Call for applications - Manufacturing

2026 | Closed

For eight months, Startup in Residence will guide you through the challenges that truly matter for your growth, with the support of experts and our team.

The selected startups

What the Acceleration Program offers you

Selected startups have access to:

  • 100 hours of personalized mentoring with experts, spread over eight months and based on your needs;
  • A $15,000 grant;
  • The potential for an investment of up to $250,000 in venture capital;
  • Free access to a resident psychologist;
  • An office space at Ax.c in Montreal for the founders.

Sectors of interest

Each call for applications aims to identify startups offering solutions in sectors of varying specificity. The examples listed below are provided for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute an exhaustive list of the themes covered by the calls.

  • Property technologies

    • Property Management and Optimization: tools to improve the management, maintenance, use, and performance of buildings.
    • Real Estate Transactions and Experience: solutions that facilitate the purchase, sale, rental, and viewing of properties.
    • Real Estate Data and Intelligence: solutions for traceability, digital records, visualization, mapping, and data integration.
    • Building Renovation and Performance: tools for diagnostics, cost estimation, project planning, and improving environmental impact.

  • Technologies to Address Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Challenges

    • Environment: GHG reduction, carbon sequestration, energy efficiency, circular economy, sustainable resource management, biodiversity protection, and climate change adaptation.
    • Social: access to affordable housing and healthcare, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and access to education and training.
    • Governance: responsible management of supply chains and subcontractors, measurement and management of ESG impact, personal data protection, and cybersecurity.

  • Agricultural Technologies

    • Agricultural robotics: solutions designed to improve productivity and reduce the environmental impact of crop and livestock production.
    • Precision agriculture: the use of sensors and AI to monitor animal and plant health and optimize resource use.
    • Management software: tools designed to increase the efficiency and profitability of farms at all scales.

  • AI-Powered Technologies

    • Environment and Sustainability: AI solutions to monitor, predict, and mitigate environmental impacts and promote sustainable practices, particularly in agriculture, energy, and natural resource management.
    • Education and Training: AI solutions to personalize learning, provide adaptive educational support, and improve access to education and training.
    • Security and Cybersecurity: AI solutions to detect and prevent threats, cyberattacks, and fraud, and to strengthen the resilience of systems and networks.
    • Manufacturing and Construction: AI solutions to optimize processes, automate tasks, improve supply chain management, and optimize planning and design.

  • Technologies for the Manufacturing Industry

    • Smart and Connected Factory: digitization of operations, real-time industrial data, connectivity, systems integration, and interoperability.
    • Automation, industrial robotics, and operational intelligence: process automation, robotics, AI applied to production, quality control, and decision-making.
    • Optimized supply chains: logistics and inventory optimization, traceability, forecasting, and supply chain management.
    • Workforce productivity and operational performance: digital support and training tools, process optimization, energy efficiency, and resource management.
    • Resilience, defense, and security: monitoring of critical assets and infrastructure, anomaly detection, perception technologies, and security in industrial environments.

Eligibility criteria

Your company must:

  • Be incorporated in Canada;
  • Demonstrate strong growth potential and possess the characteristics sought by venture capital investors;
  • Have raised less than 1 million in dilutive financing;
  • Have entered the commercialization phase*;
  • Have at least one co-founder working full-time at the company;
  • Be led by a founding or executive team interested in hands-on mentorship;
  • Have the potential to generate positive impacts on the social, environmental, and economic development of communities in Canada;
  • Have applied to the program in accordance with the rules established by Startup en Résidence.

*For medtech companies: The product or service must be marketable without requiring regulatory approval (FDA, Health Canada).

To take part in the program

  • 1

    Submit your application by filling out the registration form when a call for applications is open.

  • 2

    The Startup en Résidence team reviews the applications received.

  • 3

    Selected startups are invited to an initial online selection interview with the selection committee, which consists of the Startup en Résidence team, a venture capital expert, and an expert in the field related to the call for applications.

     

  • 4

    Startups selected following this initial interview are invited to complete a short financial form and participate in a second online interview with the Startup en Résidence team.

  • 5

    All startups that participated in an interview will receive a response via email.

Important dates

  • Call for Applications opens

    Coming Soon - The next call for applications will be announced in February 2027

  • Online Information session

    Coming Soon