The discover global tech communities series is a new feature highlighting some of the startup and tech communities that we are connected with through our global network of software engineers. We have the pleasure of working with developers from over 44 countries and we are happy to shine the light on these talented folks and the tech scenes in cities that they live in.
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What destinations spring to mind when thinking about innovative and inspiring cities?
With the rise of remote working, several global destinations have become hotspots for these workers. For example, Bali is a popular destination for freelance creatives because of its low cost of living. While Austin, Texas, is fast becoming an iconic destination for tech startups.
Montreal is another destination that has become an increasingly popular destination for software engineers and tech startups.
Mission on-demand expert, Martin Provencher, shares insight on the tech scene in Montreal and why it’s become a crowd favorite for innovative tech workers and startups.
Meet Mission on Demand Expert Martin Provencher
Martin Provencher is an established software engineer who was born and raised in and around Montreal. In many ways, his professional journey has been shaped and developed by the city.
While Martin’s experience is extensive and it’s near-impossible to capture every detail, there are a few career milestones to acknowledge.
● In 2011, Martin founded Yatter, a company that adopted a mix of AI and Big Data before it became widely adopted.
● Moving on, Martin joined the team at Hopper, one of the fastest growing, most-downloaded travel apps in the world.
● During the following three years, Martin developed skills to establish himself as a CTO. The process involved working for a larger company where he automated their marketing stack, learned about customer service, conducted automation training, wrote code, developed products, and more.
● Martin then re-entered the startup world and joined Bus.com, the first online real-time charter bus booking platform. He served as CTO for six years before working with Mission.
● He also serves as President of the Ruby on Rails group in Montreal for more than 4 years.
Constantly pushing to grow and improve his skills, Martin now serves as an on-demand expert at Mission.
Martin’s expert skills are put to good use, mentoring the active tech and squad leads. As a support role, Martin helps people develop their skills and their careers, including those that are newer to management.
When needed, Martin can act as the glue that allows customers to access the network of experts, ensuring successful projects and dual satisfaction. As a CTO, Martin offers an in-depth understanding of customer needs and how to match them with the ideal squad.
What makes Montreal one of the best cities in the world to be as tech talent or an entrepreneur?
The Startup Scene in Montreal
The startup community in Montreal has grown significantly over the last decade. In the past, young entrepreneurs would arrive and struggle to get funding from a limited source of venture capital funds and angel investors.
Today, the startup scene is thriving and is expected to continue growing. Various acquisitions and initial public offerings (IPOs) have happened in recent years, drawing attention to the bustling city, and creating a next generation of entrepreneurs. Some great examples are:
- Lightspeed — The one-stop commerce platform for retail, hospitality and golf merchants around the world. Lightspeed is one of Montreal’s unicorns and their latest tech startup to IPO.
- PasswordBox — PasswordBox was acquired by Intel Security in 2016. It was built to function like a personal information digital locker and had 14 million downloads before the acquisition.
- Dialogue — An integrated health platform that supports millions of Canadians across 25,000+ organizations and went public in 2020.
- Sonder — Another Montreal-founded unicorn, Sonder is a boutique apartment-hotel hospitality company that manages short-term rentals in North America, Europe, and Dubai that is going public in 2021.
Montreal is also seeing experienced entrepreneurs that are choosing to launch their businesses in Montreal. And as a result, there’s been a significant increase in growth stage endeavors and scale-ups.
The Proof is in the Pudding
Canada, and Montreal in particular, has been credited as a startup mecca that rivals Silicon Valley. While there are countless businesses that showcase the growth of the startup ecosystem, here are some of Martin’s favourites.
“Of course, I have to say Bus.com! I wouldn’t have been with the company for the past six years if I didn’t think they were on to something really cool. Now that we’re getting out of the COVID-19 pandemic and travel is resuming, I’m excited to see their growth accelerate.”
While there are too many startups to name, Martin has also been following RenoRun, the most efficient way of getting last minute construction materials delivered to construction job sites and Breathe Life, the digital distribution solution for the life insurance industry.
The Meetup Community in Montreal
Networking plays a fundamental role in innovation, and the restrictions of the pandemic put a spanner in the works. However, the thriving startup community in Montreal has kept meet-ups going virtually and is looking forward to getting back to in-person as soon as they can.
Here are a few of Martin’s favourite meetups.
● FounderFuel Demo Day — an annual event that has developed a community in and of itself
● Startup Fest — an international event revered as Canada’s original startup conference
Coworking and Networking in Montreal
It’s no secret that working as a a freelancer or as part of a distributed team demands discipline and focus. A productive working environment is critical in developing a rewarding routine.
Montreal boasts a big number of coworking spaces, but Martin’s favourite? Notman House, because it really is the center of all things startup and tech in Montreal. And it boast the OSMO Cafe where you’re guaranteed to run into some interesting folks. Who knows, you might meet your co-founder or future investor while grabbing a coffee!
Bars and Restaurants to hang out at in Montreal
As an expert in the startup scene in Montreal, Martin has a few restaurants and bars that he is a regular at.
● Benelux on Sherbrooke — the official startup bar that offers a selection of beers, tasty snacks, great prices, and the host of several tech meet-ups and gatherings
● Brutopia — as a regular host of Startup Drinks, the bar welcomes startup entrepreneurs, developers, and investors, encouraging collaboration in a social setting
● Nocturne and Pikolo Espresso Bar — two separate cafes that both offer a great atmosphere (and excellent coffee) for an out-of-office meeting
● Lola Rosa — a restaurant that offers tasty, well-priced vegetarian food
● 14 Prince Arthur — a regular lunch spot serving delicious food for local startup companies
Are You Ready To Explore Montreal?
Whether you’re already living in the area and looking to get connected, or you’re planning a move in the hope of finding success, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.
Firstly, there are a few different startup neighborhoods in Montreal. While the Plateau is most well-known, the startup scene is developing in other areas. For example, the Mile End, down in the Old Port, and in Griffintown. Various companies are expanding throughout the city, and each neighborhood is developing its own unique profile.
Montreal is experiencing a unique growth phase where investors are prioritizing money in younger startups. There’s also a lot of infrastructure, such as Diagram, FounderFuel, and Techstars, that facilitate the opportunities.
With the above in mind, it’s important to consider various platforms that help remote workers or freelancers settle in Montreal. For example, Mission offers a global perspective while changing people’s perceptions about where top talent and tech communities may be located.
The tech and startup scene in Montreal is bustling, inviting tech talent from around the world to get involved.
