The Startupfest Village

Created by: Startupfest

The $100k Best of the Fest Investment Prize has always been the most coveted prize at Startupfest, where hundreds of founders pitch for the chance to be crowned "Best of the Fest". We bring together a fantastic team of angel investor to award one startup with a $100K investment based on the standardized investment terms (available May 2025).

Open to:
All startups in attendance. No application required.

When to pitch:
Details to come

The Investment Prize winner will also receive the Osler Startup Package from our partners at Osler, a prize valued at $5,000.

Funded by: The Firehood

The $100k Women in Tech (WiT) Investment Prize is back! The Firehood is bringing together an incredible team of angel investors who will award one female-led startup with a $100k investment. That means one female founder attending Startupfest will walk away with an important investment, and access to an amazing network of investors.

Open to:
Any female-led startup in attendance. No application required.

When to pitch:
Details to come

The Investment Prize winner will also receive the Osler Startup Package from our partners at Osler, a prize valued at $5,000.

Created with: Rep Matters

Back for the fourth year, and funded by by Rep Matters, the $100k Black Entrepreneurs Investment Prize will bring together up to 10 angel investors ready to invest $100K in a Black-led startup.

Open to:
Any Black-led startup in attendance. No application required.

When to pitch:
Details to come

The Investment Prize winner will also receive the Osler Startup Package from our partners at Osler, a prize valued at $5,000.

Created with: QueerTech

Back for it’s second year in a row, Startupfest is proud to partner with QueerTech to bring you the 2SLGBTQIA+ investment prize. 

Open to:
Startups with the most senior member of the executive team identifying as part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. No pre-application required.

When to pitch:
Details to come

The Investment Prize winner will also receive the Osler Startup Package from our partners at Osler, a prize valued at $5,000.

Funded by: Front Row Ventures

$50k Student Entrepreneur Investment Prize is back for its third year! Front Row Ventures (FRV) is Canada’s leading university-focused and student-operated VC firm with a presence on 20+ university campuses across Canada.

Open to:
Student-led startups

When to pitch:
Details to come

Funded by: Fonds de solidarité FTQ

Are you a startup in Quebec? This is your chance to shine! Fonds de solidarité FTQ is excited to once again launch the Impact grant, a $25,000 prize reserved for the most innovative impact startup.

Open to: 
Québec based startups (see the full list of eligibility criteria here)

When to pitch:
Details to come

Funded by: Fonds de solidarité FTQ

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.

Open to: 
Québec based startups (see the full list of eligibility criteria here)

When to pitch:
Details to come

Created by: Startupfest

Our Illustrious Grandmother Judges are back. Countless entrepreneurs line up each summer to make their cases to the grandmothers—and for good reason. These ladies can see a good idea (or a bad one) from a mile away, and they certainly have no qualms about calling it as they see it. The winner of the (non-cash) Grandmothers’ Choice Award may not walk away with newfound riches, however, they will leave with a treasure trove of good advice and a ton of bragging rights.

Open to:
All startups in attendance. No pre-application required.

When to pitch:
Details to come

Presented by BDO

The Audience Choice Award this year will be awarded to the best pitch out of the 7 winners of our investment prizes. During the closing ceremonies, the winner’s circle will each take the stage to vie for the one prize voted on by every attendee- and one will be crowned the Startupfest 2025 Audience Choice.

Champion: E-180

The perfect platform and space for knowledge sharing and connecting with peers.

Curated 1:1 meetings between key players in the startup ecosystem.

Champion: Espace CDPQ

The Investor Lounge, brought to you by Espace CDPQ, offers the investment community a private space to meet and mingle. Open to attendees registered with an Investor ticket.

Find all accelerators and incubators in one place!
If you're an incubator or accelerator, this zone is your place to shine; a place to meet with your counterparts from across Canada and beyond. 
If you're an entrepreneur, this is where you can find the best organizations to accelerate your startup.

Here you’ll find a variety of service providers looking to connect with startups! From legal experts to accounting, these service providers are here to help and provide founders with valuable business advice.

For entrepreneurs looking to solve global challenges with AI-enabled solutions.

Meet NEXT AI Montréal at Startupfest! Come and discover our two flagship programs - Bootcamp and Acceleration - designed for entrepreneurs building AI-powered solutions. As every year, we'll be holding our pitch competition on site: the winning startup will win a place in NEXT AI Montréal's 2026 cohort!

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a nonprofit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science- and technology-based companies.

If you're building a science or tech venture with the potential for massive scale, CDL helps founders sharpen their focus, accelerate progress, and scale their impact with guidance from global leaders in business and research.Zero equity. High impact.🚀 Applications are now OPEN for Creative Destruction Lab’s 2025/26 Startup Program!

