momentumPI: Making Intellectual Property a Driver of Growth for Quebec Startups

The Quebec Innovation Accelerators Movement (MAIN) presented the details of the service this morning momentumPIservice, offered in collaboration with Axelys and Quebec’s accelerators and incubators. Made possible by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s ÉleverlaPIprogram,momentumPIwill provide support to high-growth-potential companies with intellectual property (IP) needs.

By March 2026, MAIN plans to carry out nearly 1,000 IP interventions that will enable at least 600 startups to develop an IP strategy or implement part of one at low cost. The service also plans to conduct awareness-raising and training activities on the issues and challenges of intellectual property management for businesses and support organizations.

Developing customized intellectual property strategies that are closely aligned with business strategy is a key ingredient in the success of our companies. momentumPIwill help make intellectual property a true driver of growth, far beyond a mere defensive mechanism.

Partnerships for Optimal Support and Referral Services for Businesses

To carry out this ambitious project, MAIN is drawing on the existing expertise and capabilities within Quebec’s innovation ecosystem. First and foremost, its partnership with Axelys—a company tasked with accelerating the development, IP management, and transfer of high-potential innovations stemming from public research in Quebec—will enable it to offer strategy development services to a large number of companies across all sectors.

In addition, following a public call for proposals, four consortia of accelerators and incubators have been granted partner organization status to ensure the effective delivery of momentumPIservices to companies in certain strategic sectors:

• life sciences and health technologies, led by Montréal InVivo;
• cultural and creative industries, tourism, and sports, led by MT Lab, La Piscine, and Mont X;
• environment and clean technologies, led by the 2 Degrés incubator in partnership with Cycle Momentum;
• deeptech, led by INO/Quantino—this consortium will help make Quebec a true hub of excellence in cutting-edge technologies.

MAIN will also collaborate with selected accelerators and generalist incubators that support a large volume of companies, so that the momentumPI service fits naturally into the startup support pathway and builds on existing intellectual property resources.

For more information about the momentumPIservice and its potential impact on your business or support organization, please feel free to contact us.

Quotes

“Investing in intellectual property and innovation is crucial to propelling our economy to new heights. By supporting businesses in developing robust intellectual property strategies, we are strengthening our economy for the long term while paving the way for sustainable growth and enhanced competitiveness for our Canadian companies,” said the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, the Honorable François-Philippe Champagne.

“Axelys is proud to partner with momentumPI. Startups and SMEs with a well-established intellectual property strategy are more competitive, export more, and have access to greater financing. Simply supporting this approach is not enough; it must be closely integrated into the company’s business model. One cannot be addressed without the other, which forms the basis of the support Axelys provides,” said Jesse Vincent-Herscovici, President and CEO of Axelys.

“The launch of momentumPI builds on MAIN’s commitment to fostering collaboration and the sharing of resources and targets among stakeholders in Quebec’s startup ecosystem. Together, by focusing specifically on intellectual property, we will help more than 600 high-growth-potential companies take flight, while strengthening our core service lines, particularly in key innovation sectors. Collective action allows us to envision even more ambitious support to ensure the long-term success of Quebec startups on the international stage,” said Louis-Félix Binette, Executive Director of MAIN.