TechPoutine with Eleonore Jarry, Ian Jeffrey, Gabriel Sundaram & Nectarios Economakis

The crew is back around the table to unpack the AI tidal wave reshaping how companies are built, funded, and run. Eleonore, Nectar, Ian, and Gabriel dig into Shopify's AI-first memo, Jack Dorsey's bet at Block, and what "AI-native" actually means when every company claims the label. From there: the once-in-a-generation opportunity hiding inside Quebec's 16,000 annual SMB successions, why the futur...

Tech Poutine is back and so is the energy. The Tech Poutine crew is back for the first episode of the year. Recorded straight from the Startup Fest studio , Eleonore, Ian, Gabriel, and I dive into the rapidly shifting landscape of venture capital and the local tech ecosystem. The market is moving incredibly fast, and we break down the most exciting, and terrifying, trends hitting the industry righ...

The Tech Poutine crew returns with a live episode featuring an engaging discussion on the strengths and challenges of Montreal's tech ecosystem. The episode kicks off with reflections on a networking lunch held at Hotel Neligan, where 20-25 attendees (ranging from LPs to founders) conversed about vital topics like Canadian tech, scalability, AI, converting service businesses to product businesses,...

In this live podcast episode of Tech Poutine, four innovative entrepreneurs from Quebec Tech share their journeys, challenges, and insights. The discussion was held at Ax.c in downtown Montréal, We kicked off with introductions from the hosts and the panel members: Nectarios, Ian, Catherine and Gabriel, and entrepreneurs Marc-Olivier, Laurent, Marc-Antoine, and William.    They collectively highli...

In this interview, William St-Pierre discusses his innovative business in the field of tech hardware and software, focusing on a laser projector system designed to display construction plans at full scale on job sites. He talks about the challenges of traditional methods, the development process, and the importance of finding the right partners for capital raising. William highlights the difficult...

In this episode, Laurent discusses his work in biotechnology, specifically focusing on the development of antimicrobials for food processing to eliminate harmful bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. Laurent explains the significance of his innovation in preventing foodborne illnesses and the rigorous regulatory environment they navigated, culminating in approval from Health Canada and the FDA. La...

In this interview, Marc-Antoine shares the inspiring story behind his company, which develops advanced medical prosthetics. He explains how the company brings cutting-edge sports, textile, and manufacturing technologies to the traditionally artisanal field of prosthetics. Marc-Antoine delves into the personal motivation behind his work, inspired by his experience with his mother using uncomfortabl...

In this interview, we discover Gaïa, an innovative startup in the telecommunications sector. Marc Olivier discusses their unique approach to service management for telecom companies, offering an integrated platform to optimize operations and improve the user experience. They share their journey, from founding their previous company to creating Gaïa, and how they conquered the US market. The challe...

In this special live recording of the Tech Poutine podcast, we welcome John Rikhtegar, Director of Capital at RBCX, to discuss the current state of venture capital and investment in Canada. John shares insights on market cycles, the impact of AI on investments, and the challenges and opportunities facing fund managers and entrepreneurs.  We explored historical patterns in venture capital, discusse...

In this episode, we spoke with Philip Telio, founder of Startup Fest, about the 15-year anniversary of the renowned event. Phil reflects on the origins of Startup Fest, the transition from smaller events like Startup Camp, and the pivotal moments that have marked the festival's evolution. He shares anecdotes about influential figures like Andy Nulman and events like the elevator pitches and the me...

In this episode, the team reunites to discuss the current state of venture capital and the tech industry. The discussion highlights the significant events and reports shaping the industry, including the Web Summit in Vancouver and the CVCA conference in Calgary. The conversation touches on the differences between the Canadian and U.S. markets, drawing parallels to the U.S. market 15 years ago. The...

In this episode, the team reunites to discuss the success and impact of the recent North Star event in Montreal. They reflect on the feedback from various attendees, including student founders, experienced entrepreneurs, and VCs. The discussion highlights the unique atmosphere and notable speakers at the event, as well as the need for continued engagement and inspiration within the startup communi...

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 f...

