Ubisoft and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, which represents 7,000 members in its business community, are hosting a series of events meant to encourage startups to help larger enterprises with their business problems.
The InnoBahn events will have participating companies receiving customized advice, with companies working to define their innovation needs and startups later pitching how their product fills that gap.
“With InnoBahn, we want to show large corporations just how many creative startups our business community has that are able to meet their needs in innovation,” said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. “But beyond that, from this pool of start-ups we want to support them in finding the one that will help them advance, through InnoBahn’s personalized guidance process. This is what is innovative about the initiative, and it will create rewarding connections for startups, large companies and investors.”
The first of the InnoBahn series takes place on June 7 as Ubisoft and L’Oréal Canada take part. Startups have until April 29 to submit their applications before a jury shortlists applicants to four participating startups.
Ubisoft is looking for solutions that will promote “sustainable mobility” at its Mile End office – 30 percent of its employees live far from a metro network, and getting into the office is difficult both by car and by public transit. The company is asking startups to work with a target group of participants to test their solution before Ubisoft uses it as a pilot project with their own employees. L’Oréal Canada’s challenge is to be determined.