Montréal is one of the most charming cities in the Western hemisphere. Known for its art culture, underground passages, Mount Royal and delicious poutine.
In recent years, Montréal has become a major technology and innovation hub. The city’s ecosystem ranks among the top 20 in artificial intelligence globally. Local universities have received significant grants from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund to boost AI research.
Montréal startups continue to disrupt and raise notable rounds of funding. In 2019, Sonder raised $225 million, Element AI raised $151 million and Lightspeed POS went public.
The city is home to important venture capital firms and angel investors. In case you are thinking about taking your startup to Montréal, keep this valuable list handy.
If you want to prepare for startup funding in Montreal, the Founder Institute is currently enrolling. Apply today to build a startup with Montreal's top entrepreneurs and investors!
Montréal Angel Investors
1. Alan MacIntosh
- Bio: “Strategy, marketing, co-investors.”
- Sectors: Mobile, Consumer Internet, Social Media, Developer Tools, E-Commerce, Mobile Commerce, Fashion, Personal Health, Personal Data, Health and Wellness, SaaS, Developer APIs, Email, Marketplaces, Small and Medium Businesses, Communities, Social Media Platforms, Hospitality, Social Travel, Social CRM, Deep Information Technology, Web Development, Open Source, Analytics, Mobile Games.
- Number of investments: 35
- Investment Range: N/A on website.
- Notable portfolio companies: AngelList, Bandsintown, Beyond the Rack, Hook Mobile, PerkHub, Thinknear
2. Alistair Croll
- Bio: “Though my background is in strategic marketing and advertising, I have a mis-spent youth in tech and a couple of startups under my belt. I also understand the blogging and event industry well, since I do both for a living. And I've written books on analytics and web operations.”
- Sectors: Consumer Internet, Enterprise Software, Games, Social Games, Location Based Services, Mobile Games, E-Commerce, Families, Kids, Analytics, Big Data, Predictive Analytics, Cloud Data Services.
- Number of investments: 11
- Investment Range: $1K-$25K
- Notable portfolio companies: Drync, Hockeystick, InfoActive, OnTheGo Platforms, Orion Labs, Please Stay Calm
3. Cedric Mateosyan Kutlu
- Bio: “FOOLS FUND Founding Partner.”
- Sectors: Clean Technology, Consumer Internet, Enterprise Software, Mobile, Healthcare, Impact Investing, Nutrition, Artificial Intelligence, Education, Financial Services, Transportation, Marketplaces.
- Number of investments: 14
- Investment Range: $1K-$5K
- Notable portfolio companies: Andela, Appvance.ai, Flutterwave, Home61, mPharma, NextLesson, RecargaPay, Snips, Triplemint
4. Chris Arsenault
- Bio: “I invest via iNovia, not on a personal basis anymore. I try to only invest in companies I understand the space well enough to feel comfortable helping identify people, partners and customers. Somewhat complementary to our Funds other investment.”
- Sectors: Consumer Internet, Mobile, Enterprise Software, Digital Media, E-Commerce, Marketplaces, Social Commerce, E-Commerce Platforms, Fashion, Personal Health, Personal Data, Health and Wellness, Consumers, B2B, Retail, Retail Technology, Location Based Services, Big Data, Q&A, Social Media, Social Games, Social Media Platforms, SaaS, Cloud Computing, Developer APIs.
- Number of investments: 54
- Investment Range: $5K-$500K
- Notable portfolio companies: BufferBox, CareGuide, Chango, Empire, Granify, Lightspeed POS, Peraso, Routehappy, TripleLift, Unsplash, Vidyard, Well.ca
5. Daniel Robichaud
- Bio: “Managing Partner Diagram Ventures.”
- Sectors: iPhone, Bitcoin, Finance Technology.
- Number of investments: 16
- Investment Range: $5K-$500K
- Notable portfolio companies: AZA, Diagram, Frank And Oak, Lever, Ripio, Smart Reno, Sonder, Unocoin
6. David Nault
- Bio: “Investor. entrepreneur. Sales builder. Marketing. Partnerships/ channels. User experience. e-Commerce. Contacts. (re) positioning. (re) alignment.”
