$25k Impact Grant

Are you a startup in Quebec? This is your chance to shine! The Fonds de solidarité FTQ is excited to once again launch the Impact grant, a $25,000 prize reserved for the most innovative impact startup. We celebrate the boldness and creativity of startups that aim to create a better future for everyone. 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.

New this year : additional investment opportunity
In addition to the grant offered by the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Mistral Venture Partners will offer one of the Fonds’ grant recipients an investment prize of $25,000 in the form of a SAFE, based on its own selection criteria. Learn more here.

The recipient will be selected based on the firm’s own selection criteria, including the distinction of having received one of the two Fonds grants: either the Impact or the Productivity grant.
A unique opportunity to take your startup even further — thank you to the Mistral team!

Eligibility Criteria:

To apply for our grant, make 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 demonstrate its positioning as an impact-driven enterprise, aiming for both financial performance and positive impact on environmental and/or social aspects. This impact should align with at least one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals;
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 judges. They 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.

Last year, it was the company Panorama that took the prize. Who will be next?

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 everyone!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.