Desjardins, Google and Bonjour Startup Montreal have teamed up on competition to find solutions to “Post-Covid” challenges in 3 different categories. The winners in education, health care and employment were each announced on June 3.

Education Challenge winner: PingLit

Challenge - How can teachers evaluate their students’ progress through the use of techniques like gamification?

Submitted by Justine Gagnepain and Emmanuelle Germain, a professor of literature, PingLit is a platform that makes reading more fun and encourage students to go deeper. The platform lets students build virtual libraries made up of playful pictures related to the books they read.

Health Care Challenge winner: Portail Résidence

Challenge - What methods can we develop to increase and improve close human connections with our senior citizens while respecting social distancing measures?

Co-founded in 2018 by Simon Bélanger and Jonathan Chirwa, Portail Résidence is an online platform for private seniors’ residences in Quebec. The platform enables users to find the best possible living environment for seniors.

Employment and Social Solidarity Challenge: EnLigne

Challenge - In order to ensure a return to work that respects physical distancing, how can technology contribute to the establishment of good health and safety practices in places like factories, universities, restaurants, shopping centres, public transportation and concert halls?

Submitted by Alexandre Ratthé, Brian McWilliams and Mariya Zinchenko, EnLigne is a mobile app that creates virtual lineups for neighbourhood stores, so that customers can save their spot without worrying as much about physical distancing.

All finalists had to submit a business plan, show prototyping of their projects with the help of industry experts and finally pitch their project to a panel of experts which consisted among others of:

• Fab Dolan, Head of Marketing, Google Canada
  ● Bruno Morency, Managing Director, Techstars Montréal AI
  ● Stéphanie Jecrois, Co-founder, Technovation Montréal
  ● François Lacoursière, Senior Vice President, Innovation, Ivanhoé-Cambridge

Each winning team will receive prizes valued at over $100,000, including customized coaching and workshops, mentoring, workspaces at the Notman House and access to a variety of Google services. These teams will also have access to the Desjardins Startup in Residence program, and a chance to develop a pilot project with a Quebec-based business. The full list and details of the prizes are available at post-covid.ca.