- Sectors: Digital Media, Consumer Internet, Enterprise Software, Mobile, SaaS, Mobile Payments, Big Data, Supply Chain Management, Risk Management, Hardware, Communications Hardware, Consumer Electronics, Payments, Fraud Detection, Retail Technology, Point of Sale, E-Commerce, Retail, Knowledge Management, Marketplaces, Bridging Online and Offline, Collaborative Consumption, Analytics, CRM.
- Number of investments: 11
- Investment Range: N/A on website.
- Notable portfolio companies: Beyond the Rack, Busbud, CHRONOGOLF, Lightspeed POS, Luxury Retreats, Unsplash, Well.ca
7. Helge Seetzen
- Bio: “TandemLaunch builds companies around early-stage technologies from the world's top universities. We collaborate with innovative entrepreneurs and technologists to turn these initial ideas into high quality startups including $800k in seed funding.”
- Sectors: Consumer Electronics, Video, Video Conferencing, Audio, Machine Learning, Wireless, Wireless Sensor Networks, Computer Vision, Artificial Intelligence.
- Number of investments: 9
- Investment Range: N/A on website.
- Notable portfolio companies: Aerial, Airy3D, C2RO, Cognivue, Sportlogiq, Stratuscent, Suometry, wrnch
8. John Stokes
- Bio: “Defining the market opportunity, refinement of pitch and go to market strategy. Recruitment, co-investors.”
- Sectors: Consumer Internet, Mobile, E-Commerce, Social Media, Social Commerce, Developer Tools.
- Number of investments: 14
- Investment Range: N/A on website.
- Notable portfolio companies: Breather, Frank And Oak, OneClass, Sonder, SweetIQ, Thinknear, Transit, Unbounce, Unsplash
9. JS Cournoyer
- Bio: “Vision, Operational and fundraising support. Strategic thinking. Business development. Hiring. Product and business model strategy. Mentor approach.”
- Sectors: Consumer Internet, SaaS, Mobile, Social Media, Games, Advertising, Bridging Online and Offline, Social Commerce, Social Games, Private Social Networking, Enterprise Software, Cloud Computing, Security, Storage, Advertising Platforms, Fashion, E-Commerce.
- Number of investments: 26
- Investment Range: N/A on website.
- Notable portfolio companies: Beyond the Rack, Busbud, Insight Engines, PerkHub, Porter & Sail, Ready Education, Relay
10. Martin-Luc Archambault
- Bio: “Go to market strategy. Biz dev. Product & UI.”
- Sectors: Internet, Mobile.
- Number of investments: 19
- Investment Range: N/A on website.
- Notable portfolio companies: AmpMe, Frank And Oak, Mirego, Sonder, VarageSale
11. Sam Haffar
- Bio: “I help early stage companies grow like thunder lizards. Wearer of all hats and never afraid to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty.”
- Sectors: Mobile, Consumer Internet, Internet, Enterprise Software, Education, SaaS.
- Number of investments: 10
- Investment Range: N/A on website.
- Notable portfolio companies: Breezy HR, Bus, GradeSlam, LoginRadius, Looka, MindBridge Ai, Sonder, Wiivv
12. Stephane Boivin
- Bio: “Serial Entrepreneur & Angel Investor.”
- Sectors: Internet, Internet of Things, IaaS, SaaS, PaaS, Cloud Computing, Cryptocurrency, Digital Currency, Blockchains, Artificial Intelligence, Financial Services, Cyber, Pre Seed.
- Number of investments: 19
- Investment Range: $1K-$5K
- Notable portfolio companies: Abra, Albert, Bolt, Boom, Cabify, Codementor, Contactually, Gem, GoCoin, Paintzen, Parabola, Ripio, Ripple, Wefunder
Montréal Venture Capital Firms
1. Amplitude
- Description: "We are Amplitude. The name is new but we, decidedly, are not. We stand proudly on a foundation of deep experience and a demonstrable body of success creating, building, and growing break-out companies.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Healthcare and Life Sciences.
