HEC Montréal AEMBA

What HEC Montréal AEMBA does

HEC Montréal AEMBA (legal name: Association des Étudiants MBA des Hautes Études Commerciales inc.) is a non-profit student association incorporated in Quebec, Canada in 2022, recognized as the official representative body for MBA students at HEC Montréal. Its core functions are threefold: advocate on behalf of the MBA student body to HEC Montréal's administration, organize a year-round programming calendar of social, athletic, and networking events, and curate an ecosystem of interest-based student clubs and flagship academic competitions. Constituents include full-time MBA students, part-time MBA students, and — for flagship competitions — international MBA participants.

The association's core "products" are programming artifacts rather than technology. Flagship offerings include the bilingual Défi RSE (a two-day corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability case competition organized jointly with HEC Montréal and academic partners Pôle IDEOS and RICG, awarding up to $10,500 CAD in prizes), Les Jeux du MBA (an annual academic and athletic competition among Quebec and Canadian universities), and eight student clubs spanning entrepreneurship, sustainable development, public speaking, women in leadership, sectoral interests, health & wellness, philanthropy, and investment. Recurring events include 5 à 7 networking evenings, sports activities, holiday parties, and weekend outings. Delivery is direct, on-campus (Édifice Hélène-Desmarais and Édifice Côte-Sainte-Catherine in Montreal) with hybrid elements for general assemblies and Défi RSE.

The business model is a non-profit membership-and-event economy. Revenue streams comprise mandatory/voluntary MBA student membership fees, pay-as-you-go event ticket sales priced in the $5–$20 CAD range for typical networking and sports events (with higher-priced weekend chalet and rafting outings), corporate sponsorships (most visibly funding Défi RSE), and partners such as Fuckup Nights Montréal and ASEQ that trade visibility and services for access to the MBA audience. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: AEMBA does not sell externally but drives participation via email, an official website (hecaemba.quebec), social channels, and direct university administration referrals. There is no proprietary technology, no AI component, no app, and no API surface; the organization is governed by an elected council of roughly ten student executives that fully turns over on an annual cycle.

Name

HEC Montréal AEMBA

Legal name

Association des Étudiants MBA des Hautes Études Commerciales inc. (AEMBA)

Website

https://hecaemba.quebec

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AEMBA is the official non-profit student association representing MBA students at HEC Montréal. It delivers advocacy, networking events, student clubs, and flagship competitions (Défi RSE and Les Jeux du MBA), funded by membership fees, event tickets, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

MBA & Executive MBA Programs (EDAHAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business, Entrepreneurship & Case Competitions (DECA-style, Pitch, Case) (EDAMAGAJ), Economics & Finance Competitions (Econ Challenge, Stock Market Games) (EDAMAGAI)

Keywords

• Student association services
• MBA student representation
• University student clubs
• Academic case competitions
• Student networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Student membership fees: Mandatory or voluntary membership fees collected from MBA students at HEC Montréal to fund association activities, events, and operations.
2. Event ticket sales: Revenue generated from paid events including networking evenings, sports activities, chalet weekends, and social gatherings. Ticket prices vary by event type.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from businesses supporting Défi RSE and other events. Sponsors receive visibility and recognition at association events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AEMBA is the official student association representing MBA students at HEC Montréal. It delivers student representation to the university administration, organizes academic competitions (notably the Défi RSE bilingual CSR case competition and Les Jeux du MBA), and coordinates a portfolio of student clubs (Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Development, Public Speaking, Women in Leadership, Investment, Health & Wellness, Philanthropy, and sectoral clubs) along with networking events, sports activities, and annual assemblies.

Product overview

HEC Montréal AEMBA is a student association serving MBA students through a unified offering of representation services, academic competitions, and community-building activities. The core products include the Défi RSE (bilingual CSR case competition), Les Jeux du MBA (academic and athletic games), various Student Clubs spanning entrepreneurship to wellness, and regular student events and networking opportunities. The association functions as a centralized hub connecting MBA students to both academic and social experiences throughout their program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Défi RSE: A bilingual case competition on corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability organized by HEC Montréal and AEMBA. One of the organization's flagship annual events.
• Les Jeux du MBA

