$10k Productivity Grant

Are you a startup based in Québec? This is your opportunity to grow.

The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is proud to launch, for the very first time, the Productivity grant — a $10,000 prize awarded to the startup that pushes the boundaries of efficiency. In today’s uncertain economic climate, productivity is more than ever a key competitive advantage. Whether your solution helps optimize processes, integrate new technologies, or transform business models to gain agility — this grant is for you. We aim to support startups that put innovation at the service of performance and sustainable growth. Just like last year, candidates will be automatically added to the pipeline of our partner funds: Accelia Capital,AQC Capital,i4 Capital,Mistral Venture et Seido Capital.

Eligibility Criteria:

To apply for our grantmake sure you meet the following criteria: 

  • Your startup must be incorporated and have its headquarters in Québec;

  • At least one of the founders must work full-time in the startup;

  • Your startup must clearly demonstrate its impact on the productivity of its target client companies — whether through process optimization, automation, performance improvement, or the adoption of new technologies;

  • Your company must be in the pre-seed or seed stage.

 

The Process:

Pitch to the judges! 

Our investor judges will be on the ground, roaming around during the three-day festival. You’ll easily recognize them by their investor judge badges with a green lanyard.  

You’ll find them at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ table in the Startupfest Village or directly on the site. The beauty of the concept is that you can pitch anywhere and anytime

You’ll have a few minutes to present your project to the judgesThey can do so in their preferred language: French or English. 

Selection Process: 

Startups have until 5:00 PM on Thursday, July 10th, to present their pitch to the investor judges.

Subsequently, the judges will crown the winning startup during the afternoon closing ceremony. 

This is the very first edition of the Productivity Grant. Who will rise to the challenge?

Startupfest does not guarantee that an investment prize will be awarded. All investment decisions and agreements are made solely at the discretion of the participating investors and the selected startup.That said, we’re proud to share that over 95% of the approximately 30 Startupfest investment prizes awarded over the past 15 years have successfully closed.

Good luck to all! 

Judges

Justin Brasier

Justin has been working in the Quebec entrepreneurship market since 2012, where he has served as a lender, an investor in investment funds, and a venture capital investor. He has been involved in the technology sector for the same period and now exclusively focuses on this industry, seeking out promising technology companies on behalf of Fonds de solidarité FTQ.

Mickaël Galvani

Since joining the Fonds de solidarité FTQ in 2021, Mickaël Galvani has played a key
role in more than 15 fund investments totalling over $200 million. He was the lead
investor for several of these projects.
Over the past 10 years, Mickaël has contributed to the financing of ecosystem, venture
capital, growth, and development capital funds in Québec and the rest of Canada.
He previously worked for the fund management firm Desjardins Capital, where he
oversaw the management of several investment funds and was responsible for
institutional investor relations. He also participated in the creation, recapitalization, and
materialization of investment funds at Desjardins Capital.

Prior to that, Mickaël spent 10 years at EY, where he specialized in due diligence and
transactional finance. He has been involved in over 60 transactions, with acquisition
values ranging from the tens of millions to several billion dollars, and has led over 30 of
these as project manager.
Mickaël holds a master’s degree in internal/external auditing from EM Strasbourg
Business School and a master’s degree in management from Université Robert
Schuman in Strasbourg.

Alexandre Boyer

Alexandre is an investor interested in impact investments and green technologies. Since joining the Fonds de solidarité FTQ in 2017, he has held various positions related to savings, finance and investment. He currently serves as an investment advisor in the IT, energy and environmental sectors. Alexandre has been involved in several financing projects for companies operating in these promising fields. He holds a bachelor’s in business administration (BBA), with a concentration in finance, from ESG UQÀM. Additionally, he is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certified by the CFA Institute.

Simon Bédard

Simon works at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ in impact investments, focusing on venture capital funds and technology companies. He began his career as an auditor at PwC before moving into corporate finance at PME MTL West Island, where he assisted startup entrepreneurs in developing their business plans and seeking funding. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) with a specialization in accounting from the University of Sherbrooke and is a CPA.

Camille Crueghe

Camille is an investor and advisor at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, where she helps analyze investments in venture capital funds and early-stage companies, with a focus on biotech and medtech businesses. As a young entrepreneur, she founded a ready-to-eat startup and dealt with some of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs from immigrant backgrounds. With a master’s degree (MSc) in finance, she pivoted towards investment, developing strategic partnerships with various capital funding players and helping to set up a venture capital investment platform specifically for companies active in the energy transition and sustainable food sectors.