Startup Montréal and APEXE Global unveil the Spring 2022 Hypercroissance Québec program cohort
2 June 2022
MONTRÉAL, June 2nd 2022 – Today, Startup Montréal, in partnership with Apexe Global, revealed the 11 innovative Québec-based high-growth companies (also known as scaleups) that will comprise the inaugural cohort of the Hypercroissance Québec program. Selected from 150 applicants, these companies, among the most promising in the province, exude their strong growth potential in various dynamic and high-growth sectors such as finance, healthcare, construction and information technology.
Hypercroissance Québec aims to encourage innovation while facilitating the international growth of Québecs up-and-coming scaleups. As the first Québec program dedicated to high-growth and high-potential companies, this initiative aims to promote Québec’s innovative character while generating positive economic benefits for the entire province.
“One of our priorities is to ensure that SMEs can count on appropriate financing throughout their growth. With the support offered to this first cohort, we are giving innovative, fast-growing Québec companies a chance to reach their full potential and shine on world markets,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation and Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development.
“Congratulations to the companies in this first cohort of the Hypercroissance Québec program. Our Québec ambassadors abroad will be proud to accompany them in their conquest of world markets and will be put to work facilitating the commercialization of our innovations,” said Nadine Girault, Minister of International Relations and Francophonie and Minister responsible for the Laurentians.
The selected scaleups will benefit from a 9-month customized program, centered around executive development through coaching, mentoring and sales missions. Coaching and mentoring will connect participating companies with world-class and seasoned executives both in their own industry and functional role. Sales missions are planned to encompass the process from new market penetration to closing deals. These program pillars will drive continued and accelerated growth and increase their competitiveness in targeted international markets.
“The startup ecosystem had to offer world-class support to these companies in their hyper-growth phase. The Montréal startup ecosystem, with its dynamism and key players, can serve as a catalyst for hypergrowth and contribute to the influence of Montréal and Québec in the most competitive markets,” said Liette Lamonde, executive director of Startup Montréal.
“ The companies have gone through a rigorous process and were selected because of their impressive success to date and very high growth potential. We’re so proud to be working with them so they achieve bigger things, faster, and become global category leaders. They are the Québec companies to watch, ” says JF Gauthier, located in Silicon Valley, founder and CEO of Apexe Global.
The final selection panel was composed of global experts including Sandeep Mathrani (CEO of WeWork and international investor) and Jeff Hoffman (serial entrepreneur including Priceline.com, Booking.com, Ubid), in addition to Canadian luminaries Pascale Audette (President of Startup Montréal’s Board of directors and senior executive) and David Dufresne (mentor extraordinaire and VC).
“Helping companies achieve hypergrowth is totally aligned with BDC’s mission and values, which is why it was only natural for us to want to get involved in helping our innovative, high-potential Québec companies grow and thrive,” said Jérôme Nycz, Executive Vice-President, BDC Capital. “This first cohort of the Hypercroissance Québec program is rich in potential and we congratulate each of the companies for being selected”.
“As this first cohort demonstrates, Québec has many innovative startups with strong growth potential,” says Jean-Yves Bourgeois, Senior Vice-President, Business Services at Desjardins Group. “However, we are finding that companies are struggling to go international and even to expand outside their regional market. For them to succeed, they need support. Our commitment of $1 million over 5 years with Startup Montréal is part of our commitment to help companies reach their full potential. Congratulations to the selected startups and count on us to be by your side in realizing your dreams.”
The presentation of selected scaleups will take place during the official program cohort launch event on the evening of June 2 – an event convening representatives of the selected companies, ecosystem partners and key players.
Hypercroissance Québec is made possible by the support of the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation (MEI) and the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie (MRIF). The program counts on the support of Investissement Québec International and world-class partners such as the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN). Hypercroissance Québec also receives funding from Desjardins and BDC Capital.
List of selected scaleups:
To access the descriptions of participating scaleups and to learn more about Hypercroissance Québec, visit Startup Montréal’s website: https://startupmontreal.com/en/our-projects/hypercroissance-quebec/
About Startup Montréal
Startup Montréal is a not-for-profit organization created through the merger of Bonjour Startup Montréal with Montréal Inc. Our mission is to increase the potential already offered by Montréal’s startup ecosystem, in two ways: by extending its outreach and by multiplying its positive impact. We pilot collective and collaborative projects – including Grant+, the FoundHers pre-accelerator, and the Conciergerie – which benefits individual entrepreneurs and the entire innovation community. To achieve our mission, we receive financial support from the Government of Québec, the City of Montréal, and other key partners and corporate donors. www.startupmontreal.com