Entrepreneur Networking Events in Montreal (2025)

Montreal’s vibrant startup ecosystem hosts year-round networking events, from large-scale conferences to grassroots meetups, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, and creative professionals. Major events include internationally known conferences (e.g. Startupfest, C2 Montréal, World Summit AI) as well as industry summits (telecom, fintech, cybersecurity) and local panels or open-house gatherings. This report outlines key 2025 events with dates, venues, formats, audiences, speakers/themes, ticket info and links (sources in citations).

Montreal’s innovation scene pulses with events big and small, drawing entrepreneurs and innovators to network and learn (Source: travelperk.com)(Source: c2montreal.com).

World Summit AI Canada 2025

World Summit AI Canada is a premier AI conference in Montréal. Dates: Apr 15–16, 2025 (Source: americas.worldsummit.ai). Location: Montréal (exact venue TBA). Format: In-person summit with expo. Audience: AI founders, researchers, corporates, and investors. World Summit AI “brings together the global AI ecosystem” (Source: americas.worldsummit.ai), showcasing the latest in machine learning and data science. Past content partners include Mila; keynote speakers have featured Yoshua Bengio, Joëlle Pineau, Gary Marcus and more (Source: americas.worldsummit.ai). Themes: Enterprise AI use-cases, responsible AI/governance, autonomous agents and AI infrastructure (Source: americas.worldsummit.ai). Tickets: Multi-day passes (conference + expo) via the organizer’s site. Link: World Summit AI Canada.

• Dates: April 15–16, 2025 (Source: americas.worldsummit.ai)

• Format: In-person conference + expo

• Speakers: Top AI experts (e.g. Yoshua Bengio, Joëlle Pineau, Gary Marcus) (Source: americas.worldsummit.ai)

• Focus: Cutting-edge AI (automation, ethics, enterprise) (Source: americas.worldsummit.ai)

C2 Montréal 2025

C2 Montréal is an annual creativity-and-business conference co-created by Cirque du Soleil and Sid Lee. Dates: May 20–22, 2025 (Source: c2montreal.com). Location: Grand Quai du Port de Montréal (Old Port) (Source: c2montreal.com). Format: In-person immersive “campus” experience. Audience: Creative industry leaders, marketers, entrepreneurs, artists. C2 “brings together creative minds, leaders and change-makers to spark collaboration and innovation” (Source: c2montreal.com). The 2025 theme is “Motion: The Art of Taking Action” (Source: c2montreal.com), encouraging bold, results-driven thinking. Speakers (selected by content partner partnerships) include professionals like Kimberly Davis (NHL executive) and Xanthe Wells (VP Creative, Pinterest) (Source: c2montreal.com). Tickets: All-access or daily passes (purchase via C2 website). Link: C2 Montréal.

• Dates: May 20–22, 2025 (Source: c2montreal.com)

• Venue: Grand Quay of Port of Montréal (immersive campus) (Source: c2montreal.com)

• Speakers: Industry creatives (e.g. Kimberly Davis, Xanthe Wells) (Source: c2montreal.com)

• Themes: Innovation, collaboration, creative business (“Motion: The Art of Taking Action”) (Source: c2montreal.com)

Startup Open House (Spring 2025)

Startup Open House is a one-night event where Montreal startups open their offices to the public. Held annually (typically in late May), this free event invites attendees to tour companies and chat with founders. Past events saw dozens of tech startups showcase their workspaces in a single evening (Source: ca.linkedin.com). It’s aimed at inspiring future entrepreneurs by connecting them directly with the startup community. Format: In-person open-house tours at multiple locations. Audience: Aspiring entrepreneurs, students, tech enthusiasts, and the general public. Tickets: Free (online registration). Link: startupopenhouse.org (Source: ca.linkedin.com).

• Date: Late May 2025 (exact date TBA)

• Locations: Participating startup offices across Montréal

• Format: Open-house tours (evening)

• Audience: General public, budding entrepreneurs

• Highlights: Company tours, product demos, founder Q&A (Source: ca.linkedin.com)

Business Real Talk Panel (June 5, 2025)

A local “founders panel” networking event brought entrepreneurs together to share real-world startup experiences. The Business Real Talk Panel (organized by YES Montréal) is a casual networking session for early-stage founders. Date/Time: Wednesday, June 5, 2025, 7:00–9:00 PM (Source: 2727coworking.com). Location: Desjardins Caisse des Technologies (1050 Beaver Hall, Montreal) (Source: 2727coworking.com). Format: In-person panel discussion followed by mixer. Audience: Entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners. Moderated by veteran entrepreneur Andy Nulman, the panel features local startup founders (e.g. Nima Jalalvandi of Urbandig) sharing lessons on funding, innovation and growth (Source: 2727coworking.com). Tickets: ~$30 ($20 early-bird) (Source: 2727coworking.com). This intimate event (50+ attendees) offers networking over drinks with a founder Q&A twist.

