Flagship Podcast

I had the pleasure of moderating a panel at the recent Reseau Capital Annual summit on the topic branding for investment firms. My job was pretty easy, I got the chance to listen to the brilliant Whitney Rockley from McRock Capital, Amélie Foz-Couture from Diagram Ventures and Clement Bourgogne from Jolt Capital. They share some unique insights on grassroots marketing, relationship based messaging, adapting for new markets and much more. The panel discusses the importance and impact of marketing and branding in venture capital. Whitney shares the early grassroots marketing journey of Mac Rock, focusing on industrial software, and how their quirky, authentic videos and deep connections with entrepreneurs and LPs fostered a loyal following and facilitated significant deals. Amil Lee from Diagram explains their low-profile but relationship-driven strategy in the FinTech and climate tech sectors, emphasizing the power of personal outreach and alignment with their fund's strategy. Cleon shares how Jolt leverages its identity in deep tech and engineering, while highlighting the importance of staying true to core values. The discussion touches on the cost-effective nature of grassroots marketing, the importance of authenticity, trust, and consistency, and scaling branding efforts. They also stress the significance of data-driven thought leadership and firsts in maintaining a leadership position in a specialized fund.

Dans cet épisode, nous découvrons l'histoire de Ferréol Technologies, une entreprise québécoise fondée en 2018-2019 par trois passionnés de ski et ingénieurs mécaniques de l'Université Laval. Nous apprenons comment Félix, Jonathan, et Étienne ont utilisé leurs compétences complémentaires pour créer des skis adaptés aux conditions de ski variées du Québec, tout en ayant une empreinte écologique réduite. L'entreprise, qui a démarré dans un garage, s'est rapidement fait connaître et est devenue la deuxième plus grande compagnie de ski au Canada. En parallèle, ils ont développé un alliage d'aluminium ultra-résistant, ouvrant ainsi des opportunités dans les industries du sport et de l'aérospatial à travers Ferréol Technologie. Félix partage également des réflexions personnelles sur l'entrepreneuriat, soulignant l'importance de la passion, de la persévérance et des relations humaines dans leur réussite.

In this episode, Patrick Murphy, CEO& co-founder of the startup Maket, shares his vision of democratizing architectural design and planning. Inspired by Canva's transformation of graphic design, Maket aims to simplify and accelerate the architectural process using generative AI. Starting with residential design, the platform seeks to compress timelines and cut costs, providing both consumers and professionals with powerful tools. Patrick discusses the challenges of traditional methods, the advancements Make It has made since its inception in 2021, and the company's growth to over 670,000 users. We conclude with insights into navigating venture financing and the overarching ambition to revolutionize not just architectural design but the entire home building and renovation process.

Joël discusses the inception and development of BioIntelligence which is focused on real-time data monitoring in industrial biotechnology. His journey began with a background in chemical engineering and years of experience in developing bioprocesses. Frustrated by the lack of real-time information in fermentation processes, Joël's team at the University of Sherbrooke developed a revolutionary optical probe technology. This innovation allows operators to monitor multiple parameters in real-time, significantly improving productivity, quality, and resource consumption in industrial biotechnological processes. We also talked about the strategic challenges of funding and scaling the company, emphasizing the importance of a clear vision and focus on core applications within the biotechnology industry. This is one of the conversations I've had on the podcast. I really enjoyed Joël's candor on what it takes to build a breakthrough startup.

Un nouvel épisode dans la série des startups de Québec On a parlé avec Francis Robichaud, Co-fondateur et PDG @ Lime Santé. Francis discute de son parcours d'intégration de la technologie dans le système de santé pour améliorer l'expérience des patients et l'efficacité du système. En tant qu'ingénieur passionné par les soins de santé, Francis exploite les données et les commentaires des patients pour apporter des améliorations systémiques. Il explique l'approche de son entreprise en matière de numérisation du parcours du patient, d'optimisation de la communication et d'utilisation de l'IA pour de meilleurs résultats en matière de soins de santé. Francis aborde également les défis et les opportunités des systèmes de santé du Québec et des États-Unis, ainsi que l'importance de la responsabilité personnelle et de la transparence dans les soins de santé. La conversation s'étend à la stratégie de croissance de l'entreprise, à ses ambitions internationales et au rôle des outils novateurs dans la définition de l'avenir des soins de santé.

