Esplanade Québec, Quebec’s leading accelerator of social and environmental impact entrepreneurs, is launching a new cohort to support 8 to 10 entrepreneurial teams developing healthcare solutions. These companies will be the 13th cohort of our Collision program!
This program aims to maximize the chances of success for young innovative healthcare companies, by offering them specialized coaching on their business, financing and impact strategies.
You’ll have access to:
A rich support program, with workshops, resources and tools, peer-to-peer support, and personalized guidance from our coaches and experts
Access to our privileged partners to obtain feedback, validate your problem and initiate field experimentation projects, particularly with the support of partners in our Health division
The support of a community of entrepreneurs and players in the healthcare sector, committed to sharing, mentoring and collaborating
Increased visibility, thanks to our communication platforms
A rewarding and stimulating human experience
Who is it for?
Entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial researchers and intrapreneurs in Quebec…
carrying out an innovative entrepreneurial project with the mission of solving a healthcare problem…
currently in the early stage.
See below for full details.
Targeted themes
We are mainly looking for solutions that address the following health issues:
Mental health
Aging and home care
Prevention, especially among children and young people
Improving patient pathways: access, care trajectories, compliance
See below for full details.
Benefit from the expertise of our experienced coaches
Business coaches will be assigned to you according to your specific needs, model and sector. Among the coaches working with us:
Strategy, Sales, Marketing, SaaS, AI, Digital Health
PATRICIA DORNE
Impact Investment, Business Development, Health
CHRISTOPHE GOFFOZ
Business Strategy, Digital Health, Pharmacy
ROGER SIMARD
Sales, Business Development, Strategic planification, Marketing
Be put in touch with potential partners for your development, depending on your needs and the nature of your project
Have the opportunity to initiate a real-world test at a partner facility or organization
Benefit from the knowledge of experts in your sector, in particular through expertise clinics
The Esplanade’s network of healthcare partners includes: CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, CIUSSS du Centre-Ouest-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Groupe Santé Sedna and many others.
You have an entrepreneurial project with high impact potential, and are either:
in a COOP
in a non-profit organization
in a private company
in an intra/entrepreneurial approach, whether you are a researcher or a professional
You can apply even if you haven’t yet defined your legal form.
Your project is at the start-up stage, i.e. you have validated your proof-of-concept or are at the validation stage (for more details, see the next section).
Your project/solution responds in an innovative, efficient and realistic way to an identified problem or need concerning the health of Quebec populations, either by :
a technological innovation (hardware or software);
organizational innovation (collaboration and changes in practices);
and/or social innovation (new approach, structure, intervention).
Your company is located in Quebec
Your ambition is to make a real positive impact on society, and in particular on improving the healthcare system and our ability to address priority issues and needs (see below).
How do I know if I'm at the right stage of development?
It can be difficult for a young company to know how to qualify its stage of development.
In this call for projects, we are looking for entrepreneurial projects that are at TRL 3 (Technology Readiness Level), i.e. that are ready to enter the proof-of-concept phase, or have already done so.
What are the specific themes and issues targeted by the call for projects?
For this cohort linked to our Health Innovation Unit, we are particularly looking for projects tackling the following issues:
Improving patient pathways
Access to care (physical access, costs, time, availability of qualified personnel, delays), care trajectories (first line, referral, follow-up and continuum of care and services, compliance, collaboration between players)…
Mental Health
Prevention, improved diagnosis, care, access to services, accessibility of resources, better information, improved trajectories, support for caregivers…
Aging and home care
Prevention and detection of disorders, improved living conditions for seniors and family caregivers, home care and services, improved residential care through optimized services, staff support and the use of technology (e.g. monitoring), support for autonomy and rehabilitation (e.g. mobility aids)…
Prevention, especially among young people
Actions on the various risk factors and health determinants, particularly among children and young people, access to information, promotion of health and healthy lifestyle habits, secondary prevention (screening and early action), tertiary prevention (on complications and risks of recidivism)…
These are the main issues targeted by this call for projects, but we invite anyone with a project that has a significant impact on the health of Quebecers to submit an application.
What is the Collision program?