• Date: June 5, 2025 (7–9 PM) (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Venue: Desjardins Caisse des Technologies (Downtown Montreal) (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Format: In-person panel + networking

• Audience: Startup founders and entrepreneurs

• Hosts/Speakers: Moderator Andy Nulman; local founders (startups) (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Theme: Real-life startup stories and improv-style Q&A

• Price: ~$30 (online registration) (Source: 2727coworking.com)

MURAL Festival (June 5–15, 2025)

The MURAL Festival transforms Montreal’s Plateau into an outdoor creative hub. Dates: June 5–15, 2025 (Source: 2727coworking.com). Location: St-Laurent Blvd (Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood). Format: In-person street festival (free). Audience: Artists, designers, cultural entrepreneurs, and public. Over ten days, 100+ muralists paint the city, and organizers host day tours and night events. The festival fosters networking in the creative economy by bringing designers, architects and brand marketers together in an open, public setting (Source: 2727coworking.com). Tickets: Free. Link: Festival MURAL.

• Dates: June 5–15, 2025 (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Format: Outdoor street-art festival (open to all)

• Audience: Creative industry professionals and general public

• Highlights: Live mural painting, art tours, evening events (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Cost: Free (public event)

IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC 2025)

ICC 2025 is a flagship telecommunications conference. Dates: June 8–12, 2025 (Source: 2727coworking.com). Location: Palais des congrès de Montréal. Format: In-person technical conference and exhibition. Audience: Engineers, researchers, telecom startups and industry leaders. The event covers 5G/6G, IoT, media networks, and related tech, with panels and paper sessions. The 2025 theme is “Communications Technologies for 4Good” (Source: 2727coworking.com). Tickets: Paid registration (IEEE member and non-member rates). Link: ICC 2025 (IEEE Communications Society).

• Dates: June 8–12, 2025 (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Venue: Palais des congrès de Montréal

• Format: In-person conference & expo (IEEE)

• Audience: Telecom professionals, network engineers, academic researchers

• Topics: 5G/6G, optical communications, networking, IoT, etc.

• Theme: “Communications Technologies for 4Good” (Source: 2727coworking.com)

Int’l Economic Forum of the Americas – Montreal (June 9–11, 2025)

Montreal hosts the annual International Economic Forum of the Americas (Conference of Montreal), a Davos-style summit. Dates: June 9–11, 2025 (Source: 2727coworking.com). Location: Hôtel Bonaventure (Montréal). Format: In-person conference. Audience: Global business and government leaders, investors, and high-growth entrepreneurs. The 2025 theme is “Change: Vector of Opportunities.” Speakers include major figures like Fidelity CEO Jenny Johnson and Philips executive Laurent Ferreira (Source: 2727coworking.com), discussing macro-economics, innovation policy, and world markets. This high-profile event requires registration or invitation. Tickets: Corporate sponsorship/delegates. Link: forum-americas.org.

• Dates: June 9–11, 2025 (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Venue: Hôtel Bonaventure Montréal (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Format: In-person summit (executive-level)

• Audience: CEOs, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs

• Speakers: Global finance & tech leaders (e.g. Jenny Johnson, Laurent Ferreira) (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Themes: Global economic trends, innovation policies (“Change: Vector of Opportunities”)

OCP Canada Tech Day (June 12, 2025)

OCP Canada Tech Day is a niche conference on open-source data-center hardware. Date: June 12, 2025 (Source: 2727coworking.com). Location: Palais des congrès de Montréal. Format: One-day conference + expo. Audience: Cloud and data-center engineers, hardware designers, IT leaders. Organized by the Open Compute Project Foundation, it features keynotes and sessions on open hardware, energy-efficient servers and scalable computing (Source: 2727coworking.com). Past speakers have come from companies like Meta (Facebook), Microsoft and Google. Tickets: Free (sponsored event) (Source: 2727coworking.com). Link: Open Compute Project or local OCP website.

• Date: June 12, 2025 (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Venue: Palais des congrès de Montréal (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Format: 1-day in-person tech conference/expo

• Audience: Cloud providers, data-center engineers, hardware innovators

• Speakers: OCP community leaders (cloud/hardware experts) (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Focus: Open hardware designs, hyperscale computing, edge AI infrastructure (Source: 2727coworking.com)

Montreal Cybersecurity Conference 2025

An annual cybersecurity summit (part of a global series) will be held June 18, 2025. Date: June 18, 2025 (Source: 2727coworking.com). Location: Plaza Centre-Ville (777 Boul. R.-Bourassa, with hybrid option) (Source: 2727coworking.com). Format: Full-day in-person conference (online attendance possible). Audience: CISOs, IT security professionals, cybersecurity startups and corporate tech teams. The conference agenda includes expert keynotes on emerging cyber threats, panel discussions (ransomware, cloud security, zero-trust, etc.), and hands-on workshops (Source: 2727coworking.com). Tickets: Paid (early-bird discounts; sometimes free offers for qualified security pros) (Source: 2727coworking.com). Link: Typically organized by industry groups – see 10times/Conference listings for details.

