Who else is excited for Startupfest 2024?

The Grand Quai and Port of Montréal Tower is a particularly apt setting for Startupfest 2024, a breeding ground for the world’s next big ideas along the theme, this year, of Here and Now. Come one, come all from July 10 to 12 for the insights, prizes and community building — not to mention the chair-dotted lawn on the riverbank, a perfect setting for Braindates (especially with food trucks and bars nearby).

Here and Now… this July

As it is masterfully explained in the event’s annual manifesto, the theme is prescient to the max. By “here”, the organizers don’t mean just being present, in the flesh, in the mind, in a way that’s visceral and galvanizing; they are talking about breaking through the world’s noise and clutter and creating genuine connections while learning firsthand facts. In their words, “it’s about authenticity that builds trust, attracts talent and inspires others to join the cause.”

And by “now”, they mean more than just July 10 to 12, 2024, at the Grand Quai in Montréal; they mean at this particular tipping point in the history of the human race, when we’ve built the tools to understand our species at scale just in time to see the havoc we’ve wrought. In their words “we’ve never needed innovation so urgently”, and luckily Startupfest is a meeting place for hundreds of startups and thousands of attendees dedicated to building the impossible.

Speakers you can’t miss

Startupfest 2024 has a great roster of founders, investors, accelerators and authors in the wings — all experts on founding, funding and running startups.

Among the heavy hitters this year there’s Sam Colby, EVP & Chief of Staff at SRTX; Andrew Cleland, Chief Investment Officer at Techstars; Emily Ross, Director of Brand Strategy with X - Europe, Middle East & Africa; Neil Grunberg, Managing Partner at Storytime Capital; Haley Bryant, Principal with Hustle Fund; Timm Chiusano, Principal at Chiusano & Daughter; Ravi Belani, Managing Director at Alchemist Accelerator; Alison Anderson, CEO & Founder at SuccessionMatching, and the Montréal native Harley Finkelstein, President at Shopify, who have a spirited opening chat with host Alistair Croll at Startupfest 2023 and is sure to be electrifying again. See the full list of speakers and mentors here.

Prizes worth pitching for

One of the most thrilling aspects for attendees of Startupfest is the prizes. If you’re looking to pitch and fund your own startup head to the Startupfest Village, where various committees await to hear pitches and consider projects for the festival’s prizes and competitions.

This year we have more prizes than ever: