Built differently, on purpose.
Vinerals Technologies is a solidarity cooperative. A social enterprise owned by the people doing the work and the community we serve, not by investors hunting an exit.
So what is a solidarity cooperative?
A solidarity cooperative (coopérative de solidarité in French) is a Québec business structure that brings three kinds of member into the same room:
- ✓Worker members. The developers and staff doing the actual work.
- ✓User members. Clients who choose to join (optional).
- ✓Supporting members. Community stakeholders who believe in the mission.
Each member gets one vote, no matter what they put in. Surpluses go back into the mission, to worker-members, or to a community fund. Nothing flows out to external shareholders, because there are none.
Mission over profit. Built differently, on purpose.
The seven cooperative principles
Cooperatives around the world run on seven shared principles set by the International Cooperative Alliance. Here’s what each one looks like in our daily work.
Voluntary & Open Membership
Anyone who can use our services and accepts membership responsibilities can join. We do not discriminate.
Democratic Member Control
One member, one vote. Major decisions are made collectively through democratic processes.
Member Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably and control capital democratically. Surpluses are reinvested or distributed fairly.
Autonomy & Independence
We are self-governed by our members. No external investors control our direction or extract profits.
Education, Training & Information
We invest in member development and educate the public about the cooperative model.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
We work with other co-ops, share resources, and strengthen the cooperative movement.
Concern for Community
We work for the sustainable development of our communities through policies approved by our members - like offering subsidized programs to non-profits and social enterprises.
Why We Chose This Structure
Mission over profit.
Traditional corporations are legally bound to maximise shareholder value. A cooperative is bound to its members and its mission. We choose to put bringing serious software inside reach ahead of profit extraction. That isn’t about being cheaper. It’s about reinvesting in the purpose instead of paying outside shareholders.
Funded accessibility, not discount rates.
We don’t undercut professional rates. Good engineering costs what it costs ($100 to $200 per hour blended in Montréal). What we’ve done is line up government subsidies, grants, and impact funding to cover part of qualifying SME budgets. The accessibility gap closes without anyone’s wages or quality taking the hit.
Worker ownership.
The people writing the code have a say in how the company is run. That’s how you end up with better decisions, higher-quality work, and workloads that don’t burn out the team shipping your project.
A longer time horizon.
No investors demanding a quick exit or endless quarter-on-quarter growth. We can focus on client relationships that last and operations we can sustain.
What you get out of it
Our structure isn’t a feel-good story. It shows up in the work, in concrete ways:
- ✓Enterprise-calibre work. Same senior developers and standards you’d get from Spiria, Stradigi AI, or Konverge, brought into reach through mission-aligned funding instead of corner-cutting.
- ✓The knowledge gap closed. We start by walking you through what AI and software can and can’t do for your business before anyone writes a line of code. That conversation alone tends to be worth thousands in mistakes you didn’t make.
- ✓Aligned incentives. We win when you win, not when we run up billable hours or stretch the scope.
- ✓The team that starts is the team that finishes. Worker ownership means low turnover. No juniors learning on your dime mid-project.
- ✓Mission-fit clients. We choose engagements that match our values, and turn down the ones that don’t. Outcomes improve on both sides.
- ✓You own everything. No vendor lock-in, no proprietary systems. 100% of the code, ready to leave with you the day you want it to.
How we’re governed
Democratic, but built to move quickly:
General Assembly
All members meet quarterly to review the books, approve big decisions, and elect the board. One member, one vote.
Board of Directors
An elected board of worker and community representatives provides strategic oversight and keeps us honest about the mission.
Day-to-day operations
Worker-members make operational decisions by consensus when we can, by vote when we have to. Technical calls live with the people closest to the work.
Profit distribution
After reserves and reinvestment, surpluses are split based on hours worked (patronage) instead of capital invested. A portion goes to community development.
Part of Québec’s social economy
Vinerals Technologies sits inside Québec’s social economy ecosystem, a network of more than 11,000 enterprises that take social and environmental goals as seriously as the P&L.
Among the organisations we work with and lean on:
Conseil québécois de la coopération et de la mutualité (CQCM)
Quebec's cooperative network providing support, advocacy, and connections.
Learn moreChantier de l'économie sociale
Network promoting and supporting Quebec's social economy enterprises.
Learn moreRISQ (Réseau d'investissement social du Québec)
Social finance network providing patient capital to social enterprises.
Learn more