Fonds Innovexport

About the Fund

Our mission: Support seeding and start-ups of innovative businesses for international markets to shape the future of Quebec.

The quarterly project submission process allows Fonds Innovexport to quickly meet the financing needs of entrepreneurs, allowing them to focus on expanding their business.

Fonds Innovexport comprises fifteen experienced entrepreneurs, as well as the Government of Quebec represented by Investissement Québec, fonds espace cdpq de la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the Fonds de solidarité FTQ, and Fondaction CSN. They all work together to support the establishment of innovative businesses with the potential of becoming global leaders. Fonds Innovexport also receives financial support from the Economic Development Strategy of the City of Quebec.

Requested Projects

We believe in entrepreneurs who distinguish themselves through their personal and professional achievements and who surround themselves well to attain their objectives.

You must be supported by a start-up incubator, a business accelerator or a committee comprised of experienced people.

We support projects that provide innovative products or services that solve real problems here and elsewhere. Your aim should be meeting market needs and doing so more effectively than others.

Our investments are based on structured and realistic business plans with clear development milestones and well-defined human, material and financial resources that ensure execution.

We focus on exportable projects that showcase Quebec's know-how and creativity abroad.

We seek simple corporate structures conducive to investment with realistic medium-term profitability objectives.
Fonds Innovexport invests through convertible debt or equity. Investment amounts vary from $50,000 to $1 million for each round of funding, up to a maximum of $3 million per business. Amounts are determined according to required resources to attain each significant development milestone. Fonds Innovexport generally invests in successive installments based on these development milestones.

Ineligible Business Sectors or Companies:

Farming and forestry operations
Mining operations and exploration
Biotechnology (development of pharmaceutical and therapeutic products)
Financing for construction projects and purchase or management of real estate
Brick and mortar retail sales such as shops
Businesses involving sexual, religious, political and similar activities
Companies with legal, environmental, ethical or governance issues
Any project of a company that already has the required financial resources

Investment
Process

Fonds Innovexport has adopted a strict and structured investment process enabling effective and timely cooperation with entrepreneurs.

Quarter

Project submissions at the beginning of each quarter.

Next project submission deadline:
July 01, 2017
Monitor our Calendar under the News section to learn about future deadlines.

Validation of eligibility and issuance of a letter of interest by the Fund team usually within one week following the submission deadline.

Request for additional information for a first interview.

First interview with entrepreneurs on a fixed date, usually one or two weeks pursuant to submission deadline. In collaboration with Le Camp à Québec, a one-day event filled with workshops and conferences is organized on this day.

Issuance of a letter of intent, usually within two or three weeks, and deeper assessment of the project upon receipt of the letter of intent by the entrepreneur.

This initial offer is subject to approval by the Investment Committee and the Board of Directors.

After the Fund team has completed evaluating the project throughout the quarter, the entrepreneur is invited to present the project to the Investment Committee, usually comprised of members of the G15, on the last Thursday of the quarter.

Based on the recommendations of the Investment Committee and subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, issuance of a formal letter of final offer and closing of the investment, as the case may be, in the following weeks.