According to the Startup Genome, Montréal is one of the world’s most active startup hotbed cities, home base to over 2,500 active startups on the island of Montréal. With over 190,000 employees working primarily in the tech and artificial intelligence industries, the city ranked 39th among the nearly 300 cities considered for the 2024 Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking, thanks to its strategic location, highly educated talent, innovative spirit, high level of performance and attractiveness for both entrepreneurs and investors. In short: welcome to startup heaven.
Innovation starts at the Palais des congrès de Montréal
Montréal’s unique spirit of joie de vivre extends above and beyond the vibrant neighbourhoods and cultural offerings into its work, with an open playing field for new ideas and startup organizations.
With its storefront right on the ground floor of Montréal’s convention centre, aka the Palais des congrès de Montréal, the startup incubator MT Lab has pride of place in the city’s promotion. They help planners and delegates at the Palais des congrès de Montréal discover the city and elevate their experience through creative, affordable activities and solutions courtesy of a handful of innovative local companies.
From Gallea’s pop-up art exhibits or Aglaé’s glow-in-the-dark plant technology that enhances room décor, to Made With Love’s custom mixology workshops and engaging networking activities powered by the Braindate platform or Atypic Labs’ augmented multi-sensory activations, MT Lab and the Palais des congrès de Montréal can help planners find the right partners and services to meet event objectives.
Annual startup events that put Montréal on the map
Each calendar year, Montréal hosts some major startup-related events. They range from C2 Montréal, which brings business leaders and creative thinkers together, to Startupfest’s hip and happening networking and connection building, to World Summit AI Americas, highlighting the latest technologies and uncovered potential of artificial intelligence.
You want inventive thinking and mind-blowing ah-ha moments? You’re in the right city.
More Montréal startups to know
There’s a seemingly endless list of exciting startups in Montréal, but here are some of the game-changers you may have heard of:
Lightspeed. A leading point-of-sale and e-commerce software provider that enables businesses to manage inventory, service, data, staff and customer relationships.
Dialogue. The leading virtual care provider in Canada, empowering organizations to build healthier, happier, and more productive teams.
Hopper. A travel booking app and online travel marketplace that sells flights, hotels, rental cars and short-term rentals.
Nesto. A digital mortgage broker, now Canada's third-largest non-bank mortgage lender with over $60 billion in mortgages under administration.
Nuvei. A payment processor providing businesses with pay-in and payout options.
Paper. Provider of equitable, cost-effective and impactful academic support to drive learning acceleration, student engagement and future readiness.
Plusgrade. Developer of an ancillary revenue optimization platform serving the travel and hospitality industry.
Stay22. An affiliate revenue generator for events, ticketing and travel media publications.
Workleap. An all-in-one employee experience platform designed to streamline workflows and improve productivity.
SSENSE. A global technology platform multi-brand retail platform specializing in the sale of designer fashion and high-end goods.
Arrivage. A farm-to-plate platform that helps local farmers connect directly with restaurants, caterers and other event providers, to encourage diversity in the local terroir and to reduce food waste.
RE-AK Technologies. Specializing in emotional, cognitive and behavioural intelligence to make this knowledge available to everyone, starting with events professionals.
GHGSat. A company that provides daily monitoring of carbon dioxide from every industrial source on the planet thanks to methane-tracking satellites in orbit, with carbon dioxide monitoring to come.
Brainbox AI. This startup uses GHG management and energy optimization in real estate, to help decarbonize and optimize buildings with the help of autonomous AI.
Wavo. A music data analytics and marketing platform supported by experts helping the music industry to make investments in artists more predictable, scalable and profitable.
Ova. The developer of the software called Stellar X allows neophytes to create collaborative virtual/augmented reality simulation spaces and breathe new life into corporate training approaches.
Talent.com. The go-to, Montréal-made site for million people around the world to find work.
Agrisoft. This startup reinvents agriculture by bringing together researchers in agronomy and meteorology in projects aimed at improving decision-making processes for arable crops.
Flinks. A technology company looking to revolutionize banking and financial data transfer processes.
CarbiCrete. Their technology produces concrete without cement and without carbon, vastly reducing the industry’s carbon dioxide emissions.
Polystyvert. A world leader in the recycling of polystyrene, aka the #6 plastic that could not be recycled, until today.
Helpful resources for local startups
To go with all the startups, there are educational experiences, networking opportunities and financial resources aplenty. Here are some to consider:
- Québec Tech: the world’s largest startup training and creation program.
- MT Lab: Montréal’s tourism start-up incubator.
- PME MTL: offers a wide range of services to private entrepreneurs and social economy startups.
- École des entrepreneurs du Québec: helps entrepreneurs develop valuable skills for running a successful business.
- SAJE Montréal: stimulates the start-up and expansion of small- and medium-sized businesses.
- Entreprendre ici, Evol and Futurpreneur: organizations that provide assistance to specific groups.
- CEIM: provides advisory services on startup management (IT, new media, green tech, industrial tech, life sciences).
- Centech: provides startup assistance and incubator services in tech.
- Diagram: assists the next generation of global companies.
- District 3: innovation accelerator that helps entrepreneurs have a positive impact on their environment.
- TandemLaunch: transforms advanced research into consumer products.
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