2022-03-23
Twenty Montréal women go all out with their business venture

Twenty Montréal women go all out with their business venture

by Startup Montréal
23 March 2022

Startup Montréal launches FoundHers’ fourth cohort

 

MONTRÉAL, March 21, 2022 – Startup Montréal announces the selection of FoundHers’ fourth cohort which supports twenty Montréalers as they launch their business idea.

The women-only cohort largely share a common desire to have a positive impact in society with entrepreneurial projects in sectors such as agribusiness, professional services, ICT, and tourism. The cohort is also a reflection of the Montréal demographic since half of the women identify themselves as members of the diversity. Also, 60% of women in the cohort are aged between 18 and 35 years old and the other 40% are 36 years or older.

“FoundHers focuses on the development of the human potential of women who wish to start their own business. Our goal is to increase the number of women in our entrepreneurial ecosystem. We chose to support women who want to go all out, and not to propose solutions in specific industries. Our team is delighted to feel the enthusiasm of candidates for our program,” says Liette Lamonde, Managing Director of Startup Montréal.

Startup Montréal would like to thank its main financial partner BMO without whom the FoundHers program would not have been created back in 2019. In addition, FoundHers relies on Ubisoft as a collaborator of the project as well as ten service partners who also contribute to the success of this program: ACCLR, District 3, Esplanade Québec, Evol, Futurpreneur Canada, l’Institut de développement de produits, la Jeune Chambre de commerce de Montréal, LOJIQ, PME MTL and Le Wagon.

“At BMO, we like to be bold in making a difference in everyday life as well as in business. It is essential for us to contribute to the development of the entrepreneurial potential of Montréal women so that they can seize all the growth opportunities for their business projects,” said Fatiha Senhaji, National Director, Industry & Customer Programs – Business Banking, BMO. “The women of this cohort inspire us and demonstrate the diversity of business initiatives thanks to their sustainable proposals. We are proud of our commitment to Startup Montréal for the FoundHers program since its beginning.”

“The Ubisoft Entrepreneur team is very pleased to contribute to the FoundHers program as a collaborating partner for a third consecutive year. We always follow with great admiration the progress of twenty women who choose to move from an idea, to design, then to the market. Entrepreneurship is part of our DNA and we are proud to be able to contribute to the support offered by Startup Montréal,” said Lucile Bousquet, Assistant Vice President Corporate Affairs, Ubisoft.

The cohort begins the Élan course on Tuesday, March 22. This first course lasts five weeks and will provide workshops and personalized coaching to allow women in the cohort to validate their idea and obtain the right tools in bringing their projects to reality.

From this cohort, ten women will continue the program for an additional 12 weeks during the Envol course. This course is built to propel entrepreneurs to the pre-commercialization stage. At the end of the program, a founder will receive a $5,000 grant and 6 months of free support to support her business project.

Learn more about the program on the Startup Montréal website: https://startupmontreal.com/projets/fondatrices/

 

 

About Startup Montréal

We are Startup Montréal, 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

 

 

For more information, contact:

Guillaume Lajoie, Advisor, public relations and government affairs

Startup Montréal

guillaume.lajoie@startupmontreal.com | 514-758-1109