As of Wednesday, April 9, a new group of Quebec entrepreneurs will make a deal with the province’s most renowned investors on the 14th season of Radio-Canada’s show, Dans l'œil du dragon. For the second year, AWS Canada is teaming up with the show to support local entrepreneurs and highlight innovation.
Réjean Bourgault, Managing Director for AWS Canada, will appear on the show to announce the AWS business grant worth $100,000, which will be awarded to a promising company. This prize includes cash, technology credits, as well as technical and business mentorship. Mr. Bourgault will return for the finale on June 18 to announce the winner.
"We will be focusing on how entrepreneurs integrate technology into their businesses," said Bourgault, explaining how AWS will select the winner. "We will also evaluate how the AWS cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) can help them accelerate their innovation and improve their business performance."
Last season, AquaVerti, a Quebec-based hydroponic and vertical farm company specializing in growing herbs, lettuce, and spinach, received the AWS grant. The judges recognized the company’s innovative approach to sustainable development and AI’s potential to help them grow even further.
Two other companies qualified as finalists, each receiving a grant worth $20,000 in technology credits and mentoring. These included OneTrip, which helps independent grocery stores quickly and easily create an online shop with their e-commerce platform, and SilknSoak, which creates vapour cubes for the shower, transforming the shower experience into a moment of pure relaxation.
"We’re so pleased to be part of our 2024 winners’ growth journey, and renewing our support this year to help even more startups succeed,” said Bourgault. “Having been there ourselves, we understand the challenges they face and are keen to use our experience and expertise to help them scale to new heights,” he continued.
With millions of customers worldwide, including tens of thousands in Canada, AWS supports tomorrow’s change-making startups by helping them have access to the same technology as the world’s leading enterprises.
To date, AWS has helped more than 330,000 startups around the world bring their projects to life through programs like AWS Activate, which provide entrepreneurs with resources and expert advice.
"We’re excited to discover this new season’s entrepreneurs and business ideas, and see how we can help them accelerate their success—these businesses can become tomorrow’s enterprises!”
"Dans l'œil du dragon," the Quebec version of the popular primetime hit show Dragon's Den, brings together renowned investors, the dragons, and ambitious entrepreneurs who seek to convince this panel of experts to fund their project. Whether they secure an investment or not, all participants are eligible for the AWS grant, a unique opportunity to propel their business to new heights.
Radio-Canada’s show is broadcasted on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. (EDT) on ICI TÉLÉ and ICI TOU.TV.
To learn more about AWS integration and view episode summaries, click here.
