Attention, startups in Montreal: Deloitte has opened up the application period for its 2018 Technology Fast 50 program.

Every year, Deloitte holds a prestigious contest for the fastest-growing and most promising tech companies. There are two categories that most startup companies can apply under:

Technology Fast 50™ ranking
This category is a ranking of Canada’s 50 fastest-growing technology, media, and telecommunications companies by revenue-growth percentage over their last four years of operation. Revenue criteria: the company had to have made $50,000 in 2014 and $5 million in 2017

Companies-to-Watch awards
This category highlights Canadian technology companies with the potential to be future Technology Fast 50™ candidates. No revenue criteria.

Any companies that feel they could be a Fast 50 winner should apply here until June 15th.

Still unsure whether you should apply? Here’s some more important guidelines:

Technology Fast 50™ and North American Technology Fast 500™ applicants must be:

• In business for at least four years (on or prior to December 31, 2013)
• Headquartered in Canada or Canadian-controlled, with both management and research and development (R&D) teams also located in Canada
• Generating a significant proportion of operating revenue via proprietary technology and/or intellectual property (see the FAQ section for the definition)
• Able to prove minimum revenues of $50,000 in 2014 and $5 million in 2017. (Revenues to qualify for Fast 500™ must be US$50,000 in 2014 and US$5 million in 2017)
• Participating in one of the following five sub-sectors:
  • Emerging technologies
  • Hardware/semiconductor
  • Software
  • Telecommunications/wireless
  • Digital media

To be eligible in the Companies-to-Watch category, applicants must meet the same criteria as for Technology Fast 50™ nominees except for those related to revenue and the number of years in business.

Once Deloitte has chosen its finalists, they’ll conduct interviews in June and July. They’ll let everyone know the results in September.

In 2017, the Fast 50 winners achieved an average four-year growth rate of 4,625 per cent, which represents a 74 per cent increase from 2016.

Last year, Diply.com, a London, Ontario–based social entertainment media publisher, ranked number one. With a unique blend of lifestyle content targeting North American millennials, Diply.com achieved a growth rate of 92,881 per cent.

Prodigy Game took second place with a growth rate of 18,933 per cent. Based out of Burlington, Ontario, Prodigy Game is a game-based learning platform that allows students to create an avatar and set out on an adventure to increase their knowledge where success depends on honing curriculum-aligned math skills.

In third place was Prodigy Ventures (no connection to Prodigy Game), an innovation company that creates enterprise platforms and consumer apps with emerging technologies in mobile, video, augmented reality, 3D, artificial intelligence, payments and blockchain. The Toronto-based company achieved a growth rate of 16,791 per cent.