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Thursday, April 10, 2025

Inauguration + Opening Remarks

9:30 – 9:35 AM

Introduction – ClimateTech Innovation Forum

Catherine Bérubé
Cycle Capital

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9:35 – 9:45 AM

Preliminary Remarks:
The Cycle Capital platform

Andrée-Lise Méthot
Cycle Capital

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9:45 – 10:05 AM

State of Net-Zero By BloombergNEF

Portrait de Ethan Zindler

Ethan Zindler
BloombergNEF

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Break

10:05 – 10:30 AM

Introduction by

Portrait de Gerd Goette

Gerd Goette
Cycle Capital

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Panel 1: Finance and Markets

10:30 - 11:15 AM

Moderator
Musfika Mishi
BloombergNEF

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Private capital in sustainability

According to McKinsey, from 2019 to the end of 2022, investment in climate technologies continued to rise, supported by growth capital investors who launched over 330 new sustainability projects and impact funds. Cumulative assets in these funds tripled from $90 billion to over $270 billion. This panel will explore the state of private capital in the net zero transition, the latest trends in the transactions and business models funded.

Geneviève Guertin
Fonds de solidarité FTQ

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Meghan Bader
Breakthrough Energy Discovery

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Grégoire Baillargeon
BMO

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Roland Leger
Desjardins

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Panel 2: Fundraising in a Challenging Environment

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Portrait de Pascal Drouin

Moderator
Pascal Drouin
Cycle Capital

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Success stories

In a time of economic uncertainty, fundraising can be a daunting task. This panel brings together entrepreneurs who have recently secured funding, sharing their firsthand experiences navigating the complexities of raising capital in a challenging environment.

From overcoming investor skepticism to crafting compelling pitches, our panelists will discuss the strategies and insights that helped them succeed in a tough fundraising landscape.

Join us for an engaging conversation on how these entrepreneurs turned challenges into opportunities and what other entrepreneurs can learn from their journeys.

Qu’il s’agisse de surmonter le scepticisme des investisseurs ou d’élaborer des présentations convaincantes, nos panélistes discuteront des stratégies et des idées qui les ont aidés à réussir dans un contexte difficile de collecte de fonds.

Rejoignez-nous pour une conversation engageante sur la façon dont ces entrepreneurs ont transformé les défis en opportunités et sur ce que d’autres entrepreneurs peuvent apprendre de leur parcours.

An Huang
Sonocharge Energy

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Portrait de Reza Chaji

Reza Chaji

VueReal Inc.

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Michel Gagnon
Airex Énergie

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Lunch

12:00 – 1:15 PM

1:15 - 1:45 PM

  • Discussion

Dr. Murthy Renduchintala

Introduction by Andrée-Lise Méthot, Cycle Capital.

Dr. Murthy Renduchintala

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Andrée-Lise Méthot
Cycle Capital

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Panel 3: Data Processing Energy Efficiency

1:45 - 2:30 PM

Moderator
Claude Vachet
Cycle Capital

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Energy consumption and data processing with AI

In the AI-driven era, data processing is at the heart of innovation, but it’s also consuming energy at unprecedented rates. This panel will delve into the growing demand for energy efficiency in data centers, highlighting the environmental and economic impacts of AI models that require massive computational power. With data center energy usage expected to account for nearly 10% of global electricity consumption by 2030, and AI workloads driving energy needs to new heights, we will explore cutting-edge solutions (edge computing, semis, photonics, algorithms), from hardware advancements to software optimizations. We will examine how energy efficiency in data processing is not just a necessity but a strategic advantage in a sustainable, AI-powered future.

Kevin Soukop
Global Foundries

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Marie-Louise Graf
Infineon

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Niraj Mathur
BluMind

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Startups Showcase

2:30 - 3:00 PM

Animated by

Patrick Gagné
PDG Cycle Momentum

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RITHMIK SOLUTIONS

Amanda Truscott

Rithmik Solutions is delivering the world’s most advanced and reliable analytics for optimizing mobile mining equipment.

OPALIA

Jennifer Côté

Opalia is leading the world’s transition to a more sustainable food system starting with cell-based dairy products that don’t compromise on quality.

MACRO CYCLE

Stwart Pena Feliz

MacroCycle is able to upcycle PET and polyester waste of any quality into virgin-grade PET and polyester with zero carbon emissions.