- Amplitude Stage: Growth-stage startups.
- Notable Amplitude Portfolio Companies: Circle Cardiovascular Imaging, Clementia Pharmaceuticals, Imagia, Milestone Pharmaceuticals, PHEMI Systems, Profound Medical, Repare Therapeutics, SHOEBOX Audiometry, Zymeworks
2. BCF Ventures
- Bio: Launched in June, 2018, BCF Business Law’s partners pooled their resources to establish BCF Ventures. The fund benefits from the expertise, resources, and insights of the law firm. BCF invests mostly in Canada, the United States and opportunistically in Israel, China, and Western Europe. BCF Ventures is a designated organization authorized by the Government of Canada to invest and support potential startups under the Start-Up Visa Program.
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Technology
- Investment Range: Seed to Series A
- Notable portfolio companies: Athennian, Fight Camp, Medstack, Adracare, Bridgr, Alpin
3. BDC Venture Capital
- Description: "We build outstanding companies. Great ideas don’t just turn into great companies. Entrepreneurs need sound business advice. A robust ecosystem of supporters. Financial discipline. Above all, they need smart money – investors who understand the marketplace, who share the entrepreneur’s passion for innovation, who can identify the potential of a great idea and then help unlock its commercial success.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Cleantech, Energy, Healthcare and Information Technology.
- BDC Venture Capital Stage: Early-stage startups.
- Notable BDC Venture Capital Portfolio Companies: Axonify, Charli AI, Clementia Pharmaceuticals, Finn AI, Granify, Klipfolio, Mejuri, Mobify, Sonder, Trulioo, Wattpad
4. Brightspark Ventures
- Description: "We invest in Canada's best tech startups. Brightspark has been investing in the Canadian VC industry since 1999. Over the last 20 years, we have refined our focus to the point where we choose what we believe to be the best early-stage opportunities in the market. Our goal is to find exceptional startups, and work closely with these companies as they grow to achieve stellar returns.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Mobile, SaaS and Technology.
- Brightspark Ventures Stage: Early-stage startups.
- Notable Brightspark Ventures Portfolio Companies: Classcraft, Hopper, Hubba, Nanomagnetics, Nudge Rewards, Radian6, Siperian, Think Dynamics, Wysdom.AI
5. CTI Life Sciences Fund
- Description: "Where broad operational and venture capital experience come together to create shareholder value in Life Sciences Companies with pre-clinical and clinical stage drugs and enabling technologies.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Biotech, Life Sciences and Pharmaceuticals.
- CTI Life Sciences Fund Stage: Pre-clinical and clinical development stage startups.
- Notable CTI Life Sciences Fund Portfolio Companies: CellAegis Devices, DalCor Pharmaceuticals, GLyPharma Therapeutic, Medicago, NeurAxon, PHEMI Systems, Somnusthera, TargeGen, Xagenic, Zymeworks
6. Ecofuel Fund
- Description: "Ecofuel is a venture capital fund and an accelerator that offers specialized and personalized services to cleantech startups.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Agriculture, Air, Cleantech, Energies, Environmental Biotechnologies, Improvement of Industrial Processes, Smart Transportation, Waste Treatment and Water.
- Ecofuel Fund Stage: Seed and early-stage startups.
- Notable Ecofuel Fund Portfolio Companies: Aecopaq, AEPONYX, BluWave, Electrobac, Helios UAV, Impactful Health, Inno-3B, Materium, Nexus Robotics, OPA Technologies, Potloc, Pyrowave
7. Inovia Capital
- Description: "Inovia Capital is a venture firm that partners with audacious founders to build enduring global technology companies. We seek to transform venture capital by perfecting the craft of investing in people first. We roll up our sleeves to serve founders with dedicated, long-term mentorship, a global talent network and strategic support for global scale. Together, we rewrite the rules of old industries, push technology frontiers and pursue bold visions of a better future.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses.
