Montréal tech marks year’s successes and struggles at sixth Startup Community Awards

Startups honoured included item-sharing app Partage Club and fundraising platform Zeffy.

Last night marked the sixth edition of the Startup Community Awards (SCA) Gala in Montréal—an evening that reflected a turbulent year of change for Québec’s innovation ecosystem.

Over 400 people attended the gala at Maison Alcan on Nov. 28, organized by MTL NewTech in collaboration with Startupfest. The awards spanned 10 categories, with individuals, initiatives, and organizations recognized for their contributions to Québec’s innovation ecosystem. A jury of 24 stakeholders narrowed down the pool to 80 finalists and over 10,000 people cast their votes to crown the winners.

The awards were handed out alongside Katy Perry and Rick Astley hits as a caricature artist drew the likenesses of award winners. In true Montréal fashion, the emcee conducted a bilingual ceremony, with live translation available.

But the upbeat vibe of the celebration could not totally defeat the subdued mood driven by the tough fundraising environment and recent program suspensions in Québec. This year also marked the official shuttering of Notman House, a longtime event hub for the community. Some BetaKit spoke to referenced a disconnect in attitudes between the entrepreneurs and government or corporate players in attendance.

“We need these celebratory moments. But I just wish that startups were at the centre of it.”

Louis-Félix Binette
MAIN

“We need these celebratory moments,” said Louis-Félix Binette, executive director of Mouvement des accélérateurs d’innovation du Québec (MAIN). “But I just wish that startups were at the centre of it.”

According to numbers provided by MTL NewTech, more than half of the attendees came from investment, corporate, support organizations, and government. Over 140 entrepreneurs and over 60 professionals, researchers, and aspiring entrepreneurs were in attendance.

Luc Sirois took home the Public Sector Ally of the Year Award for his work as the Chief Innovator of the government organization Conseil de l’innovation du Québec. Sirois also participated in zany antics throughout the evening, including when he “knighted” the executive director of MTL NewTech as Chevalier Ilias Benjelloun.

Benjelloun, co-founder and board member of MTL NewTech, pointed out that his team worked to ensure the awards were distributed evenly across categories for individuals, startups, and supporting organizations.

“I think having corporate sponsors and having government people is important, because whether you like it or not, these things cost money,” Benjelloun said. “You need that money but you also need that connection.”

In an interview with BetaKit, Sirois reflected on some of his highlights of the past year: the launch of Axelys, to accelerate the creation of startups from academic research, and the rebranding of Startup Montréal to Québec Tech, to support international growth for scaleups.

“To get together and to have new folks come and energize the community, to keep this alive is heartwarming,” Sirois said. “What makes a place successful is its people.”

LucSiroisStartupCommunityAwards_EvaBlue-min | BetaKit — Luc Sirois, Innovator in Chief of the Conseil d’innovation du Québec, at the Startup Community Awards Gala on Nov. 28, 2024. (Image courtesy Eva Blue)

Startup of the Year went to Partage Club, a marketplace app for lending items and connecting with neighbours. Co-founder and vice-president (VP) of marketing Anaïs Majidier talked about the company’s focus on reducing overconsumption and creating a more sustainable economy, especially on the eve of Black Friday.

“We’re so proud to show that it’s possible to reconcile impact and profitability—two ideas often seen as incompatible, but that together, could redefine success,” Majidier told BetaKit.

Five new categories were introduced this year, including the Tough Love Mentor Award, which highlights a mentor who gives founders invaluable but blunt advice. Accelia Capital investor Isabelle Bettez won that prize.

Zeffy, a fundraising platform for non-profits, won Born Global Startup of the Year. Highlighting the collaboration among players in the ecosystem, two awards were shared between two recipients. Investor Community Champion of the Year went to both Sylvain Carle, co-founder and director of Canadian Investors / Venture Impact Coalition (CIVIC) and Jennifer McDonald, senior VP of investments at Cycle Momentum.

The ceremony was also peppered with touching moments. Xavier-Henri Hervé, who retired from his post as the executive director of Concordia University’s District 3 Innovation Hub, was honoured for his 10 years leading the centre. The organizers also paid tribute to Abishek Gupta, the founder of the Montreal AI Ethics Institute, who died earlier this year.

At the end of the Gala, the MTL NewTech team unveiled their upcoming rebrand as ElanTech. Élan means momentum in French. Part of the organization’s new mandate includes expanding its reach as an ecosystem “cultivator” and growing initiatives for startups outside of Montréal.

The new name is more aligned with what the organization already does, according to general manager Simran Kanda: supporting entrepreneurs in creating momentum from the ideation stage toward a successful future.