Fasken Cycle Momentum ClimateTech Innovation Grant

Presented by

Portrait de Guillaume Synnott

Guillaume Synnott
Fasken

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Break

3:00 – 3:30 PM

3:30 - 4:10 PM

Discussion with the Honourable Jean Charest

Portrait d'Ariane Cloutier

Ariane Cloutier
Cycle Capital

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Jean Charest
Former Premier of Quebec
Expert Advisor, Canada-U.S. Trade Council (CUSTC)

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Final remarks

4:10 - 4:30 PM

Closing remarks from Andrée-Lise Méthot et Claude Vachet

Andrée-Lise Méthot
Cycle Capital

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Claude Vachet
Cycle Capital

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Cocktail

5:00 - 7:00 PM

André-Lise Méthot

Founder and Managing Partner

Cycle Capital

Andrée-Lise Méthot is the Founder and Managing Partner of Cycle Capital – an impact investor and Canada’s leading ClimateTech investment platform with 600 million under management. In addition to serving on portfolio companies’ boards of directors, she’s active on the board of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, the Paris Fonds Vert Advisory Board, the Canadian Government’s Task Force on Women in the Economy, and she is the founder and chairperson of the Accelerator Cycle Momentum.

Exceptionally involved in the progression of women in science and technological entrepreneurship, she was named Officière de l’Ordre du Québec (2018), and she received numerous honours, including from the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, the Laval University Faculty of Science and Engineering, and Association of Quebec Women in Finance. She was also recognized as one of the 16 Canadian personalities of Clean16 and among the Top 20 of cleantech investors by CleanTech

Catherine Bérubé

Partner

Cycle Capital

Catherine Bérubé is a Partner at Cycle Capital, a leading impact venture capital firm specializing in climate technologies.

Since joining Cycle Capital in 2014, Catherine has been instrumental in shaping the firm’s impact investing practice. She plays a key role in investor relations and public affairs, leveraging her expertise to build strategic relationships and promote sustainable investment practices.

Andrée-Lise Méthot

Founder and Managing Partner

Cycle Capital

Andrée-Lise is the Founder and Managing Partner of the largest investment platform in climate technologies in Canada, Cycle Capital. She is an engineer by training and an active member of l’Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec, with a master’s degree in science and training in physics of the atmosphere and climate science. Cycle Capital has experienced exponential growth since its foundation in 2009, including 8 funds and the Cycle Momentum accelerator. Andrée-Lise believes that the key to facing the climate crisis is through funding breakthrough technological innovations.

She currently sits on different boards, such as 5N Plus, and l’École de la Technologie Supérieure and many Cycle Capital portfolio company boards. She was involved, as board member, in different organizations such as the Montreal Heart Institute, the Infrastructure Bank of Canada, University Laval, Société québécoise des infrastructures and the Pointe-à-Callière museum, to name a few.

She also sat on many advisory boards for her expertise. For example, she co-chaired the Task Force under the United Nation Environment Program (UNEP) from 2004 to 2009. She was the ambassador in clean technologies for Investissement Québec from 2021 to 2025. She was a member of the Task Force for Women in the Economy for the Department of Finance Canada in 2021, and a member of the Pioneer’s Selection Committee for Bloomberg from 2018 to 2022. She is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for Paris Fond Vert.

She received numerous awards, such as Officière de l’Ordre Nationale du Québec in 2018 and the 2019 Grand Prix d’Excellence from the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. She also received the Summa Carrer Prize from University Laval in 2021 and was the recipient of the Trailblazer Award at the Women’s Private Capital Summit Canada in 2023.

Portrait de Ethan Zindler

Ethan Zindler

Head of Americas

BloombergNEF

Ethan Zindler serves as Head of Americas at BloombergNEF (BNEF), a provider of data, research and analysis on clean power, electric vehicles, carbon credit markets, commodities, and other aspects of the transition to a lower-carbon economy. In this role with BloombergNEF, Zindler managed BNEF research analysts in New York, Washington, London, and Sao Paulo.

He previously led the Treasury Climate Hub, reported directly to and advised the Secretary on a broad range of climate matters, and was in charge with leading Treasury’s efforts to facilitate and unlock the financing needed for investments to achieve a net-zero economy at home and abroad.

Portrait de Gerd Goette

Gerd Goette

Senior Partner

Cycle Capital

Gerd is a seasoned board member, strategic advisor and venture capital investor with deep domain expertise in energy, transportation and the built environment. He joined Cycle Capital in November 2022 as a Venture Partner, focusing on deal sourcing and portfolio management. In July 2024, he became a Senior Partner. On behalf of Cycle, Gerd is a director at Powerside and a board observer at Vutility.

