Lg2 has partnered with The OSMO Foundation to provide extra support and training to startups looking to make a name for themselves in Montreal.

The OSMO Foundation is a Montreal-based non-profit with the goal of nurturing the city’s startup community and helping to grow its reputation on the global stage. Since 2009, one of the main ways it has done this is through the Notman House, which offers event and office space for startups and entreprenuers and was made part of the Google For Entrepreneurs network of technology hubs in 2014. The non-profit also works with large corporations to help them get closer to the startup community, hosts collision day events and is involved with initiatives like Startupfest and the AI4Good lab.

OSMO also offers professional services programs that help startups develop other areas of their business. For example, it has worked with legal firms to assist startups on intellectual property rights and other legal issues, as well as consultancies to help with their business plans.

Lg2 will now be one of OSMO’s partners that offers one of those training programs, giving startups guidance on things like their go-to-market strategy, branding, positioning and communications.

“We haven’t done this kind of exercise with an ad agency before, but some of the expertise they have is key for startups to have as well,” says Patrick Gagné, OSMO’s CEO-in-residence. “These are key elements for a startup that’s kicking off, and having guidance could help prevent some of the basic mistakes that startups might otherwise make when developing their products.”

On top of the professional development programs, Lg2 will also work with OSMO on its own branding initiatives, which have historically taken a back seat in favour of building the reputation of Montreal’s startup community. Yesterday, the non-profit’s joint bid with Foundation Montreal – which provides grants and support to entrepreneurs in the city – won an RFP process with the Government of Quebec to create a regional innovation hub for the Montreal region, one of several activities at OSMO that made committing to some brand work especially important.

“We have a lot going on, and we need help on the positioning side and crafting our message and our value proposition,” Gagné says. “This is where Lg2 is going to be really key in making sure we craft our DNA and raise the bar in terms of how we communicate our brand.”