Montreal Startup Resources

FounderFuel, as described on the organization’s website, is “a mentor driven startup accelerator program that provides seed capital and access to veteran entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists and senior executives.” The 20 selected teams participate in a 12-week program which culminates in a Demo Day. On Demo Day, the teams pitch their business ideas to investors from the US, Europe, and Canada, in addition to media and individuals from the startup network. The Fall 2012 cohort will begin their program on August 13 and demonstrate their business savvy on Demo Day November 8, 2012. (I have met several people who have been privileged to have partipated in FounderFuel, and they seem to be well on their way to business success.)

As its name implies, the International Startup Festival is focused on startups. The three-day recent event was held from July 11-13, 2012 and this year’s theme was “startups that matter.”

MEEX, as explained on the website, “is a series of Montreal-based business networking events featuring speakers on Marketing, Social Media, Startups or Entrepreneurship topics.” Though on hiatus for the summer, the next MEEX event (number 8) will be held on September 11, 2012. MEEX was founded by an alumnus of HEC Montreal, which is why I am particularly supportive of this event. (I also attended MEEX4 in February, where I heard entrepreneur Eric Sicotte speak passionately about startups and I found the event very inspiring.)

Montreal Girl Geeks is a network for Montreal women interested and/or involved in tech. Montreal Girl Geeks provides typically free events and resources for women, including workshops. For upcoming events, it is best to check the group’s website, or follow them onTwitter, Facebook, or their RSS. (I felt pretty special when I attended the Montreal Girl Geeks Breakfast and Gaming with Kinect, where I received a free breakfast and was one of the first people in Canada to play with the new Kinect for Xbox 360 when it launched.)

Montreal NewTech is “a series of FREE monthly networking events for the startup community and tech enthusiasts,” as per their website. For information about their events, visit their website. The next event will be on August 7, and will be MTL NewTech Demo #45, where five startups will present for five minutes, followed by a five minute question and answer period.

Startup Drinks Montreal is an informal gathering of people in the Montreal startup community that meets once a month (usually the last Wednesday of the month). To find the next event, which is usually held at casual bar Brutopia, check Eventbrite. (I met one of my closest friends at Montreal Startup Drinks, so I would say that this event can be very exciting, although it certainly varies from month to month.)

TED Montreal hosts at last three TEDx events, including TEDxMontreal, TEDxMcGill, andTEDxConcordia. At these local, self-organized conferences, listeners can get inspired by knowledgeable speakers who talk for 18 minutes each.

About Lori Weiss

Lori Weiss recently got her MBA from HEC Montreal, where she was recently awarded the Global Citizenship Scholarship for her Campus Abroad trip to Russia. She has been involved in many activities at HEC Montreal, including her role as International Affairs Director for the student association and as an HEC Montreal team member for the Rotman CSR case competition. Prior to pursuing her MBA, Lori acquired five years of work experience as a Communications Manager for a Canadian Immigration law firm. Lori enjoys blogging and maintains her blog, Lori’s HEC Montreal MBA Experience, during her studies.

Read the latest blog posts and MBA news from our team of expert commentators in our TopMBA.com community section