28 March 2015

Sherbrooke now has its own innovative business accelerator/incubator: Espace-INC at 400 Marquette Street. The site is both a gathering place for entrepreneurs and a startup accelerator, with a range of services adapted to the reality of each individual.

» View photos of the press conference

Two guidance programs are offered to startup companies that use Espace-INC: pre-acceleration and acceleration. Each provides access to a bank of free hours and weekly strategic support from entrepreneur-coaches and experts, explained Espace-INC’s Executive Director, Chloé Legris.

The incubator also offers cowork space, where other entrepreneurs can work and share information.

Several Sherbrooke entrepreneurs have already confirmed their participation as ambassadors, including Serge Auray (Laboratoire M2), Gilles Blais (Groupe PréciGrafik), Peter Cassar (SherWeb), Vincent Chornet (Enerkem), Stéphane Fortier (NAC Systems), Mohamed Laaroussi (E2Metrix), Julie Maltais (BNM), Blair McIntosh (Motrec International), Sébastien Morin (Immex), Sébastien Richer (Nova Envirocom), and Yan Sinclair (Logiflex).

Espace-INC has also announced the involvement of private partners from the business sector through donations of hours, material, and services: Deloitte, Deveaux Brault Munger & associés, Enerkem, Guertin société d’avocats, Groupe PréciGrafik, Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, and SherWeb.

In recent weeks, about a dozen companies have set up shop in the renovated offices of the former police station, including:

Acceleration program:

• Mes cours prénataux
• SE2

Pre-acceleration program :

• Eatrie
• Imeka
• Innomalt
• La Fabrique
• Mobilus Technologies

Cowork program:

• Archimed Medical
• Polymer Robotics
• ZenAgence

Other companies will join them throughout the year. The target is a first cohort of about 10 companies in acceleration mode and another 10 or so in pre-acceleration and cowork mode.

Maison de l’entrepreneur

The accelerator/incubator’s facilities have also incorporated the Maison de l’entrepreneur, a gathering place conceived by young entrepreneurs.

The site will host various activities: training, lectures, and networking events—by and for future entrepreneurs, students, and business people wanting to get involved.

Source: Espace-INC