{"id":4841,"date":"2018-04-11T13:03:44","date_gmt":"2018-04-11T17:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/business.financialpost.com\/?p=1573638"},"modified":"2018-04-11T13:03:44","modified_gmt":"2018-04-11T17:03:44","slug":"mavericks-and-movers-the-brains-behind-2017s-top-five-venture-capital-deals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.lifeinsurance-orleans.ca\/index.php\/2018\/04\/11\/mavericks-and-movers-the-brains-behind-2017s-top-five-venture-capital-deals\/","title":{"rendered":"Mavericks and Movers: The brains behind 2017\u2019s top-five venture capital deals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Element AI chief executive Jean-Francois Gagne.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

By Rob Blackstein<\/strong><\/p>\n

Element AI<\/strong>
\nJean-Fran\u00e7ois Gagn\u00e9<\/em>
\nThere is nothing synthetic about Jean-Fran\u00e7ois Gagn\u00e9\u2019s expertise in artificial intelligence (AI). Having already founded and successfully exited two companies in AI and operations research, he co-founded Montreal-based Element AI in 2016 and, as its CEO, is often asked to help educate top-level management about the impact of AI. But before becoming a serial entrepreneur, he was the youngest global C-level executive at a top 20 enterprise software firm when he was chief product officer and chief innovation officer at JDA Software Group Inc.<\/p>\n

Gagn\u00e9\u2019s vision for Element AI is to create a new model for developing AI through a \u201ccollaborative, non-exploitative\u201d model that will benefit all. It\u2019s an approach that has caught the eye of none other than the world\u2019s biggest software company, Microsoft Corp., one of Element AI\u2019s investors. In June, Element closed a US$102-million financing round led by San Francisco venture-capital fund Data Collective.<\/p>\n

Aside from Gagn\u00e9, there\u2019s some serious brainpower at work behind Element, with more than 70 PhDs on staff, including university fellows, applied researchers and developers, all of whom try to show companies how they can successfully embrace and adopt AI solutions. \u201cWe\u2019re painting a very clear picture of what new customers need to do in order to stay ahead of the curve,\u201d Gagn\u00e9 says.<\/p>\n

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Charles Boulanger is chief executive of LeddarTech.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

LeddarTech<\/strong>
\nCharles Boulanger<\/em>
\nCharles Boulanger has a rather comprehensive list when discussing his secrets of success. \u201cTo succeed in business, you must know yourself,\u201d says the CEO of LeddarTech, a Quebec City-based company founded in 2007 that makes solid-state Lidar (SSL), a sensing technology primarily used in the transportation industry. He says ambition, audacity and a strong belief in your own ideas also rank up there, but, most importantly, you need a plan. \u201cMany entrepreneurs have a vision, but lack a plan,\u201d he says. \u201cA solid plan is the key stepping stone to executing a winning vision.\u201d<\/p>\n