• Date: June 18, 2025 (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Venue: Plaza Centre-Ville (and online) (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Format: In-person summit (with streaming)

• Audience: Cybersecurity professionals, startups, corporate tech

• Content: Keynotes/panels on cyber threats and defense (Source: 2727coworking.com)

• Tickets: Paid registration (early rates available) (Source: 2727coworking.com)

Startupfest 2025 (July 9–11, 2025)

Startupfest is Canada’s original and largest startup festival (Source: travelperk.com). Dates: July 9–11, 2025 (Source: startupfest.com). Location: Montréal (Old Port area). Format: Three-day in-person conference/festival. Audience: Startups, founders, investors, accelerators and media. The festival emphasizes networking and mentorship: curated content for entrepreneurs, 1:1 mentor and investor meetings, startup pitches and even music-festival-style parties (Source: travelperk.com). Past speakers include Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke, tech journalist Kara Swisher, and many YC partners (Source: startupfest.com). The 2025 theme is “Ambition+,” aiming to equip founders with tools to turn bold goals into reality (Source: startupfest.com). Tickets: Startup passes and all-access passes (available via official site). Link: startupfest.com (Source: startupfest.com).

• Dates: July 9–11, 2025 (Source: startupfest.com)

• Venue: Montreal Old Port (Startup Village + offsite events)

• Format: In-person festival conference (keynotes, workshops, parties)

• Speakers: Global startup legends (e.g. Kara Swisher, Alexis Ohanian, Kim Bryant) (Source: startupfest.com)

• Highlights: Curated startup tracks, 1:1 investor sessions, pitch competitions (Source: travelperk.com)

• Theme: “Ambition+” (empowering bold entrepreneurs) (Source: startupfest.com)

Canada Fintech Forum 2025 (Montreal)

The Canada Fintech Forum is a leading financial-technology conference organized by Finance Montréal. Dates: Sept 22–23, 2025 (Source: finance-montreal.com). Location: Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Montréal (Source: finance-montreal.com). Format: In-person conference. Audience: Fintech startups, bankers, investors, regulators. The 2025 theme is “Fintech Forward: Navigating the Next Era of Innovation” (Source: finance-montreal.com). This 12th annual forum features panels and showcases on fintech trends (payments, banking innovation, blockchain, AI in finance, etc.) (Source: finance-montreal.com). Tickets: Paid registration (Professional and Young Leader packages). Link: Canada Fintech Forum (Source: finance-montreal.com).

• Dates: Sept 22–23, 2025 (Source: finance-montreal.com)

• Venue: Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, Montréal (Source: finance-montreal.com)

• Format: In-person fintech conference

• Audience: Banks, fintech entrepreneurs, investors, policy-makers

• Themes: “Fintech Forward: Navigating the Next Era of Innovation” (Source: finance-montreal.com)

• Highlights: Keynotes from industry innovators; fintech startup showcases

DevOpsDays Montréal 2025

DevOpsDays is a community-run tech conference on software and IT operations. Date: Fall 2025 (exact date TBD) (Source: devopsdays.org). Location: Montreal (venue TBD). Format: In-person conference. Audience: Developers, operations engineers, product managers and any IT practitioners. The event centers on DevOps culture and practices – collaboration, automation, measurement and sharing (Source: devopsdays.org). Talks and open discussions cover topics like CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure-as-code, cloud-native development, and even mental health in tech (Source: devopsdays.org). It’s highly interactive, featuring Lightning Talks and networking socials. Tickets: Typically a nominal fee (announced via the DevOpsDays website). Link: devopsdays.org/events/2025-montreal.

• Date: Fall 2025 (TBD) (Source: devopsdays.org)

• Format: In-person tech conference

• Audience: DevOps professionals (developers, sysadmins, etc.)

• Topics: DevOps best practices, cloud infrastructure, culture, well-being (Source: devopsdays.org)

• Features: Presentations, open “unconference” sessions, networking

Sources: Official event websites, event announcements and reputable listings were used to compile this 2025 Montreal events guide (Source: startupfest.com)(Source: c2montreal.com) (Source: 2727coworking.com)(Source: devopsdays.org), etc., ensuring up-to-date details. Each entry includes citations to verify dates, venues, themes, and speakers as available.