Montreal, Quebec City and Sherbrooke: 3 major regional hubs.
These 3 cities stand out because of their concentration of resources, infrastructures, and business communities. They provide an interconnected and complementary network for startups in Quebec. In total, they host 88% of startups in Quebec.
Montréal
Montreal in numbers
+2000
The Montreal Metropolitan Community is home to 77% of startups in the province, or 2,128, at various stages of growth in a multitude of business sectors.
15
Montreal is the university capital of Canada with 15 university campuses. With +200,000 university students, the city is named the best student city in North America.
7 G$
Amount invested in venture capital (2019-2023) and $616M in 2024
Montreal's assets
1 / 7
Situation
Montreal is a strategic gateway to North America for European markets. You can fly from Montreal to New York, Boston, and Toronto in 90 minutes or less!
Creativity
Montreal is a UNESCO city of design and has seen the birth of creative giants such as Cirque du Soleil and Moment Factory. It hosts international events such as C2 Montréal and +100 festivals every year.
Costs
Montreal is one of the most affordable cities in North America with operating costs that are 30% lower than average and 30% tax credits for R&D expenses.
Key sectors
Montréal est un pôle mondial reconnu en intelligence artificielle, mais aussi en technologies du divertissement et sciences de la vie.
Key players
CDL - Next AI, CTS Santé, Centech, Cycle Momentum, District 3, Esplanade Québec, Garage & Co, La Base entrepreneuriale, MT Lab, McGill Dobson Center, Zú, Espace Aéro
Quebec
Quebec in figures
+22G$
This is the amount invested in startups in the Quebec City region between 2015 and 2024, including $213 million in 2024
+260
Quebec is an important digital hub with 266 startups incorporated in the National Capital.
6
The Quebec region has six universities including Laval University (19th in the world). It is the city with the largest number of researchers per inhabitant in Canada (211 per 100,000 inhabitants)
Quebec's assets
1 / 7
Costs
The cost of research and development (R&D) in Quebec City is 30.1% cheaper than in major American cities.
Situation
Quebec benefits from efficient transport infrastructures, with the Port of Quebec, a strategic hub for North American port traffic, which has its own innovation laboratory: Le Phare.
Quality of life
The cost of electricity in Quebec is among the lowest in the world thanks to hydroelectricity, a considerable economic advantage for technology companies.
Key sectors
Quebec stands out in applied and optical technologies (with the National Institute of Optics), quantum (with Quantino) and information technologies (cybersecurity, insurtech, fintech).
Key players
THE CAMP, 2 Degrees, Quantino, Coop Carbone
Sherbrooke
Sherbrooke In figures
59
This is the number of startups that the city of Sherbrooke is home to, making it the 3rd largest hub in the province.
3
Sherbrooke is home to 3 major academic institutions, +44,000 university students, it is the 4th student city in Canada and the 1st city for the quality of life offered to students.
+150M$
The amount invested in venture capital in startups in 2023, including $20 million in quantum innovation startups.
Sherbrooke's assets
1 / 7
Collaborative innovation
The Sherbrooke ecosystem shines through Espace-inc, an incubator for technological startups, and the Accelerator for the Creation of Technological Enterprises (ACET). It draws its strength from the proximity between startups, universities and research centers.
Situation
Only 90 minutes from Montreal, and in the heart of the Eastern Townships, Sherbrooke is a crossroads for trade between Canada and the United States.
Quality of life
Nestled in the heart of nature, between mountains and lakes, Sherbrooke combines the quality of life of a medium-sized city with access to cutting-edge services.
Quantum
Sherbrooke, a hub for quantum technologies, is home to the Quantum Institute of the University of Sherbrooke and the DistriQ quantum innovation zone. A dedicated fund, Quantacet, was recently launched.
Key players
ACET, Technum, DistriQ, Magog Technopole
