Open innovation
Mission
Harness people's collective intelligence and make entrepreneurship more accessible through initiatives like the Cooperathon and the Startup in Residence program.
Cooperathon
The Cooperathon is the world's largest open innovation competition, where the goal is to gather changemakers to create a positive social impact.
It connects citizens, communities, entrepreneurs, researchers, academics and institutions to build a more socially responsible future.
In 2018
- 2,800+ participants from all business sectors
- 100+ partner organizations
- 300+ mentors and volunteers
- 260+ inspiring stories
Who can participate?
Anyone who wants to get involved and have a positive impact on society. We welcome students, recent graduates, professionals, leaders, entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, professional hackers and more.
The journey
An immersive journey in 5 sprints
Participants embark on a 25-day marathon of training and teamwork sessions on Saturdays and specialized workshops on weekday evenings. The dozens of hours of training are valued at over $5,000, and prizes totalling more than $100,000 are up for grabs.
Competition locations
Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Waterloo, Shawinigan
Six main themes
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Finance
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Environment
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Education
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Health
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Energy
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Agriculture
Startup in Residence
The Startup in Residence program fosters the development of startups that have the potential to influence Desjardins Group's digital transformation.
500 hours of support
Our expertise:
Today's startups need genuine support to guide them in their growth—especially their human growth.
20 partners in Canada and Europe
Our network:
We connect startups with each other and give them the network they need to turn their ambitions into reality.
1 unique program
Our offering:
We offer a collaborative work environment with invaluable mentoring and networking opportunities within Canada's leading cooperative financial group.
Locations
Montreal (Notman House) and Quebec City (LE CAMP)