“MT Lab is proud to be hosting startups with so much potential. The selected startups will have the support of our organization as well as that of leaders in the tourism, culture and entertainment industry. MT Lab and its partners are mandated to guide the selected startups and ensure that they have the winning conditions to realize their business objectives,” – Pierre Bellerose, Chairman of the MT Lab Board of Directors.
The first MT Lab cohort:
44 Screens. Specializing in augmented reality (AR) content creation for the cultural sector. They have a patent for a solution that decreases file size while increasing image quality.
Ask Pam. Specializing in on-line concierge service and the traveler-client experience. They can unify customer contact channels by integrating social media.
M ta Region. Specializing in the promotion of Quebec’s good touristic addresses and local purchasing. They offer the public one-year subscriptions to exclusive offers from their hand-picked partners network.
Magnéto. Specializing in creative sound content (podcasts) and geolocalized sound stories that “re-enchant” the traveller’s journey.
Merinio. Specializing in human resource management, particularly by automating the management of recall lists.
My Smart Journey. Specializing in data tracking and analysis (big data). They want to expand a proven manufacturing solution in order to adapt it to tourism.
Stay 22. Booking and geolocation of accommodations near an event by improving the user experience and the management of blocks of rooms.
Hikster. Specilizing in the referencing of all hiking trails and tourist attractions nearby.
The incubation program is divided into 4 cycles
The coaching program is conducted in collaboration with the School of Management at the Université du Québec à Montréal (ESG-UQAM), the largest French-language management school in the world.
- Knowledge and connection to the tourism ecosystem (ant partners)
- Validation of the value proposition
- Commercialization and marketing strategy (local, national and international)
- Preparation for demo days before the teams of relevant partners
“MT Lab is responding to a need in the startup ecosystem. A total of 78 applications were submitted for only eight places available in the first year. The incubator will benefit from the expertise of its partners and ESG UQAM professors. The program will be tailor-made for incubated startups” – Martin Lessard, Director of MT Lab.
The jury
The steering committee that selected its startups is made up of major players in the industry: Aéroports de Montréal, Air Canada, the Alliance de l’industrie touristique du Québec (Alliance), the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ), Loto-Québec (Sépaq) and Tourisme Montréal.