momentumPI
intellectual property support
momentumPI aims to help support organizations (accelerators, incubators and others) offer innovative Canadian companies access to professional intellectual property (IP) services.
The initiative is funded by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Development Canada (ISDE).
momentumPI service
momentumPI comes in 3 parts:
- Training to raise awareness and equip support organizations and entrepreneurs with the importance of IP
- Developing and financing a customized intellectual property strategy
- Implementing and financing this intellectual property strategy
In Quebec, main acts as a facilitator for momentumPI, in collaboration with a large pool of intellectual property experts.
The service has been designed to reflect the uniqueness of the Quebec ecosystem and the varied needs of support organizations and companies.
information sessions
if you have any further questions, come along to one of our information sessions on Wednesdays at 11 a.m.
new
the "fundamentals of intellectual -property: an essential guide" training course
a new training program for innovative entrepreneurs!
Discover the fundamentals of intellectual property management in a start-up company. Learn how to protect your innovations and promote an IP culture among your employees, investors and business partners.
on the program
Self-paced online training, totally free of charge.
Duration 1h30-2h.
During this course, you will explore the fundamental concepts of intellectual property management.
- What is intellectual property?
- Overview - IP management
- Patents
- Trade secrets
- Trademarks and copyright
- IP strategy planning
- IP and business planning
- The roles and functions of IP management
- IP management
- Structure and system
- Communication with investors
- A culture of innovation
- Tips and case studies
- 3 case studies to avoid common pitfalls
By the end of this course, you will have acquired the knowledge you need to navigate the complex world of intellectual property.
cost
Training is free of charge.
create an IP strategy
Does your company, or one of the companies you support, need help to start protecting its intellectual property assets?
Thanks to Axelys' IP experts and partner firms, you can draw up an action plan to create a customized intellectual property strategy.
on the program
- Evaluation of the company's file by an IP expert
- Consulting hours to create a game plan and IP strategy based on the company's needs
- Financial assistance for these steps
cost
You'll pay $3,000 (+ taxes) for a customized IP strategy worth value of $12,000.
terms and conditions
- Be supported by a support organization (accelerator, incubator), proven by a letter of support (Clicking triggers the download)
- Have its head office in Quebec and intend to keep its head office in Canada
- Have an established business model based on an innovative product or service
- Demonstrate strong growth potential (business model with scale potential)
- Be in the early stages of commercialization (annual sales of $2M or less)
Duration
The creation of an IP strategy takes 12 weeks, and all actions linked to your participation in the service must be completed by March 31, 2026.
membership application
All applications will be evaluated by intellectual property experts to ensure the company's eligibility for the service.
A member of our team main will contact you shortly after receiving your application to let you know what to do next.
any questions?
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page, attend one of our information sessions held every Wednesday at 11 a.m. or contact a member of our team.
implement your IP strategy
Does your company or one of the companies you support have an established intellectual property strategy?
Get funding and help from IP experts to deploy an IP strategy.
on the program
- Supervision by a specialized IP firm (chosen by the entrepreneur)
- Process monitoring by a support organization
- Financial support for IP strategy deployment
- Deposit and full possession of intellectual property assets by the company, according to the needs targeted through the service
cost
It costs 30% of the value of the service received; this includes all actions required to deploy an IP strategy, up to a maximum value of $100,000.
terms and conditions
- Be supported by an organization (accelerator, incubator), proven by a letter of support (Clicking triggers download of template)
- Have a head office in Quebec and intend to keep its head office in Canada
- Have an established business model based on an innovative product or service
- Demonstrate strong growth potential (business model with scale potential)
- Be in the early stages of commercialization (annual sales of $2M or less)
- Have an IP strategy established by an expert IP firm and be ready to deploy it
Duration
All IP asset protection actions must be completed by March 31, 2026.
membership application
All applications will be evaluated by intellectual property experts to ensure the company's eligibility for the service.
A member of the main team will contact you shortly after receiving your application to let you know what to do next.
any questions?
Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page, attend one of our information sessions held every Wednesday at 11 a.m. or contact a member of our team.
questions andanswers
What is intellectual property?
Intellectual property (IP) encompasses all intellectual creations, whether an invention, a logo, a name, software, an artistic work, and so on. When we think of intellectual property, we most often think of patents or trademarks. However, intellectual property is not limited to these subjects, and opens up a whole field of possibilities for the protection of works of the mind. Patents, trademarks, industrial designs, trade secrets, copyrights and many others are just some of the resources available to creators to protect their intellectual property.
Why is it important to have an intellectual property strategy and protect your assets?
Intellectual property is an important asset for value enhancement. It makes a company more resilient and competitive.