- Inovia Capital Stage: Early and growth-stage startups.
- Notable Inovia Capital Portfolio Companies: 33Across, Clearbanc, Clearpath Future Family, Peraso, Sonder, Top Hat, Vidyard, WorkFusion
8. Lumira Ventures
- Description: "Lumira Ventures partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build life science companies that transform the lives of patients worldwide.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Biotech, Consumer Healthcare Solutions, Digital Health, Life Sciences and Medical Technologies.
- Lumira Ventures Stage: Early, clinical and revenue stage startups.
- Notable Lumira Ventures Portfolio Companies: AmacaThera, Antiva Biosciences, BAROnova, Cardiac Dimensions, Celtaxsys, Edesa Biotech, Engage Therapeutics, Forbius, HistoSonics, Notch Therapeutics, Spinal Kinetics, Swift Medical, Zymeworks
9. Panache Ventures
- Description: "Panache Ventures is Canada's most active seed stage venture capital fund, and is led by a team of experienced operators, with a strong angel investor track record, years of institutional VC experience and a strong network in Canada, in Silicon Valley and worldwide. The fund has a founders-first philosophy, a commitment to diversity and strategically co-invests with smart angel investors and seed stage funds.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses.
- Panache Ventures Stage: Seed stage startups.
- Notable Panache Ventures Portfolio Companies: ACTO, Audible Reality, Blume, CTO.ai, Harbr, Lane, Lexop, MarketMuse, MedStack, Roost, Spocket, Voilà!, WISK
10. Real Ventures
- Description: "Real is a leading source of capital for game-changing entrepreneurs and a driving force behind emerging tech ecosystems.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: All tech or tech-enabled businesses.
- Real Ventures Stage: Early-stage startups.
- Notable Real Ventures Portfolio Companies: Canvass AI, Element AI, Mejuri, MindBridge Ai, ROSS Intelligence, Swift Medical
11. Teralys Capital
- Description: "We are committed to supporting and encouraging outstanding technology entrepreneurs to innovate, grow and bring game changing ideas to the global marketplace.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Information Technology, Industrial or Green Innovations and Life Sciences.
- Teralys Capital Stage: Early-stage, expansion and growth-stage startups.
- Notable Teralys Capital Portfolio Companies: Busbud, Cority, Lightspeed POS, Sonder, Verafin, WorkFusion, Zymeworks
12. White Star Capital
- Description: "We're partnering with exceptional entrepreneurs with global ambitions, leveraging our extensive experience and networks to help them scale their businesses internationally.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Consumer (B2C Marketplaces and Commerce) and Enterprise (B2B Marketplaces and SaaS).
- White Star Capital Stage: All stages.
- Notable White Star Capital Portfolio Companies: Aire, Butternut Box, Drop, Freshly, KeyMe, Mindsay, Parsley Health, Red Sift, Spatial
13. Yaletown Partners
- Description: "We see a more productive future enabled by digital transformations. At Yaletown, we invest in software, data and device technologies disrupting and modernizing traditional industries, services, real estate, and infrastructure. Together, we can create a true foundation for climate resilient growth while delivering real value today.”
- Sectors / Markets of Focus: Data, Device Technologies and Software.
- Yaletown Partners Stage: Early and later-stage startups.
- Notable Yaletown Partners Portfolio Companies: Bit Stew, Charli AI, Cooledge Lighting, CTO.ai, Finn AI, Foodee, LoginRadius, Monexa, Mover, Thoughtexchange, ThoughtWire
Are you looking to build a great startup in Montreal?
The Founder Institute is the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator. In the program, early-stage entrepreneurs and teams build their business alongside a critical support network of local startup experts that share equity in their success, and through a structured and challenging business-building process that has helped alumni raise over $1.75BN.
Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used the Founder Institute to raise funding, get into seed-accelerators, generate traction, recruit a team, build a product, transition from employee to entrepreneur, and more.
Learn more about the Founder Institute at FI.co, join a free startup event in Montreal, or apply to build a startup today.