Sharing today a new podcast series highlighting the 5 cool startups participating in Quebec Tech's first cohort. The startups are: Flovver, Lime Santé, Biointelligence, Maket and Ferreol. The first episode is with Jimmy Beauregard, CEO & Co-Founder @ Flovver (in french). Jimmy started the company in 2020 and their mission is to make sharing money accessible to all by offering secure, automated technological platforms that promote ethical and accessible financial growth. They specialize in end-to-end loan management solutions designed to streamline the lending process. Their offerings aim to accelerate secure access to funds and empower businesses to integrate lending into their models effectively. Jimmy shares his entrepreneurial journey on the podcast, detailing his 18-year-long career, which began with a web agency and eventually led to the founding of Flovver. Its inception is a tale of resilience and perseverance. Despite early setbacks, Jimmy secured clients and continuously improved the product over the years. Jimmy emphasized the importance of not waiting for perfection, showing up during tough times, and balancing work with personal life priorities. He highlights the crucial role of a dedicated team and good partnerships in achieving success.

Anna Chif is a world class founder that is one to her second company. She co-founded Coral. a women's digital health platform designed to help women in perimenopause, menopause and beyond achieve their optimal health. Coral matches users with a wellness coach, who is available to chat asynchronously with users to talk through symptom management. They recently raised $4M in seed financing led by Brightspark as well as Diagram Ventures and The51. We spoke about: Anna's deep conviction on building Coral Coral's mission and business model Applicable lessons from Dialogue Objections during her recent fundraise Integrating AI with a human touch

In this episode, we interview Marc Bellemarre, who discusses his work on developing AI software for the pharmaceutical industry. They focus on 'commercial pharma,' which involves everything beyond molecule search and testing, such as marketing and clinical landscape analysis. Marc's software uses AI to expedite the literature review process, reducing a traditionally 400-hour task to half an hour. The software aims for high accuracy by structuring scientific data and helping analysts and researchers make informed decisions. Marc explains the intricacies of integrating AI with user-friendly software interfaces and ensuring transparency in data validation. He also shares his motivations for leaving a secure job at Google to create a startup and highlights the potential of AI to eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies. The conversation touches on the challenges of combining traditional software engineering with AI research and the importance of founder-led sales for startups. Marc concludes by discussing the future ambitions for his company and the vital role of building robust AI ecosystems.

In this North Star panel discussion, Eleonore Jarry from Brightspark Ventures sat down with student founders. The conversation highlights the experiences of various student founders, their innovative projects, and the challenges they face in the startup ecosystem. Key topics include raising initial funds, the importance of team and mission, navigating the academia-industry transition, pivots and finding product-market fit, and the unique advantages and support systems available to young entrepreneurs. The panelists also engage in practical discussions on retaining talent within Montreal's ecosystem and fostering stronger ties between academic institutions, startups, and the broader venture capital landscape.

Harley Finkelstein on Entrepreneurship, Grit, and the Montreal Entrepreneurial Spirit Harley Finkelstein of Shopify shares his journey and insights at the North Star event, highlighting the importance of Montreal in his entrepreneurial career. He expresses gratitude for the city's role in his growth and the legacy of his family's market stall. Finkelstein delves into the motivation behind entrepreneurship, stressing both passion and necessity as drivers. He discusses the lowered cost of entry due to modern technology, urging aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue persistent ideas. Emphasizing grit, he argues that failure is part of the journey, and shares personal anecdotes on anxiety and vulnerability as strengths. Finkelstein encourages embracing the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Montreal and the value of staying geographically agnostic in business operations. The session concludes with reflections on personal growth, success, and the importance of having a personal mission aligned with professional goals.