Gerd is also the Managing Director of Lupine Growth Advisors, an advisory helping start-ups navigate the growth challenges from minimum viable product to tens of millions in revenue. Currently Gerd serves on the board of directors at 60Hertz Energy.

Previously, Gerd spent 18 years at Siemens Venture Capital, where as a Managing Partner he was the global head of the energy practice.

Musfika Mishi

Analyst

BloombergNEF

Musfika Mishi is a Technology & Innovation Analyst at BloombergNEF covering early-stage climate technologies and startup activity. She leads BNEF’s climate-tech corporate finance research across venture capital, private equity and public equity markets. Musfika writes about various themes including carbon dioxide removal solutions and hydrogen. She holds a MS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a BA in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Boston University. 

Geneviève Guertin

Vice-President

Fonds de solidarité FTQ 

Geneviève leads a team of eight professionals dedicated to venture capital investments in the cleantech and technology sectors at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. She has over 20 years of investment experience, primarily in biotechnology, including four years as head of the Life Sciences team. Throughout her career, she has managed numerous investments in private and public companies as well as in funds, both in venture capital and development capital. 

 Before joining the Fonds in 2012, Geneviève held the position of Director of Investment Monitoring in Life Sciences at the Société générale de financement du Québec. 

 She holds a Master of Science in Management from HEC (Hautes études commerciales) Montréal and has earned the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Réseau Capital and as administrator on the Board of Directors of Génome Québec. 

Meghan Bader

Director

Breakthrough Energy Discovery 

Meghan Bader is a Director on the Breakthrough Energy Discovery team.  Meghan is responsible for Breakthrough Energy Discovery’s ecosystem work and leading recruitment and selection for the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program. Her work focuses on building and nurturing the climatetech ecosystem, developing relationships and strategic partnerships with top research institutions around the world to source the best and brightest climate innovators and business professionals for Breakthrough Energy Discovery programs. 

Throughout her career, Meghan has focused on advancing climate and clean energy technologies by providing access to funding and resources required to scale. Prior to joining Breakthrough Energy in 2020, Meghan spent a decade at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) focusing on strategic initiatives and building impactful programs to further the development of clean energy technologies. Meghan holds an MBA in Sustainable Business from University of Denver, Daniels College of Business, and a B.S. in Organizational Communication from the University of Portland. 

Grégoire Baillargeon

President

BMO Financial Group, Quebec

Appointed President of BMO, Quebec and Vice Chair, BMO Capital Markets, in November 2022, Mr. Baillargeon has been with the Bank of Montreal since 2004. A trained lawyer working as a business banker for nearly 20 years, Grégoire has been actively involved in our community, including as past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Club of Montreal and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal and Finance Montréal’s Board of Governors. Grégoire also supports many organizations working to reduce social and economic inequality, including as a Board member for Centraide of Greater Montreal and Chair of the Board of academic perseverance organization Youth Fusion.

Passionate about the energy transition and the fight against climate change, Mr. Baillargeon recently joined the advisory board of Volt-age: Electrifying Society, a research program at Concordia University, and also serves on Carbon Removal Canada’s advisory board. Under his leadership, BMO became the first bank to join the Montréal Climate Partnership, as well as the launch of conVERTgence, two movements aimed at accelerating decarbonization and integrating sustainable business practices in the city.

Roland Léger

Associate vice president, venture capital

Desjardins Capital

At Desjardins since 1999, Roland Léger is currently Associate Vice President, Venture Capital at Desjardins Capital, where he manages a portfolio of startup companies in various high-tech sectors.

Roland has been working in venture capital for over 25 years and is recognized for his expertise in financing innovative and high-growth technological companies (Seed, Series A, B), having also managed multiple successful exits.

Roland holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Sherbrooke and a graduate diploma in administration from HEC Montreal.

Portrait de Pascal Drouin

Pascal Drouin

Partner

Cycle Capital

Pascal Drouin joined Cycle Capital in 2013 and has 17 years of experience in finance and portfolio management.

He started working as a Financial Analyst at Multiple Capital where he was involved in numerous investments transactions in high-tech, information technology and biotechnology. He then joined GE Capital, where he was responsible for the development and implementation of commercial credit scoring models for the Canadian portfolio.

Pascal has broad expertise in finance, risk management as well as analysis and financial modeling. Active as a board member of several companies, Pascal is also involved as a mentor with CDL-Montreal and the Cycle Momentum accelerator.

Pascal holds a master’s degree in administration science (M.Sc.) and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from HEC Montreal.

