Start-ups

Our programs are dedicated to helping climate tech start-up founders. We are experts in the sector. Through mentoring, you benefit from the guidance of experienced entrepreneurs who have walked in your shoes, asked the same questions, and faced the same challenges and our experts take you from theory to practice. Joining the Cycle family connects you to our VC world through our network and the Circle of Partner Funds. You’ll get help understand and navigate through the private financing process. Finally, the Cycle family is also a network of the world’s leading climate tech companies in a wide range of sectors.

We often run multiple initiatives concurrently that target start-ups at various stages of maturity. Some are contests with prize awards, others offer networking and pilot project opportunities with large companies looking for solutions, and finally, we provide support programs for early-stage businesses, primarily acceleration programs. If your company meets the criteria for several of them, I invite you to apply for each one. The application process is light and there is no harm in filling an application. If there is no fit for one particular case, it will put your start-up on our radar as a potential candidate for future initiatives.

Our team conducts an initial screening of applications based on eligibility criteria and program requirements. We first eliminate proposals that do not meet our basic criteria, whose submitted applications are incomplete, or whose developments are too late or too premature. We pay special attention to the team because we believe it is as important as the business project or the proposed solution. The last phase of the selection process is then handled by a selection committee consisting of industry experts.

We don't provide feedback on application results. If we did this, we'd spend all our time providing feedback and doing nothing else due to the volume of applications we have to process.

Yes, the great majority of our initiatives targets incorporated start-ups, not just projects.

Yes and no. We have initiatives open to start-ups from all over the world, some are limited to start-ups located in Canada and others for Quebec only.

Deadlines are specific to each program, so please consult the brochures for the program you are interested in to find out more.

Yes. In a typical Cycle Momentum program, one third of the companies applied multiple times before being accepted. If you've applied before and not gotten in, we strongly encourage you to apply again. Having made progress since your last application is a strong signal to us.

Yes. We've had many companies join Cycle Momentum after doing another accelerator, often a less specialized one or specialized in another vertical (like AI for example).

No, our programs mostly take place remotely to provide both flexibility for entrepreneurs and to allow us to recruit mentors and experts more widely. That being said, some programs may require a physical presence on our premises at key moments, as well as for the final pitch day.

Yes, we sometimes accept solo founders. That said, starting a company is tough, and you're more likely to succeed with a co-founder. No one is good at all things. Typical founders have a technical background. Building a company is also about marketing and selling, hiring, accounting and budgeting, understanding legal stuff and regulations, etc. A team will have, or will develop, skills in more areas than if you’re just alone. You’ll need your team members to pick you up when you get down (and you’re the one who’s going to help them through when they get down).

Let us know what they are — they are welcome. Email us at mguitton@cyclemomentum.com