>CALL FOR PROJECTS: CLIMATE INNOVATION SUPER COHORT
>CALL FOR PROJECTS: CLIMATE INNOVATION SUPER COHORT
>CALL FOR PROJECTS: CLIMATE INNOVATION SUPER COHORT
The Climate Innovation Super Cohort is the result of an ongoing collaboration of Esplanade Québec and Cycle Momentum, leading accelerators working to advance the development of impact innovation and clean technologies in Quebec.
The 2025 Super Cohort is the fourth edition of this unique program in Quebec, with 34 companies supported so far. In this edition, 10 to 12 more companies addressing transition challenges will join the community. Will you be one of them?
Workshops, resources, tools and personalized coaching from our experts and mentors.
Conduct your GHG study according to the ISO14064-2 standard (eligibility under conditions)
Engage, mentor, and collaborate with climate innovation actors
Notably through our platforms and two « demo » events at the end of the program
Preparing pilot or showcase projects with Esplanade Quebec‘s Environment partners
Would you like to know more?
View our online information session!
Moreover, companies that have developed a technological innovation in energy efficiency or emissions reduction could receive $20,000 at the end of the program.
We work with a network of experienced mentors and business coaches with a variety of expertise (business plan, impact, finance, marketing, governance, etc.) who have faced the same challenges as you, as entrepreneurs themselves or in executive positions.
We also bring in experienced professionals to deliver our workshops or provide feedback.
The Super Cohort was founded on the desire to accelerate the socio-ecological transition through a collective approach, bringing together entrepreneurs and industry players in various sectors.
Whether your solution is in mobility, building, circular economy or urban planning and resilience, we activate our network of contacts to help connect issues and solutions.*
We offer increased support for the development of experimentation and showcase projects (technological or commercial), with our network of industry partners.
We select projects based on the quality and potential of their impact, as well as on the team’s ability to grow their company.
Execution potential of the founding team (business experience and knowledge of the sector).
Product innovation and value proposition.
Potential social and environmental impact of the project.
Ability of the solution to specifically respond to one (or more) Montreal and Quebec ecological transition issues.
Development stage and business model validation in the market.
Level of commitment, motivation and interpersonal skills of the team.
This program is for you if you are an entrepreneur in Quebec, with impact at the heart of your business model and you are looking for support in your deployment phase:
Entrepreneurs: You have an entrepreneurial project, you are committed to this project full-time and are ready to be 100% involved in the program. Preferably, you are a multidisciplinary and dedicated team.
Territorial anchoring and local benefits: Your team is located in Quebec*. Your solution applies to the Quebec context, and your model has local socio-economic and environmental benefits.
Impact: Your solution has a significant and measurable impact on one of the issues related to climate change, on the reduction of GHG emissions or on climate adaptation and resilience
(see the issues and industry sectors listed below)
Technological and/or social innovation: You develop and commercialize a new solution, which is an innovative response to a real problem in your target market (evidence-based, clear value proposition). Your innovation may be a product or process, software or hardware, technological or social. You own the commercial rights to it.
Business model: Your proposed model is economically viable, regardless of the legal form of your company (Inc, Coop, NPO, other). The target market is defined, reachable and of significant size.
Stage of advancement: Your project is in the commercialization or growth phase. Your proof of concept is largely validated, you can demonstrate commercial traction, have a prototype or MVP to launch and your sales are about to take off. In the case of a joint-stock company, you are in the seed fundraising phase or are planning one soon.
*Note that some of the places are reserved for teams located in the Montreal area or with major activities in Montreal.
We are particularly looking for solutions in the following sectors and themes*:
Sustainable Mobility
Electrification and decarbonisation of the transport sector
Urban logistics
Shared mobility
Urban planning and resilience
Redevelopment and resilience of neighborhoods
Combating heat islands
Urban forest development
Urban agriculture
Water management
Sustainable buildings and construction
New sustainable buildings
Renovation and energy efficiency of buildings
Renewable energies
Rehabilitation of contaminated land
Circular Economy
Development of new modes of consumption
Ecodesign of products and processes
Recovery of organic and recyclable materials
Residual material management
CO2 recovery
Energy loops/recovery
The Super Cohort program aims to both maximize the success chances of early-stage companies by addressing their challenges through specialized support, and to mobilize and unite ecosystem actors in a collaborative approach to facilitate the alignment of practices and solutions. Ultimately, responding more effectively to the transition challenges of the community.
The program will take you to:
Better understand your value proposition and how your solution effectively contributes to the energy transition.
Strengthen your business model and structure its scaling to maximize impact.
Accelerate your commercialisation
Develop your ability to define, measure and optimize your impact.
Consolidate your financing strategy and access cleantech investors.
Develop your partnership approach to test/validate your solution with clients and partners
Collaborate with a community committed to advancing and deploying low-carbon solutions in Montreal and Quebec.
A 2-day bootcamp that provides an opportunity for companies to connect with stakeholders and experts to deepen the reflection of their impact in the ecosystem.
Over 10 workshops, collective work and support sessions, addressing the many issues facing companies in the acceleration phase.
Hours of personalized coaching with experienced business people and experts (up to 50 hours over the course of the program)
Pitch preparation for presenting your company and communicating your message effectively (sales, media or investor pitch), including two pitch events at the end of the program.
Opportunities for networking and targeted connections with our partners.
Applications must be submitted via the web form before midnight on January 12, 2025. The selection process is divided into 2 phases:
1 – Pre-selection on the basis of applications:a first selection will be made upon receipt of the application files. Applications will be analyzed according to the evaluation criteria and you will receive confirmation of your pre-selection around January 16, 2025.
2 – Final selection – Pitch in front of a jury: shortlisted candidates will be invited to present themselves in front of a jury on January 24 for a pitch and a question and answer session. An expert jury will select 10 to 12 companies that will make up the 2025 Super cohort. The jury’s final decision will be announced by January 30, 2025.
*Approx. 5 hours per week. Workshops are held online, unless otherwise stated. Coaching can be done online or in person. The bootcamp and pitchs are done in person in Montreal.
Esplanade Québec is the first accelerator for impact entrepreneurs in Quebec, with the mission of catalyzing a community of entrepreneurs, innovators, and organizations to collectively address social and environmental challenges and support them in sustaining their solutions and maximizing their impacts.
We develop various support programs for impact businesses, from the startup stage to scaling up, and « Accélération » is our flagship program, with 13 cohorts completed since 2016 and 107 accelerated companies.
Cycle Momentum is an accelerator and open innovation platform that brings together an international collective of entrepreneurs, investors and innovators. Our mission is to find innovative solutions to the major ecological challenges facing humanity.
As a member of the Cycle Capital platform, Cycle Momentum offers acceleration and open innovation programs to support the growth of entrepreneurs, financing, and the commercialization of climate technologies.
We facilitate the necessary collaborations between industries and start-ups to accelerate the commercialization of their solutions. Cycle Momentum invests through Origo, an investment matching program supported by the Government of Quebec.