MAIN and Techaide: an alliance to transform innovation into solidarity

Entrepreneurship is an act of courage, a bold risk-taking to turn ideas into reality and, even more, to build bridges to a prosperous collective future.

It is in this spirit that MAIN is joining forces with Techaide, a group within the Montreal tech ecosystem dedicated to mutual aid and reducing social inequalities.

MAIN will take on the financial management of Techaide's activities and provide administrative support to the ambassadors who organize them. In addition, Techaide will be able to leverage MAIN's extensive network in Quebec and its communication channels to expand its community and increase its impact.

Techaide is a vibrant community that brings together members of the tech ecosystem around a common goal: to raise funds, mobilize resources, and encourage innovative initiatives to eradicate social inequalities in Montreal. Techaide supports United Way of Greater Montreal for eight years and has donated more than $5 million to Centraide raised by the tech community since 2016.

Its activities are carried out by a team of dedicated volunteers who organize various events, including the AI Conference, Product4Good, GGaide, and many other social activities such as popular soccer and volleyball tournaments.

Techaide started modestly with a pilot project at Notman House in 2016. We capitalized on the value of networking to connect the startup ecosystem with Centraide's network of inclusive and community agencies that serve the Greater Montreal area. Our vision is to make 'giving back' an omnipresent and fundamental part of the Montreal startup community's value system. Our partnership with MAIN will allow us to accelerate this vision," said Alan MacIntosh, founding partner of AgeTech Capital.

Since its creation in 2016, the Techaide community has embodied a vision that is deeply aligned with that of MAIN: to bring together people from diverse backgrounds, encourage innovative approaches, and transform entrepreneurial energy into a powerful lever for sustainable social impact. Through this alliance, we want to go even further to give entrepreneurs the courage to engage in their communities as much as they do in their businesses.

"Committing to supporting Techaide means supporting the commitment of thousands of people in the tech ecosystem to enriching the social and human fabric that underpins its success. Techaide's activities accelerate collisions between community members. It is a multiplier of connections that are first and foremost human, and therefore fruitful," says Louis-Félix Binette, Executive Director of MAIN.

This partnership is based on a shared belief: that moments of interaction outside of regular business and corporate operations build human relationships, and that these relationships are at the heart of innovation. These bonds, which arise from collective activities, become multipliers of connections—both personal and professional.

For MAIN, this is also an opportunity to build a better social infrastructure that does more than just accelerate entrepreneurial projects. We also want to support entrepreneurs in their role as community builders, where their actions transcend business to transform society.

As we embark on this new chapter with Techaide, we invite the entire Quebec tech and entrepreneurial ecosystem to join us. Techaide has been working with ambassadors from the Montreal tech community for several years, and we would like to see more representation across Quebec.

Together, we can transform innovation into a driver of lasting solidarity. These are difficult times, especially for people who need our help.