Markham, ON- ventureLAB is proud to sponsor the inaugural HardTech Fest, Garage & Co’s premier event at Startup Fest’s, taking place on July 10, 2024, in Montreal. In partnership with The City of Markham and York Region, HardTech Fest serves as a premier gathering for leaders and innovators in the Canadian tech ecosystem, offering a unique platform for exploring new opportunities in the HardTech industry.
HardTech Fest will bring together a diverse group of attendees, including tech entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, policymakers, and enthusiasts. The event aims to create a dynamic platform for networking, discussion, and collaboration, focusing on the growth of the regional semiconductor ecosystem. By forming new partnerships and strengthening current relationships, ventureLAB is committed to advancing the HardTech industry in Montreal and beyond.
“It’s exciting to launch HardTech Fest in Montreal for the first time,” said Sep Assadian, VP of Founder Success at ventureLAB. “With its growing reputation as a hub for hardtech innovation, Montreal is the perfect backdrop for this premier event, offering a unique opportunity to connect with hardtech enthusiasts, founders and investors. As we forge new partnerships and collaborations across the region, we’re excited for the innovations and opportunities ahead .”
One of the highlights of the HardTech Fest will be the “Oxford Debate: Hardtech Startups Are a Bad Investment” panel. This engaging discussion will feature Raymond Chik, ventureLAB Advisor and Advisory Board Chair at the HardTech Investor Network (HIN), alongside panelists Susan Schofer, Erin O'Keefe Graham, Bertrand Nepveu, and Charles Lesperance. They will delve into the challenges and opportunities of securing significant hardware financing, exploring the roles of venture capital and corporate partnerships in driving innovation.
HIN is a deep-tech focused investor network backing up Canadian pre-seed and seed stage startups. The Network offers vetted and curated select investment opportunities of high potential to support HardTech companies focused on building technologies of the future.
“I’m excited to participate in the Oxford Debate at the HardTech Fest, exploring both the challenges and opportunities of investing in HardTech startups. This debate will hopefully stimulate discussions about the future of hardtech and the role of investment in driving innovation in this sector,” said Raymond Chik, Advisory Board Chair at the HardTech Investor Network.
Register today to attend HardTech Fest starting July 10-12 in Montreal, Quebec.
About ventureLAB
ventureLAB is a leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies in Canada. Located at the heart of Ontario’s innovation corridor in York Region, ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in Canada. Our initiatives focused on raising capital, talent retention, commercializing technology and IP, and customer acquisition have enabled thousands of companies to create over 6,800 jobs and raise more than $420 million in investment capital. ventureLAB is powering hardtech founders to build and scale globally competitive ventures that advance Canada's knowledge-based economy.
