready to meet you, offices in Toronto and NYC, growth opportunities in various parts of the world thanks to partnerships with international incubators and more.

Want to learn more? Drop by, we’d love to chat!

KW-Toronto

Champion: Highline Beta + Exponential Ventures

Exponential Ventures is a digital asset impact fund investing in visionary start ups. In addition to investment, ExV’s network of advisors also help founders scale exponentially. Come by to our tent to be assessed by one of our cofounders and advisors.

The Bus Stop

Champion: Bus.com

Bus.com is hiring! Catch them in the Startupfest tent village. Details coming soon.

Hub Investissement

Champion: Espace CDPQ

Espace CDPQ pools networks, expertise and resources for the benefit of companies with high growth potential in Quebec. Come and learn more about our 21 investor and support partners and discover innovative Quebec startups.

“The Pitch” by Gimlet Media

Champion: Gimlet Media

Come pitch your startup to Gimlet Media, for a chance to be featured on The Pitch!

FinTech

Champion: Station FinTech Montréal

Montréal’s FinTech ecosystem in a tent! Come meet the Montréal FinTech Station team and the cool players in the city. Through our new 25,000 sq.ft collaborative workspace located at 4 Place Ville-Marie, we will offer services, coaching and collaboration opportunities with financial institutions for FinTech start-ups. Come hang out with us and see how we can help you.

Ecosystem Support

Champion: Startupfest

Here you’ll find a variety of organizations offering programs for entrepreneurs in the community. From gov’t programs, to hosting services, we’re here to help.

Startup Services

Champion: Startupfest

Here you’ll find a variety of service providers looking to connect with startups! Join us in the Fast Track tent to connect with key executives from global companies, and to learn more about how to best approach corporate collaborations.

Calgary

Champion: Startup Calgary

Connect with the people who make Calgary’s entrepreneurial ecosystem so vibrant! Meet the founders of Calgary’s top startups, investors, advisors and community members – over pancakes and beer! Want to experience what Calgary has to offer? Enter a draw to win free airfare and accommodation for 2. Follow the hashtag #startupyyc throughout the festival for updates.

Saskatchewan

Champion: Co.Labs & Cultivator

Saskatchewan’s tech community is unique and directly reflects our culture: gritty, hustlers, and the kind of people you’d want to be stranded on an island with.

Ville de Québec

Champion: LE CAMP

Innovation! Créativité! Ambition! Découvrez les entrepreneurs qui propulsent la communauté de startups émergentes de la Ville de Québec.

Ville de Marseille

Champion: Mairie de Marseille

Délégation officielle et entreprises de la Ville de Marseille.

France

Champion: Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse

Présentation de start’ups créées par de jeunes entrepreneurs français.

Startup World Championships

Champion: Startupfest

Showcasing the startups that won the Startup World Championships: A competition aimed to find 20 brilliant tech startups in some of the world’s most vibrant startup cities.

Open Innovation

Champion: Mtl NewTech & Quartier de l’innovation

Do you want to participate at two of the coolest pitch contests at Startupfest? Find out here what you can win in the tent “Open Innovation” powered by Quartier de l’innovation, Montréal & Montreal NewTech.

Learn more

1. Pitch your Startup. THURSDAY 11/07 – FRIDAY 12/07 – Answer the question “How does my startup use innovation to create impact?” in a 1-minute pitch in front of our cameras. ???? – Post the social media video and let the public tilt the balance in your favour. – The Prizes will be announced soon!

2. Pitch a Technology. THURSDAY 11/07 – Looking for technologies to create your startup? Discover our board of local technologies provided by Aligo Innovation and Univalor. – Pick one of the technologies available, pitch in front of our camera and run the chance to win our #TechPrize.

3. Consultations on open innovation. FRIDAY 12/07 Do you want to learn more about open innovation? Talk to the experts, the Coopérathon team. This is your opportunity to talk about your projects to the members of the world’s largest open innovation competition!

Corporate Innovation Zone

Champion: Multiplicity

Startups want to engage with corporates and vice versa. Meet Manulife and Franklin Templeton Investments to discuss real business problems with the aim of pursuing a paid proof of concept project. Manulife and Franklin Templeton Investments are interested in meeting startups focused on development operations, cybersecurity and protection of customer data, and improving the customer acquisition and on-boarding experience.

Laval

Champion: Le Tiers Lieu

L’écosystème lavallois vient à votre rencontre. Laval possède des ressources et outils complémentaires, du soutien financier, des incubateurs dans les domaines de la biotech, de la mobilité intelligente, du commerce de détails et de l’innovation sociale, ainsi que de nombreux services qui vous permettront d’optimiser votre temps et vos efforts dans vos projets entrepreneuriaux. Laval, c’est votre écosystème créateur des possibles.

Communauté made in Montreal

Champion: Bonjour Startup Montreal

Created in January 2019, Bonjour Startup Montréal is the definition of the Montreal startup ecosystem, dedicated to make creation, growth and influence easier in order to place the city in the world’s top 20 of most dynamic startups.