Busy month of May for the #bonjourstartup team!

May was one of the busiest months to date for Bonjour Startup Montréal! Our team traveled all around the world to talk about the achievements of Montreal’s startup ecosystem.

From Vivatech (Paris) to The Next Web (Amsterdam) and from C2MTL (Montreal) to Collision (Toronto), we were everywhere …We met dozens of startup players from here and there, ready to collaborate with us to create opportunities for startups in Montreal. We discussed best practices and identified key priorities and initiatives to help our ecosystem grow and flourish. We’re now dreaming about what is yet to come!

What came out of our missions this month?

Montreal is a functioning ecosystem, providing a large number of essential resources for its entrepreneurs.

According to Laurence, Project Manager at Bonjour Startup Montréal, who has experienced The Next Web conference in Amsterdam,

“Montreal is positioning itself well and heading in the right direction as an ecosystem. Our city generates great interest among players who want a gateway to North America. Our ecosystem is very dynamic and other communities around the world are inspired by what is done here. There are issues that we solved a long time ago, such as early-stage funding. There are many ecosystems that do not offer startup investment funds at this stage, which is a hindrance to startups and the expansion of their ecosystem. “

Montreal is also a city with a relatively low cost of living, and policies that are conducive to starting a business.

“In Montreal, we are in a very advantageous situation, since we can find cheap housing unlike other big cities in North America. It is also easier to find affordable offices. In addition, the government agencies of Montreal and Quebec are very supportive of startups with support programs and many types of financing. “ says Nancy, Director at Bonjour Startup Montréal, about her experience in Boulder at Tech Policy and Vivatech.

This month of May ended with a lot of ideas to grow our Montreal ecosystem.

“I dream of a Montreal ecosystem that shines on the international stage. To do this, we have the responsibility to put in place simple, relevant and accessible initiatives that allow our entrepreneurs to participate in international events. During Collision, I spoke with many entrepreneurs who told me about their desire to look internationally, but who have trouble finding the financial resources and support needed to get there. What will we put in place tomorrow to facilitate this international orientation, and vice versa, to attract international attention to our local startups? “

Charlotte Blouin-Arbor, Communications Director at Bonjour Startup Montréal and Head of Delegation who traveled to Collision Toronto in May.

“One thing that might be hindering our ecosystem from time to time is that it established itself later than other more established ecosystems. On the other hand, it is impressive to see that in only four months of existence, we have succeeded in rallying so many key players in the ecosystem. Our community appears to me to be stronger and more united than before, even far beyond what I have seen in other ecosystems of comparable size on the international scene. I am more than ever convinced that we must continue to work as a team to become even stronger and go further. “

Nancy, Director at Bonjour Startup Montréal

“We had a lot of exchanges with startups in the cities of Seoul and Singapore. Over there, local markets are so small that internationalization is part of their business model from the early days of the business. They must go directly to the European and American markets. They have therefore developed mobility incentives to facilitate the export of startups. This type of initiative seems to me to be very relevant for Montreal startups, and it is something that is not particularly advanced in our ecosystem at the moment. There is, of course, the LOJIQ which gives grants, but they remain accessible to entrepreneurs who have a specific event in mind. We could be inspired by what others are doing internationally to facilitate the mobility of our entrepreneurs.”

Laurence, Project Manager at Bonjour Startup Montréal

We came back more motivated than ever to position Montreal as one of the top 20 most dynamic ecosystems in the world!

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