Montréal is known for its life sciences, its engineering, its artificial intelligence sectors… all of which have budding technologies in common. It’s no surprise that it’s a force in software development and information & communication technologies too. Montréal is a global centre for tech innovation whose thriving economy and large pool of highly qualified talent are boosted by the most competitive operating costs of any major metropolitan area in Canada and the United States.
A bottomless talent pool
Montréal has been ranked among the Top 5 metropolises within Canada and the United States when it comes to the concentration of tech jobs. The city counts a highly qualified bilingual workforce of more than 160,000 ICT workers and over 95,000 software developers with strategics skills such as Java, SQL and Pythoncity in their arsenal. On top of that, it’s estimated that Montréal has 81,000 university students enrolled in programs related to software development, and 40,000 more enrolled in IT-related programs in Québec — making Montréal’s the highest number of tech graduates in Canada.
A booming tech ecosystem
Choosing Montréal to develop your business means taking advantage of a cutting-edge technological ecosystem. As reported by Montréal International, Montréal has been classed as one of the best places to invest in AI in North America, the sixth-largest North American hub for life sciences and health technology, a global hot spot for cutting-edge expertise in fintech, and the top city in Canada for cybersecurity study programs, courses, research chairs and university labs. The metropolis offers an advantageous business environment, not to mention an exceptional quality of life and the most competitive operating costs of the 20 largest cities in Canada and the United States.
Some global greats who’ve chosen Montréal
Montréal has attracted over 7,000 tech companies to establish either outposts or headquarters here. Global leaders Google, Microsoft and Meta have made Montréal their AI R&D centre. Other major players include:
- SAP
- CGI
- IBM
- Fujitsu
- Tata Consultancy Services
- Ericsson
- Alten
- DeepMind
- Samsung
- Ivado
World-renowned Montréal tech companies
Canada is the most attractive country in the world for entrepreneurs according to the OECD, and Montréal takes pride is its rich community of homegrown tech entrepreneurs. They’ve founded companies you’ve probably heard of:
Nuvei. A payment technology solutions company that, in 2020, soared in its debut as a public company after raising US$700M in the largest ever tech IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Coveo. An SaaS company with four international offices and a valuation of over $1B in 2019.
Lightspeed. A point-of-sale solutions provider for retailers and restaurateurs. The company’s market capitalization was $2.6B in 2022.
CGI. Among the largest IT and business consulting services firms in the world with 80,000+ employees across 400+ locations worldwide.
Hopper. One of the first flight-booking applications to use AI to predict airfare pricing. A global giant worth US$5B in 2022.
Workleap. Previously known as GSoft, this company has signed an ecosystem of powerfully simple employee and digital experience software, with an estimated annual revenue of $100M.
SSENSE. An e-commerce retailer specializing in the sale of designer fashion and high-end streetwear that was worth $4B+ in 2021.
CAE. A global leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets with 10,000+ employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries.
Learn more about Montréal’s opportunities for software development and ICT companies from our colleagues at Montréal International. Or get in touch, we’d love to hear from you!
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