Who else is ready to come of age at Startupfest 2026?

The Grand Quay of the Port of Montréal is once again the place where bright ideas, big swings and beautifully chaotic networking collide. Startupfest 2026 takes over the waterfront from July 8 to 10, 2026, bringing founders, investors, operators, accelerators, ecosystem leaders and the startup-curious together for three high-impact days that feel a lot more like a festival than a conference.

This year’s edition comes stacked with more than $1M in investment prizes up for grabs, 120-plus speakers and mentors, a crowd where Startupfest says one in four attendees can sign a term sheet, and the kind of open-air Montréal energy that makes business cards feel almost too formal. Think pitch competitions, founder war stories, mentor Office Hours, Braindates, curated match-ups, cocktails, Off events, a full demo floor and the ever-essential Startupfest Village.

Coming of Age this summer

The theme for Startupfest 2026 is Coming of Age, and it lands at exactly the right moment. Startups, like people, don’t arrive fully formed. They stumble, rebel, pivot, mature and, with the right support, become something much stronger than the original idea scribbled in a notebook or deck.

For its 16th edition, Startupfest is leaning into that whole messy, exhilarating arc. Whether you’re taking your first steps, chasing product-market fit, scaling with ambition or staring down the complicated business of becoming a real CEO, this year’s program is built around growth in every sense: funding, visibility, learning and connections.

The Startupfest Village is still the beating heart of it all. It’s where speakers don’t just disappear after their talks, where mentors are there to be cornered in the best possible way, and where one-on-one and group Braindates turn “we should connect” into an actual conversation. The Demo Floor adds even more momentum this year, giving startups, accelerators and support services a place to show, not just tell, what they’re building.

Speakers you can’t miss

Startupfest 2026 has brought together a heavyweight roster of founders, funders, operators, AI minds, brand builders and Montréal names with serious pull.

Among the standouts this year are: 

• Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify
• Georges St-Pierre, professional athlete and Montréal icon
• Misti Cain, investor at Mighty Capital
• Andres Barreto, Managing Director at Techstars
• Marty Weiner, Founder and CTO of VerifyYou and former CTO of Reddit
• Haley Bryant, Partner at Hustle Fund
• Jake Karls, Co-founder and Rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares
• and Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Mayor of Montréal

One particularly Montréal moment on the agenda: a candid conversation with Harley Finkelstein and Georges St-Pierre on discipline, pressure, ambition and building from Montréal to the world. That one alone should fill the room. Peruse the full lineup here. 

Prizes worth pitching for

As always, the prizes are a huge part of the Startupfest thrill. More than $1M in investment prizes and grants are up for grabs in 2026, with founders pitching in the Startupfest Village and across the program.

This year’s opportunities include the $100K Best of the Fest Investment Prize, the $100K Women in Tech Investment Prize, the $100K Black Entrepreneur Investment Prize, the $100K 2SLGBTQIA+ Investment Prize, the $100K Fintech Grant, the $25K Impact Grant, the $10K Productivity Grant, the $100K Canadian Impact Investment Prize and more. Discover them all here.

In other words, bring the pitch, bring the proof and maybe bring a snack for the line.

Cheat sheet

Event: Startupfest 2026
Dates: July 8 to 10, 2026
Venue: Grand Quay of the Port of Montréal, 200 De la Commune Street West
Website: startupfest.com
Handle: @startupfest
Hashtag: #Startupfest