Startup in residence

• Pitch deck (PDF) — required to share via a public Google Drive link

• The company must be incorporated in Canada.
• The company must be an early-stage, Canadian-based technology company.
• The company must have entered the commercialization phase (for Medtech ventures, the product must be marketable without requiring regulatory approval).
• The company must have raised less than $1 million in dilutive funding.
• At least one co-founder must be working full-time on the business.

Who is eligible?

• Early-stage technology companies
• Impact tech companies focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) solutions
• Financial technology (FinTech) companies
• Real estate technology (PropTech) companies
• Healthcare technology (HealthTech) companies

Who is not eligible

• Co-operatives (CO-OPs).
• Non-profit organizations (NPOs).
• Companies that are not Canadian-based.
• Companies that are not technology companies.
• Companies affiliated with the organizers (e.g., Desjardins officers, selection committee/jury members, mentors, members of Desjardins’ Open Innovation department, or people living with them).

Eligible expenses

• External professional services needed for project feasibility (e.g., legal services, accounting services, design services).

Ineligible Costs and Activities

• Co-operatives (CO-OPs) and non-profit organizations (NPOs) are not supported by this program.
• Any exclusive information or intellectual property content should not be disclosed in the application.
• Acceptance into the Startup in Residence program is not guaranteed (an application does not automatically qualify a company for funding).
• Any potential investment (up to $250,000) is not guaranteed.

Eligible geographic areas

• Canada (company must be incorporated in Canada).

• Quality and complementarity of the founding team.
• Maturity and relevance of the product or service.
• Demonstrated traction and progress to date.
• Market potential and go-to-market (GTM) strategy.
• Fit with the objectives and support offered by the Startup in Residence program.

• Your application is reviewed by Startup in Residence’s selection committee to confirm it meets the program’s criteria.
• If your startup meets the criteria, you may be invited to present your solution to a committee of experts and investors.
• Selected startups go through a selection stage that includes a one-hour interview/presentation period (scheduled within the selection window for the call).
• Startup in Residence makes the final selection based on relevance to the call for applications, your presentation, and your answers to questions, and announces selected startups on the final selection date.
• If selected, onboarding into the program begins; however, applying does not guarantee acceptance into the program or any financial investment by Desjardins.

• The online application indicates you should not disclose any intellectual property in the form.
• Participation in Startup in Residence may include access to a psychologist in residence (noted for the 2026 ESG call).
• Startup in Residence also offers a free “On-Demand Support” service (formerly La Foundry), with targeted expert support of 6 to 12 hours.
• The application process includes personal information handling statements (e.g., collection/use for eligibility assessment and related correspondence), and indicates applications may not be processed if personal information is not provided.