Let’s start with some exciting news for our agency. For the 17th year in a row, Québec International made it into the annual Canada’s Best Locations list by American magazine Site Selection. This ranking rewards the leaders of economic development in Canada.
Québec City’s booming techno-creative industry
The Québec City video game and animation industry made several exciting announcements these past months. Animation studio Squeeze, which has collaborated with several giants in the sector like Disney, Universal, Illumination, and Marvel, is adding a new project to its roadmap. The team will take part in the development of the animated feature The White Tower by iwot productions, inspired by Robert Jordan’s globally acclaimed series The Wheel of Time.
Sabotage, the Québec City-based independent studio that brought us the global success The Messenger, released its new title, Sea of Stars, at the end of August. A Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign was launched a few years ago and allowed the studio to raise more than $1.6M in just one month for the development of the game. The creators wanted to celebrate their province by giving some characters French-sounding names, with even an upcoming version in joual, a dialect of Quebec French.
Finally, Rodeo FX, a studio specializing in high-end special effects, animation and creative services with an office in the Saint-Roch district in Québec City, announced the opening of a new chapter in Paris, France. This new location will allow the company to push the boundaries even more, while also multiplying the opportunities for artists, clients and partners.
Successful partnerships
The saying goes: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The Québec business sector listened, and it paid off! Québec company Oplan, the developer of a classroom management software and a device to help students with learning disabilities, was in France last June to negotiate its first major technology partnership. According to co-founder Yann Giroux, this contract could grant them access to 25% of the French market.
In the life sciences sector, Québec company Feldan Therapeutics, specializing in the development of therapies based on intracellular delivery technology, recently closed a $16.3M funding round which will mainly allow them to complete phases I and II of clinical trials for an intralesional treatment against basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The company also partnered with biopharmaceutical research consortium CQDM and pharmaceutical company Amgen to finance the development of an innovative medication delivery technology for the treatment of lung diseases.
Businesses with their eyes on global markets
Several businesses in the region are hearing the call of international markets. It is the case for Dimonoff, a leader in smart city lighting control systems who recently launched a smart urban lighting project in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
Québec City company Myni, formerly known as Filo, also made great strides on the international market. After taking part in the Parcours IME Europe 2021–2022, founder Marie-Hélène David managed to build a network in France. These efforts are bearing fruits, as she will be opening her first point of sale in France in mid-September.
Fumoir Grizzly, a smoked fish producer from Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, started commercializing its unique bio-ingredient process for the control of Listeria bacteria on fish and other processed food products. The company’s representatives attended food trade shows in Boston and Barcelona in the past few months to present the bacteriocin Bac M35.
Finally, Québec technology company LeddarTech, who designs perception and driver assistance software for the automotive sector, will be entering the New York Stock Exchange by the end of the year. After two years of contemplating going public, LeddarTech will finally do so through a business combination with Prospector Capital, a publicly traded special purpose corporation already listed on the NASDAQ.
Congratulations to all these businesses and organizations that are making the greater Québec City region shine all around the world! Would you also like to bring your business to new heights? Contact us now! Our team will be happy to support you and your growth.
Carl Viel
President and CEO, Québec International