Apply now!

 #BuildSomethingMassive #AI #SupplyChain #Web3 #Quantum

IDEA is City of Mississauga's entrepreneurship hub. We offer programming and resources to entrepreneurs across early to growth stages. Our 2 key programs for Technology & Innovation founders are:

1) EmpowHER Tech Launchpad: A 12-week program focused on women-led businesses that are looking to scale their ventures and be investor ready! Program runs in the fall (Sept - Nov) each year. This program is run in partnership with YSpace and we accept 12 companies. The program includes group coaching, 1:1 mentorship and access to a strong female founder peer community. Applications will be open during the fest to apply!

2) Step Up Program: Step Up is a 6 month program offered to scaling ventures that are founded by inclusive founders. We accept about 10 companies each year and offer Peer 2 Peer circles, mentorship and a community of like minded entrepreneurs. Applications will open in the fall and the program runs from January - June each year.

Québec Tech is a non-profit organization dedicated to economic development. Its goal is to increase the number of successful Quebec technology startups that export and accelerate their development by mobilizing key players in Quebec's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Québec Tech is partnering with Startupfest through two flagship initiatives: French conferences and an exclusive space in the Startupfest village, bringing together 12 incubators and accelerators. It’s a key place to connect with Quebec’s tech ecosystem and fast-track your startup locally and abroad.

MT Lab fosters innovation and bolsters collaboration between startups offering innovative solutions and major tourism industry players.

MT Lab accelerates innovation opportunities in the tourism, culture and entertainment industry.

Come chat with us about how your startup could potentially change the tourism world and create enormous value in the process. We provide startup acceleration programs, financing opportunities for your projects and access to an incredible innovation community that was built through the last 8 years all over Quebec, Canada, France, and the US.

Contribute to the growth of its ecosystem by increasing the number of collaborations required for the development of innovations, technology transfers and the creation of economic, social and environmental wealth.

Federate and enrich the support offer for entrepreneurs in microelectronics and semiconductors by leveraging strategic partnerships, the recognized technical expertise of the ecosystem and an approach in which the needs and reality of the entrepreneur are at the heart of the experience. 

LE CAMP is a leading tech incubator-accelerator based in Québec City, offering high-level personalized support programs, strategic coaching, and international soft-landing services to help innovative startups scale and thrive—locally and globally.

LE CAMP is heading to Startupfest to meet bold startups ready to scale and partners eager to grow innovation. With 500+ startups supported and $540M+ in raised funding, we’re here to connect, collaborate, and help ambitious founders go further, faster. Let’s build the future together—come talk to us at StartupFest

Incubator specialized in high technology

Quantino supports the growth of deeptech startups through tailored incubation services: funding readiness, IP strategy, prototyping, and early market access. Meet us to learn how we help science-based ventures scale from lab to market with confidence and impact.

La base entrepreneuriale HEC Montréal is a university innovation hub inspiring and propelling the next generation of technology and impact entrepreneurs, in Quebec and around the world.

Come and discover La base's support programs and meet their alumni! It's the perfect opportunity to meet their team and learn more about how their coaching can propel your business to the next level. You'll also have the opportunity to chat with their alumni and discover their innovative and impactful businesses.

The growth accelerator exclusively dedicated to healthtech startups.

The CTS is THE growth catalyst dedicated specifically to healthcare technology startups, designed to meet your specific challenges. Our approach is based on 100% individual, tailor-made support. We analyze your needs, identify the obstacles to your growth, and connect you directly to the right experts, at the right time, so you can move forward faster and more efficiently. We work together to establish an effective marketing strategy, enriching your value proposition and proposing a strong positioning. All with a view to securing the first rounds of financing, a strategic network to accelerate your growth and connect you to key markets in North America, Europe and Asia.

Centech is a world-class tech incubator based in Montréal that helps deeptech and high-impact startups grow from idea to commercialization, without taking equity. At Startupfest, we're here to connect with ambitious founders who are building the technologies of tomorrow in sectors like medtech, cleantech, edtech, aerospace and more.

What we’re offering:
• An inside look at our non-dilutive acceleration and incubation programs (Acceleration & Propulsion)
• A chance to learn how our programs support startups in validating their tech, building go-to-market strategies, and connecting with top-tier mentors and partners
• One-on-one chats with our team and founders from our community
• Details on how to join one of the world’s top university-affiliated incubators

What to ask us:
• How do I know if Centech is the right fit for my startup?
• How can Centech help me scale?
• What does a “deeptech” startup really mean?

Come meet us and find out how we can help you go further, faster, and build a company that lasts.