Products and services

• Défi RSE (CSR Challenge) A bilingual case competition on corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability, organized by HEC Montréal and AEMBA for MBA teams, including international participants. Teams compete over two days to present solutions for business community improvement.
• Les Jeux du MBA (MBA Games) Annual academic and athletic weekend competition bringing together MBA teams from Quebec and Canadian universities, including case competitions, debates, basketball, and dodgeball.
• Student Clubs Chartered student clubs covering Entrepreneurship, Sustainable Development, Public Speaking, Women in Leadership, Sectoral interests, Health & Wellness, Philanthropy, and Investment, organizing events around specific interests decided by and for MBA students.
• Student Events and Networking Social and professional events including 5 à 7 networking evenings, holiday parties, sports activities (bowling, volleyball, basketball, yoga, spinning), academic workshops, and community gatherings for MBA students.
• Annual General Assemblies Regular general and special assemblies where AEMBA members participate in association governance, elections, and financial presentations (in-person and on Microsoft Teams).

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual Défi RSE competition awards $10,500 CAD in prizes across top 3 teams
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, support and core.

• Fuckup Nights MontréalminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2023Collaboration with Fuckup Nights Montréal for entrepreneurship-focused event featuring HEC alumni founders sharing business failure stories and lessons learned. Event organized in partnership with the Entrepreneurship Club.
• ASEQsupportOthersStudent health insurance provider covering healthcare, dental, vision, and travel insurance for MBA students. AEMBA directs students to ASEQ for comprehensive health coverage information.
• Sponsors ( Défi RSE)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsors supporting Défi RSE competition with financial contributions in exchange for brand visibility at the event. Multiple sponsorship tiers available for companies seeking to connect with MBA students and sustainability professionals.
• Arbre ÉvolutionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarbon offset partner for Défi RSE events, sponsoring tree planting to compensate for transportation emissions to the event.
• KotmominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable gifting partner providing reusable drinkware for Défi RSE events as part of sustainability initiatives.
• Petites MainsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable corporate gift supplier for Défi RSE, providing eco-friendly promotional items.
• Ola BamboominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable gift partner for Défi RSE, supplying bamboo-based promotional products.
• Hectare UrbainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal sustainable supplier partner for Défi RSE events.
• Montreal MBA Programs NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular networking events with other Montreal MBA programs including John Molson School of Business (Concordia), ESG-UQAM, Desautels (McGill), and Université de Sherbrooke (Longueuil campus). Facilitates inter-university collaboration and expanded networking opportunities.
• RICG (Revue Internationale de Cas en Gestion)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for case writing competition, with winning cases potentially published in the International Case Studies Journal.
• Pôle IDEOScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial Impact Center partnership for Défi RSE case competition, bringing academic credibility and expertise in social responsibility.
• B.CycleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFitness studio partner for spinning classes offered to MBA students.
• Luna YogaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoga studio partner providing private yoga sessions for MBA students.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ESG-UQAM MBA Student Association: Official MBA student body at ESG-UQAM in Montreal, participating in the same MBA Games and inter-school networking format — comparable in mission and event structure.
• Canadian MBA Case Competition Network (MBA Games): Annual pan-Canadian academic and athletic MBA competition in which AEMBA competes — directly comparable competition platform and counterpart organizer for many of AEMBA's flagship events.
• Desautels MBA Student Association (McGill): Official MBA student association at McGill's Desautels Faculty of Management in Montreal, organizing similar clubs, networking events, and inter-school competitions — directly comparable in mission, structure, and constituency.
• John Molson MBA Student Association (Concordia): MBA student association at Concordia's John Molson School of Business, jointly participating in Montreal MBA networking events and MBA Games — a same-city peer with overlapping event programming and sponsorship overlap.

Emerging players

• DECA (Business/Entrepreneurship Competitions): International business/entrepreneurship case competition organization — relevant as a category-level comparator for AEMBA's Entrepreneurship Club and case event programming, though oriented to a broader student demographic.
• HEC Paris MBA Student Association: Parent-brand-affiliated MBA student association at HEC Paris — analogous in mission and structure but international, offering a benchmark for how the HEC Montréal chapter could scale its association model.

Others

• Net Impact (sustainability-focused student network): Global student/professional network focused on sustainability and CSR — relevant adjacency for AEMBA's Défi RSE Challenge and Sustainability Hub, though not a direct student-association competitor.

Regional players

• Université de Sherbrooke MBA Student Association: MBA student association at the Université de Sherbrooke (Longueuil campus), participating in MBA Games and Montreal networking events — same activity set but anchored outside Montreal proper.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aemba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HEC Montréal AEMBA