Personalized support over several months
Intensive final selection bootcamp: 2 days where teams are put into action on the Impact Gaps Canvas
Up to 15 hours of one-on-one coaching with coaches and experts in impact, innovation, entrepreneurship and business development
4 workshops on tools developed by our impact entrepreneurship experts, directly applied to your project
The program will help you (among other things) to work on these skills:
Understanding your ecosystem
Validate your solution with your users
Build your roadmap to impact
Structure your action plan
Following the workshops, your team will be put in touch with a senior business coach. Our coaches and experts will offer you hours of personalized coaching, tailored to your objectives and your sector. These hours can be spread between December 2023 and March 2024, depending on your availability.
Here are a few examples of the topics covered during coaching:
Workshops are held in the mornings, from 9 AM to 12:30 PM, on the following dates:
October 20
November 10
November 24
December 9
The bootcamp will take place in person, in Montreal. Workshops and coaching are approximately 5 hours per week, and take place online, unless otherwise specified. Coaching can be done online or in person.
End of coaching: March 15, 2024.
How are projects selected?
Selection process
The selection process is divided into 2 phases:
Pre-selection on the basis of applications: an initial selection will be made on receipt of the application files. Applications will be analyzed according to the evaluation criteria below by the Esplanade team.
Final selection bootcamp: up to 15 projects will then be invited to take part in the bootcamp. Teams will be put into action on the Impact Gaps Canvas. Impact experts will be on hand to evaluate the teams throughout the exercise. Following the bootcamp, up to 10 projects will be selected by a jury to participate in the full Collision program.
Evaluation criteria
We select projects as much on the quality and potential of their impact as on the team’s ability to carry the project through and help it grow. We pay particular attention to:
Entrepreneurial team expertise (business experience and sector knowledge)
Potential for positive social impact on identified communities, and ability to scale up the project
Disponibilité et niveau d’engagement et de motivation
Degree of project innovation, and differentiating and complementary value proposition
Stage of solution development and degree of business model validation
Team know-how and ability to be challenged
How much does it cost?
Thanks to its financial partners, the Esplanade covers the vast majority of support costs. Once selected, participating organizations will be required to pay a residual fee of $350 + taxes per project.
Do I have enough time for that?
Devoting around 5 hours a week to this coaching program will bring you benefits that far outweigh this investment.
Entrepreneurship is a lonely and demanding adventure, and you need to surround yourself with people who understand this reality and can guide you. The Esplanade, which has already supported the development of nearly 300 impact companies, has seen it all and knows what you need. The Esplanade will lead you to questions you hadn’t even considered yet, and which will become central to the pursuit of your project.
Among the unsuspected benefits of accompanying someone to the Esplanade:
Be challenged by an experienced outsider who doesn’t know your project and who will ask you the questions that hurt and help you move forward
Benefit from a privileged relationship with the business coach assigned to you, within the framework of personalized coaching that is human, conscientious and adapted to your needs
Meet the entrepreneurs in your cohort and discuss your issues, fears, concerns and obstacles, which promise to be similar
Meet the team behind the Esplanade: open-minded, caring and competent people who will listen to you and bring you unexpected opportunities (interesting partnerships, financing options, advice of all kinds, etc.).
What former Collision participants have to say
``I've learned a lot through Esplanade's Collision in Health program, and the team is dynamic and very human and invested in the entrepreneurs' progress. I recommend it!``
Léo Fradet, Philomec, Collision program in health, 2022
``A most rewarding experience with a competent and versatile team. My project was able to take on a whole new dimension thanks to the support of l'Esplanade.``
Adeline Seneclauze, SEVE, Collision program, 2022
``I really enjoyed the technical support, discovering the interactive modes and communication on the different platforms. I liked the people we interacted with. It was a great experience. It's great to discover other initiatives and other online cohorts. I got a lot out of it, in a great atmosphere! Thank you!``
Josée Poirier Defoy, Collation pour tous, Collision program, 2022
Esplanade Québec est le premier accélérateur des entrepreneur.e.s d’impact du Québec, avec pour mission de catalyser une communauté d’entrepreneur.e.s, d’innovateur.trice.s et d’organisations dans le but de relever collectivement les défis sociaux et environnementaux, et les accompagner pour pérenniser leurs solutions et maximiser leurs impacts.
L’Esplanade développe plusieurs programmes d’accompagnement pour les entreprises d’impact, du stade de démarrage jusqu’à la mise à l’échelle.
Convinced?
Don’t forget to submit your application by September 17, 11:59 PM!
