Investing in the next generation with Jacques Perreault, Senior Partner @ Brightspark Ventures
Release Date: 04/23/2021
The Canadian Founder Building a Rocket to Orbit, Bachar Elzein, CEO & Founder @ Reaction Dynamics
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Bachar Elzein knew at 13 he wanted to build rockets. Twenty-five years later, he's the founder & CEO of Reaction Dynamics — the Montreal-based company building Canada's first orbital launch capability. In this episode, Bachar breaks down the hybrid propulsion breakthrough that makes RDX's rockets cheaper, safer, and deployable from virtually anywhere — including the back of a truck. We talk about what it takes to survive nine years building deep tech, skipping payroll, and betting everything on a technology the market wasn't ready for. We also get into the geopolitics: why Canada is...
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Building Canada's Next Flagships - Amiral Ventures
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Two years after first appearing on the Flagship Podcast, Nectar, Fred, and Dom reunite for a long-overdue conversation: Amiral Ventures has officially closed Fund 1. In this candid episode, the three partners trace the origins of the fund: how Fred's entrepreneurial journey (including co-developing LTE at Nortel and a successful Series A & B raise at Mnubo) first brought him together with Dom, a veteran M&A banker who went on to launch Xpnd Capital and deliver two IPOs. Nectar rounds out the team, coming off years of post-investment value creation work at PNR and crossing paths with...
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Unlocking the Next Interface with Anthony Azrak, CEO & Co-Founder @ General Magic
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Today I’m joined by Anthony, co-founder of General Magic and one of the most exciting young builders coming out of the Canadian AI ecosystem. We talk about his journey from building robots as a kid to launching startups while still in university, what he learned from failing his first company, and how General Magic is rethinking the way humans interact with software using natural language. We also dive into their recent $7M seed round, going through a16z Speedrun, and why the future of computing might move beyond the traditional graphical interface. I really enjoyed this conversation,...
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New Frontier of Navigation with Tyler Reid, Co-Founder & CTO at Xona Space Systems
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In this episode of the Flagship Podcast, we sit down with Tyler Reid, co-founder and CEO of Xona Space, to explore the future of satellite navigation and why GPS as we know it is no longer enough. Tyler shares his journey from space-obsessed kid to Stanford researcher to venture-backed space founder, and explains how Zona is building a next-generation positioning system designed for centimeter-level accuracy, stronger signals, and built-in security. We unpack how modern infrastructure depends on timing and location, why GPS is vulnerable to jamming and spoofing, and what new satellite...
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North Star | Unicorn Panel
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What does it really take to build a unicorn-scale company from Canada? At North Star, the Unicorn Panel brings together founders behind global tech leaders to talk candidly about ambition, scaling, capital, leadership, near-death moments, and the realities behind the highlight reel. Moderated by Sophie Boulanger, this conversation goes beyond success stories and digs into the hard decisions: when not to sell, how to think about control and cap tables, scaling teams, surviving crises, and building companies with long-term impact. You’ll hear firsthand lessons from founders who have built and...
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North Star | Fireside Dax Dasilva & Fred Lalonde
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Two of Montreal’s most iconic tech founders — Dax Dasilva (Lightspeed) and Fred Lalonde (Hopper & Deep Sky) — sit down for a rare and candid fireside conversation on building global companies from Canada, surviving the founder rollercoaster, and using technology and capitalism to tackle world-scale problems. From bootstrapping and product-market fit, to IPOs, hypergrowth, culture, leadership, and climate action — this keynote goes deep into what it really takes to build enduring companies. This is not a highlight reel. It’s an unfiltered operator conversation. In this keynote,...
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North Star | Young Founder Panel
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At North Star, we brought together top founders and emerging entrepreneurs for a candid panel on what it really takes to build in today’s tech ecosystem — from first traction to scale, hard lessons, and unfair advantages. In this session, the panel shares practical insights on: How to get your first real customers Mistakes founders make early (and how to avoid them) Fundraising vs. bootstrapping decisions Building momentum with limited resources What great investors actually look for Tactical growth and execution tips If you’re a founder, operator, investor, or student exploring...
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North Star | Live Tech Poutine Podcast
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This is the North Star Pre-Show — recorded live as a Tech Poutine podcast session — where founders, investors, and ecosystem builders warm up the room before the main event with unscripted startup talk, real operator stories, and behind-the-scenes insights. This pre-show segment sets the stage for an exciting day filled with inspiration and insight from a dynamic lineup of entrepreneurs. Reflecting on last year's success, the hosts discuss the unique value of gathering experienced founders and ambitious young entrepreneurs, all while growing the event to new heights. Hear about keynote...
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AI Salon x Flagship Podcast: Live @ Mila
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We closed out the year with a special live recording of the Flagship Podcast in collaboration with AI Salon at Mila, a packed evening featuring a Montréal VC panel, an AI founder roundtable, and a fireside keynote with Sam Ramadori (BrainBox AI, now co-president of Law Zero). Across all three segments, one theme dominated: AI is moving faster than any tech cycle before it, and Canada has a once-in-a-generation chance to lead. VC Panel, Navigating the AI Wave Investors from Inovia, White Star, and Amiral Ventures explored the chaos and opportunity of today’s market. The AI cycle is...
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Inside Canadian Tech Journalism with Josh Scott, Lead Reporter @ Betakit
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In this insightful episode, we turn the tables on Josh Scott from BetaKit, delving into his journey in journalism and passion for Canadian tech. Josh shares his early writing experiences, challenges in the industry, and the invigorating process of reporting on tech startups. We dive into engaging discussions on the evolution of journalism, the state of Canadian tech, the intricacies of venture capital, and the policy landscape shaping the tech industry. With candid reflections on past stories and predictions for future trends, Josh offers a compelling look at the importance of transparent...
info_outlineOn this week’s show, we spoke with Jacques Perreault, Senior Partner @ Brightspark Ventures.
Over the past 20 years, Jacques has been actively involved in the financing of Canadian technology companies. He played a leading role in the development and growth of the technology subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt et de placement du Québec (formerly known as Sofinov), one of the largest venture capital organizations dedicated to the financing of Canadian technology businesses.
Jacques is a proven investment professional with experience in developing quality deal flow, building relationships and supporting companies in their development toward their growth plan and/or liquidity event. His broad expertise in technology financing and his network of local and international contacts are major assets.
On the show, we spoke about:
- Working with the next generation of operators
- Brightspark’s investment thesis
- How they expanded possibilities for retail investors
- Why he doesn’t invest in crypto (yet)
- Investing in non-obvious areas
Jacques is the quintessential investing professional. He has an incredible track record and was nice enough to share many insights during our conversation.
Let us know what you think. What types of guests would like to see on the show? What topics interest you the most? Send me your thoughts at nectar@thepnr.com
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