On Wednesday, Microsoft Canada and Quebec City business incubator and accelerator LE CAMP announced a partnership that will see Microsoft invest more than $1 million in the province’s thriving startup scene.
As part of the investment, Microsoft will provide funding for CAMP to invest in Quebec entrepreneurs and businesses, as well as a wide range of Microsoft hardware, including Surface laptops, XBoxes and HoloLens devices so CAMP can explore the development apps and tools in the world of augmented and mixed reality.
The partnership also includes the Microsoft Collaborative Space equipped with a Surface Hub to foster collaboration among Campers and their colleagues around the world. The company will also offer training and mentorship opportunities to teach fundamentals such as business and technical skills. And going one step further, Microsoft will allow select CAMP startups a priority application path to Microsoft for Startups, to help them scale their business and give them access to some of the biggest companies in the world.
“We’ve already set the stage for the growth of young technology companies in the Québec City region, and thanks to this partnership with Microsoft we can take that even further” said Carl Viel, president and CEO of Québec International. “We will target three sectors in which we already collaborate for success: blockchain, mixed reality (virtual and augmented) and cybersecurity. This will help us grow the region into one of the most innovative in the world.”
And of course this is just another feather in the cap of Quebec’s booming tech scene. Montreal is also thriving as a hotbed of AI innovation, with Microsoft and IBM supporting research programs at both Microsoft Research Montreal and the IBM-backed Client Innovation Centre (CIC).
“The creativity and innovation that we see in Quebec is among the most exciting things happening in technology,” said Kevin Peesker, president of Microsoft Canada. “We are tremendously pleased to join forces with CAMP to help foster growth now and in the future.”