Adequately protected intellectual property assets make it possible, among other things, to :
- Protecting a market
- Negotiating an agreement
- Forging new partnerships
- Raising funds
- Buy back
In today's fast-paced economic climate, protecting IP assets should be a priority for all innovative companies from the earliest stages of their development.
what is momentumpi service?
The initiative is part of the intellectual property strategy launched in 2018 by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISDE) to continue supporting the country's innovators, start-ups and technology companies.
Objectives:
- Facilitate the provision of intellectual property support to Canadian start-ups via business support organizations.
- Increase the capacity of the Canadian ecosystem to provide support in intellectual property matters by equipping the teams of business support organizations.
- Enable business support organizations to provide targeted support tailored to the needs of each start-up to help them acquire and maintain their intellectual property (IP) rights.
Does main have IP expertise?
main does not position itself as an expert in intellectual property (IP). As part of the momentumPI service, the role of main s role is to put companies and support organizations in touch with a pool of intellectual property (IP) experts.
Q&Afor startups
At what point should a company integrate intellectual property considerations into its development?
Although all too often overlooked, the question of intellectual property should be addressed right from the start of a business, whether in the choice of a name or in the early stages of product or service development.
Is a start-up company eligible for the momentumpPI service?
Yes, service eligibility criteria include :
- Have a head office in Quebec and intend to keep its head office in Canada
- Have an established business model based on an innovative product or service
- Demonstrate strong growth potential (business model with scale potential)
- Be in the early stages of commercialization (annual sales of $2M or less)
Can a company that already has an intellectual property (IP) strategy use the service?
Yes, each application is evaluated by the team mainteam, IP experts and an evaluation committee. If the company can benefit from the service, it can be admitted at any stage (game plan, creation or realization of the IP strategy).
Can a company not supported by a accelerator, incubator or organization benefit from the service?
No. If a company is not already supported, it will need to be for the rest of its journey. Once the application has been received, the unaccompanied company will be referred to the best support organizations for its situation. They will need to obtain a letter of support from a support organization in line with this model.
Can a company that is not yet supported by a firm specializing in intellectual property participate in the service?
No. If a company is not already supported by a specialized IP firm, it will have to be for the rest of its journey. Once the application has been received, it will be referred to this type of organization during the IP strategy implementation phase.
Once the company has been accepted, how long does momentumPI service last?
The time required to complete the various stages of the service may vary according to the progress of the company's intellectual property (IP) activities. However, here is an estimate for the majority of cases.
- Game plan for creating an IP strategy: about 2 weeks
- File evaluation and creation of an IP strategy: approx. 6 weeks
- Implementation of IP strategy: up to 18 months
Are IP expenses incurred before my company was accepted into the momentumPI service eligible for reimbursement?
No. To be eligible, expenses must be incurred after the application has been accepted by momentumPI. Expenses incurred prior to acceptance are not eligible for reimbursement.
questions andanswers for support organizations
I'm an expert in intellectual property. How can I offer my support services via your service?
Thank you for your interest in momentumPI! The aim of the service is to help equip the Quebec coaching ecosystem, through a network of pi experts. If you would like to contribute, please contact us via the contact page.
I work in a support organization: do you have a document that summarizes the service so that I can share it with the startups I support?
Yes, we do! You can download the momentumPI presentation in PDF format here.
The momentumPI service requires companies to be supported by a support organization. What kind of support is expected?
By agreeing to support a startup, a support organization undertakes to accompany a company in its entrepreneurial steps. These steps include actions to protect IP assets, up to a maximum of 4 hours for each of the components carried out by the company in the momentumPI service (creation of an IP strategy and implementation of an IP strategy). If the company participates in the creation of its IP strategy and then in its implementation, the expected support will be 8 h.
In addition to accompanying the company, the support organization undertakes to collaborate with main to collect the necessary data required for quarterly or annual reporting.
financial assistance for awareness-raising events
obtain sponsorship for an event dedicated to intellectual property
- 750 for an event
- 2000 for two events
These amounts represent the maximum that can be awarded, and may be reduced depending on the number of requests or the impact of the sponsored event.
eligibility criteria
Awareness
The event is designed to raise awareness of the importance of intellectual property in the development cycle of a young innovative company.
Differentiation
The event is not intended to replace the online training courses offered to entrepreneurs by momentumPI. However, it can complement them.
Community impact
The event must reach a considerable number of entrepreneurs in the community (order of magnitude of 20 to 100 entrepreneurs, depending on the region and event).
Collecting data
The event will enable us to collect data on contractors who have been made aware of intellectual property issues as part of the mandate given by ISDE (see section "Obligations of the organizers").
if you have any questions, please contact the momentumPI team
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main is a beneficiary of the ÉléverlaPI program, a national program of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISDE), a leader in intellectual property support for Quebec start-ups.