$65,000 was distributed in two exceptional prizes during the TechPreneur contest at the Technoparc Montréal. The organizing partners are pleased to announce not one, but two winners. Given the quality of the applications, the members of the jury decided, exceptionally, to upgrade the contest and offer a second prize to a high-potential company.
The TechPreneur contest has been organized by PME MTL Centre-Ouest, one of PME MTL’s six areas of service, the Ville de Montréal‘s business support network, in collaboration with Desjardins, the Centre d’expertise industrielle de Montréal (CEI MTL) and the Réseau Mentorat Montréal. The two winners will have to set up shop in the Technoparc Montréal area this year.
Focus on health technologies
With numerous companies from the health industry, from multinationals to start-ups, the Technoparc Montréal territory is recognized for its expertise in life sciences. Of the 20 applications submitted to the contest, one third were from the life sciences industry, and the winners are two promising young companies in the health technologies market.
“Since its creation, the Technoparc Montréal territory has received undeniable interest from small and large players in the high-tech industry, and the number and quality of applications to the competition show just how attractive this territory is for the life sciences and health technology industry,” says Marc-André Perron, Executive Director, PME MTL Centre-Ouest.
Supporting mental health: Nurau is the grand prize winner
The winner of the competition is Nurau, an organization that believes in mental health for all. By combining micro-training and social connection, Nurau is preventing burnout within companies through revolutionary technology. The goal is to create healthier, more productive corporate environments – one micro experience at a time. Offered to companies as an employee wellness program, Nurau reduces the number of health insurance claims – 80% of which are related to mental health causes.
Nurau receives a $30,000 grant from Desjardins and PME MTL, as well as coaching from the CEI MTL with an analysis of the digital innovation strategy and a mentor for one year.
“Today, more than ever, we face significant mental health issues and companies are poorly equipped to deal with them. It’s no longer time to offer wellness solutions no one is using. It’s time to shake up the status quo and offer a solution that makes companies stronger, safer and better equipped to face the challenges of our time. Thank you to the team behind the TechPreneur contest for sharing our vision and partnering with us in our mission to make wellness accessible to all”
Creation of a second prize for VitalTracer
The jury decided to upgrade its prizes and PME MTL awarded an additional $15,000 grant to VitalTracer. The CEI MTL also offered its support to the company with a digital diagnosis and a review of the industrialization of its product. Like all finalists, VitalTracer will have a mentor for one year through the Réseau Mentorat Montréal.
VitalTracer convinced the jury with its two smart devices – the VT-Watch and the VT-Patch – which use biomedical sensors to continuously detect patients’ vital signs, such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and body temperature.
“The Techpreneur entrepreneurial contest was very important in our path because we were looking to collaborate with PME MTL and this was the opening for our future collaboration. Moreover, we need some expert opinions on our new pitch which was achieved through the feedback from judges in the competition.”
3 equally innovative finalists
The 3 other finalists each received one year of free mentoring and will be followed by PME MTL.
- Civalgo, improve productivity on your construction sites
Civalgo helps its clients in the civil construction industry to be more profitable, productive and efficient in their operations. Through its technology platform, the company allows foremen, superintendents, project managers, engineers and executives to focus primarily on the quality and speed of their work, thus empowering teams to better plan and execute their projects.
- Gomove, the future delivered today
Gomove is an application that provides an on-demand delivery service. The company wants to revolutionize the transportation of heavy objects and goods in the city and thus connects individuals with transporters to transport furniture, appliances and heavy objects, anytime, and at a lower price.
- Precare, a digital guide for patients
Precare is an application that helps healthcare professionals better guide their patients through their healthcare journey. The company provides patients with information, advice and videos according to their situation.