07/14/2025
A large-scale celebration of impact entrepreneurship!
Coopérathon 2025 is coming to an end… and the big winners have been revealed!
In May, nearly 150 teams embarked on a demanding and stimulating journey aimed at developing high-impact solutions. They shaped their ideas around 7 major societal challenges. After an initial evaluation, 27 projects were selected for Phase II, where they were pushed further by mentors, trainers, and experts. The result: creative, viable, and transformative projects.
And today, after a final pitch in front of an outstanding jury, team Cooperathon and its program leaders are proud to reveal, at Startupfest, the 2025 winners:
• Thriving Cities: swyvl | $ 9,000
(Cooperathon extends its sincere gratitude to IVÉO and the Port of Québec for their generous support in increasing the value of this award)
• A Healthier Future: OrIA | $ 5,000
• Smart Food Systems: SYMBIOSIS | $ 5,000
• Manufacturing the Future: McGill iGEM Bond and Co | $ 5,000
• Tech/AI Solution: Psynovation | $ 7,000
(Cooperathon extends its sincere gratitude to CRIM for it’s generous support in increasing the value of this award)
• Impact Solution: Ecologia | $ 5,000
• Low Tech Solution: McGill iGEM Bond and Co | $ 5,000
• Public’s Kudos Award: McGill iGEM Bond and Co | $ 2,500
• GRAND PRIZE Cooperathon 2025: VoltLeaf Energy Inc. | $ 25,000
All prizes include additional support from La Foundry, the ally of the innovation community.
Congratulations to the winners for your vision, boldness, and determination.
And kudos to all participating teams for daring, creating, and learning throughout this journey. What a powerful source of inspiration!
A heartfelt thank-you to all program leaders, mentors, trainers, experts, and jury members for your commitment. Your contribution brings our mission to life: to advance entrepreneurship as a driver of change.
Special thanks to Jimmy Jean, CFA, Daniel Grossi, and Mathieu Bélisle from Mouvement Desjardins for your inspiring speeches; to Galiane Yergeau, MBA from VIA Rail Canada; Vincent Lafrenaye Lamontagne from MT Lab; Jean-Christophe St-Amand from IVÉO; Charles Beauchesne from CIUSSS – CHUS; Carla Berquo from Bioenterprise Canada; Alain Beauséjour from Groupe MISA; Chahine Ghimouz from CAPSolar; Francoys Labonté from CRIM; Shane Flynn from DMZ; and Simran Kanda from ElanTech for your presence and for lighting up the stage as you announced the winners during the ceremony.
Huge applause for our dynamic host Nicholas Belliveau, as well as Stéphanie boudreault brassard, Sonia Ben Chaffi, Madavi Sooriyapperuma, Emilie Dubosc, Carolyne Gingras, Jean-François Bonnes, Jack Cohen, Cyril Cosenza, Alex H Santander, Denis Luchyshyn, and Benoit Morissette for your exceptional support, and to Rafael Rodrigues for the great photos and videos!
Cooperathon | Powered by Desjardins
Program Leaders | Accompagnateur entrepreneurial Desjardins (AED) de l'UdeS, ASTROLITH, La base entrepreneuriale HEC Montréal, Bioenterprise Canada, CAPSolar, LE CAMP, Les Cercles d’Or - Communauté de jeunes entrepreneur.e.s, CHUM - Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, CIUSSS de l'Estrie - CHUS, Coop Carbone, Createk, CRIM, Cycle Momentum, DMZ, Écotech Québec, ElanTech, Entreprendre Sherbrooke, Espace-inc, Garage&co, Groupe MISA, Innovation Federal Credit Union, IVÉO, Living Lab Lanaudière, Maison de l'innovation sociale, Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, MT Lab, Port of Québec, Propolys - Polytechnique Montréal, Seneca HELIX, Smith School of Business at Queen's University, Université Laval, V1 Studio, VIA Rail Canada, YSpace, York University
