Montréal is a vibrant, strategically located hub that offers companies easy access to markets in over 50 countries with almost 1.5 billion consumers. Featuring a strong collaborative culture, Montréal benefits from great public-private partnerships, such as Hypercroissance Québec, a tailored program to support the city’s most promising scaleups. In 2022, Québec launched a CA$7.5 billion ($5.5 billion) Research and Innovation Investment Strategy, of which CA$110 million ($81 million) will directly go to innovative technological entrepreneurship. In its 2022–2023 Budget, the province renewed a tax incentives package for R&D and IP development activities for five more years. In March 2023, CA$48 million ($35 million) was secured to create Ax-C, a new international entrepreneurship hub in Montreal. Earlier, the City of Montreal had announced the dedication of CA$4 million ($2.9 million) to support startups, including funding for business incubators and accelerators and Startup Montréal. The city is also relaunching the Open Innovation Subsidy Program.

Greater Montreal is a fast-growing Cleantech hub, with sub-sectors of excellence including Agtech, Smart Buildings, and Energy and Smart Transportation. Cycle Capital, Canada’s leading private ClimateTech VC investment manages over $500 million in early and growth stage funds.

Notable local events include Startupfest, Montreal International AI and Neuroscience (MAIN) Event, C2 Montreal, the World AI Summit and the international UN Biodiversity Conference: COP15. Recent large funding rounds include digital mortgage platform Nesto’s December 2022 $80 million Series C. In 2022, Lithion Recycling raised a total of $125 million in Series A funding.