In this engaging talk, Harley Finkelstein, President of Shopify, shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the significance of passion, necessity, and grit in building successful businesses. He recounts his early ventures, the foundational role of Montreal in his career, and the evolution of Shopify into a global powerhouse. Addressing a room of entrepreneurs and students, Har...

In this North Star panel discussion, Gabriel Sundaram, a co-founder of Attain, hosts successful CEOs and founders to share their entrepreneurial journeys and key strategies for building and scaling startups. Panelists include Andrew from Stay 22, Anna from Dialogue and Coral, Malik from Nesto, and Joanne from PemPem. They discuss the importance of speed, intensity, and obsession in growing a busin...

The band is back together! Eleonore is back from mat leave and we had the chance to record an episode with Ian Jeffrey and Gabriel Sundaram - all while eating a good poutine.    We spoke about:  How the industry can improve for young moms  Stage of early stage in Canada and what it takes to uplevel  Latest events & news (Lightspeed, AI startups, Kaufman Fellows)  

In this episode, we have the pleasure of speaking with Sophie Boulanger, CEO @ 1Valet. Sophie is one of Canada's most innovative and dynamic entrepreneurs. She has 20 years of experience in the strategy, performance, growth and value creation of organizations, brands and retail operations in the consumer goods industry. She's the co-founder of Bonlook which was acquired in 2021.  On the second day...

We have an amazing TechPoutine episode to share with you today. Ian Jeffrey, Gabriel Sundaram and I sat down with Kyle Braatz, co-founder & CEO @ Fullscript. We spoke about:  How Kyle built his business from the ground up to over $1BN in annual revenue servicing 100,000 practitioners and 10 million patients How Kyle balanced growth and profitability Management principles scaling from 0 to 800 peop...

Last week, we recorded a TechPoutine podcast from the Somo Lounge at Notman House. We were joined by the magnificent Sophie Forest, Managing Partner at Brightspark Ventures. She graciously stepped in for Eleonore Jarry who is enjoying her mat leave.    Ian Jeffrey, Gabriel Sundaram and I had the pleasure of asking Sophie a bunch of questions about her thoughts on the latest developments in technol...

Ian Jeffrey, Gabriel Sundaram and I had the pleasure of being joined by Mark MacLeod who has sat at the right-hand side of the leaders of high growth technology companies as either a CFO, VC or deal maker since 1999. He served as CFO for software companies including Shopify and Freshbooks. ‍ He was also a General Partner in Real Ventures and founded SurePath Capital Partners.  Mark is a coach to s...

This is a special episode where we discussed the ongoing saga of Notman House and why it's important to keep it in the hands of the community.  We were joined by Gabriel Lesperance , a serial entrepreneur that benefited greatly from Notman. He wrote a great op-ed in Le Devoir which we recommend you read. We spoke about:  The history of Notman House Its pivotal role in fostering entrepreneurship an...

This is the last episode of Tech Poutine before Eleonore Jarry's maternity leave! Ian Jeffrey, Gabriel Sundaram and I wished her the best of luck. We also celebrated the occasion by eating some good poutine together.    On the show,  we spoke about:  The promises and risks of AI Polarization in media  The mission of Techaide and getting together to give back Upcoming events in the ecosystem  

New episode of TechPoutine with Gabriel Sundaram, Eleonore Jarry and Ian Jeffrey is live!  On the show, we spoke about:    A slew of new funding announcements iNovia's discovery program, Luge Capital Fund 2 and Front Row Ventures  The trend of solo GP Latest innovations of AI and All In conference  

TechPoutine with Gabriel Sundaram, Eleonore Jarry, Ian Jeffrey and Nectarios Economakis On the show, we discuss:  Harley moving back to Montreal Damien Steel's appointment as the new DeepSky CEO Fred Lalonde's keynote about DeepSky (must watch!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Baz2OsoIOPs   The impact of Bill C18 on the Canadian media industry  

On this episode, Gabriel Sundaram, Eleonore Jarry,  Ian Jeffrey and Nectarios Economakis talk about:  Recap of FounderFuel and StartupFest Climate Tech and Deep Sky Building companies that have a purpose