Ambitious $29 million project to accelerate the growth of 375 Quebec startups by 2023

375 commercialization-phase Quebec startups to receive intensive customized coaching to reach their growth phase faster

Quebec City, January 30, 2021 – While its Sommet des accélérateurs is underway, Mouvement des accélérateurs d’innovation du Québec (MAIN Québec) announces the renewal of its coaching service for innovative and technological SMEs (PMEit). This project, totalling more than $29M, is made possible thanks to the support of the ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation, who granted a $12.5M subsidy over three years. 

Helping Quebec startups reach their growth phase faster

This new version of the service originally deployed between 2018 and 2020 will accelerate a maximum of 375 of Quebec’s most promising high-growth potential companies between now and 2023. The companies will receive intensive and customized coaching and expertise, totalling a maximum value of $75,000, to facilitate their transition from commercialization phase to growth phase, globally.

“This model centers the entrepreneur in the support that is offered, preserves the trust and relationship with their incubator or accelerator and encourages peer-supported skill development while leveraging all the value-added resources of our network,” said Louis-Félix Binette, Managing Director of MAIN Québec.

“We need the inventiveness and audacity of our new entrepreneurs to accelerate innovation and increase our collective wealth. Support projects such as PMEit encourage Quebec’s entrepreneurial fiber. It’s the kind of initiative that we must support to help entrepreneurs in a context of economic recovery,” emphasized Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation.

“Regional economic development rests largely on emerging visionary companies that bet on new technologies to create innovative products and services. In every region, there are audacious young business people ready to tackle the challenges that come with entrepreneurship. We are lucky to be able to count on such strong allies as MAIN and its partners to support them. The Quebec government is proud to renew its support for PMEit,” declared Marie Eve Proulx, Minister for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Chaudière-Appalaches, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine regions

A project rooted in the mobilization of an entire ecosystem

More than 40 accelerators, incubators and support organizations all over Quebec have already indicated that they are interested in becoming partners of this new version of the coaching service. Their contributions will include identifying and supporting young innovative companies. A vast network of more than 500 coaches and experts that understand startup reality will also be leveraged to ensure that participating companies have access to the best advisors for their situation, no matter where in Quebec they are located.

MAIN Québec will continue to rely on its innovative model, which is based on collaboration and resource sharing. In collaboration with 38 organizations on the ground, the first version of the service provided support for 171 companies between 2018 and 2020, including 47% from outside of Montreal, hailing from 15 different regions. The results demonstrate the impact of a concerted action by the support ecosystem on accelerating young innovative companies when they approach their growth phase.

The project intends to mobilize all the stakeholders necessary in ensuring the success of its supported startups. It is rooted in the convergence of these actors. While the coaching service is not yet active, you can already let MAIN know that you are interested in getting involved and receiving the updates to avoid missing the launch.

• Are you a commercialization-phase high-growth potential company that would like to benefit from customized coaching? Sign up here!
• Are you a coach or expert that understands startups that would like to offer your services? Introduce yourself here!
• Are you part of the acceleration ecosystem (accelerator, investment fund, financial institution, etc.) and would like to partner with MAIN and the project? Contact us!

About Mouvement des accélérateurs d’innovation du Québec (MAIN)

MAIN was created in 2016 from the conviction that, if they worked together and as a network, organizations whose mission it is to support startups can 10x their impact in 10 years. Its ambition is for every startup, no matter where it’s located in Quebec, to have access to the best resources to support its development and growth, as quickly as possible. Its mission is to support, develop and implement projects to galvanize this ecosystem and to increase the value and impact of services offered to Quebec startups.

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For more information or to request an interview
Claude Arsenault
Lead — Acceleration Projects
claude@mainqc.com
514-928-4537
https://mainqc.com