An Huang

Chief Executive Officer

Sonocharge Energy

An Huang is Chief Executive Officer for Sonocharge Energy.

She is a graduate student researcher from University of California in San Diego in advanced Li battery technology with acoustofluidics and in Advanced rechargeable Zn batteries with high energy density and long life.

She also has a PhD in Philosophy.

Portrait de Reza Chaji

Reza Chaji

Founder and CEO

VueReal Inc.

Dr. Reza Chaji is the Founder and CEO of VueReal Inc., a Waterloo-based company pioneering transformative technologies that enhance electronic systems—including displays, sensors, AI, autonomy, medical, health, and automotive applications—through the scalable, affordable, and rapid integration of millions of micro-optoelectronic devices into system substrates.

Dr. Chaji brings extensive expertise in the development, commercialization, and scaling of advanced technologies. His innovations in improving yield, quality, and reliability in OLED TVs have been widely adopted in today’s commercial products.

He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo in 2008, where his research focused on the design and implementation of large-area electronic systems for AMOLED displays, biomedical imaging, and bio-array sensing.
With over 300 published papers, a book, and more than 500 filed or granted patents, Dr. Chaji is a recognized leader in the fields of display and sensor technologies. His contributions have earned him numerous prestigious accolades, including:

  • Finalist, EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2023)
  • Young Alumni Achievement Medal, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo (2012)
  • Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research Excellence, CMC Microsystems (2009)
  • Industrial Collaboration Award, Strategic Microelectronics Council of ITAC (2007)

Under his leadership, VueReal was named one of Canada’s Top 50 Companies to Watch in Deloitte’s 2023 Technology Fast 50™ program.

Michel Gagnon

Chief Executive Officer

Airex Energy

Chief Executive Officer of Airex Energy since May 2022, Michel Gagnon has more than 35 years of experience in executive roles in the light metals and energy industries, most notably at Aluminerie Alouette as Vice-President, Finance and Business Development.

Over the course of his career, Michel has played a key role in the development and industrial scaling of Aluminerie Alouette through his financial expertise in the development of major projects, as well as the implementation of innovative procurement and logistics initiatives to meet today’s challenges.
Michel is also recognized for his expertise in business scale-up.

Michel is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and in 2012 received the “CFO of the year” award in the private sector category for the province of Quebec from the Financial Executive Institute (FEI).

Murthy Renduchintala

Vice President and General Manager of Cellular Systems Division

Skyworks Solutions Incorporations

Dr Venkata Murthy Renduchintala (best known as ‘Murthy’) is one of the most high-profile alumni of the University of Bradford, having pursued a distinguished career in some of the most well-known companies in the world.

Murthy was born in Hyderabad, India. He moved to England when he was three, where he completed his BEng in Electrical Engineering, PhD degree in Digital Communication and Master’s degree in Business Administration in University of Bradford in 1987, 1990 and 1991 respectively, while concurrently worked as a full-time employee at Philips Electronics (1983-2000). He spent a decade with Philips Electronics until Aug 2000, where he progressed from Research Engineer to Vice President of Engineering for its Consumer Communication Business. Then he served as Vice President and General Manager of Skyworks Solutions Incorporations’ Cellular Systems Division.

Claude Vachet

Managing Partner

Cycle Capital

Claude is a Managing Partner at Cycle Capital—an impact investor and leading venture capital investment platform in the cleantech sector, with $600 million in assets under management. He brings 30 years of operational, venture capital, and VC portfolio management experience, investing in high-tech companies. Over the course of his career, he has built a strong investment track record, led large teams of investment professionals, and been involved in numerous exits, including GaN Systems, which signed an agreement to be acquired by Infineon AG for US$830 million.

Before joining Cycle Capital, he was a Managing Partner of high-performing teams at Kirchner and Multiple Capital, where he managed major venture capital funds. He also worked at Innovatech Montréal as Vice President of the IT&C portfolio, where he participated in the sale of the portfolio—the largest venture capital portfolio transaction in Canada, comprising 108 companies and 15 funds. Earlier in his career, Claude worked at Degrémont in the cleantech sector (water, energy, and waste).

Claude holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from École Polytechnique (Montréal) and an MBA in Finance from HEC Montréal.

Kevin Soukop

Senior Vice President

Global Foundries

Kevin Soukup is Senior Vice President of Silicon Photonics Product line at GF, a position he was appointed to in 2024. In this role, Mr. Soukup leads the company’s Silicon Photonics business that enables customers to transport enormous volumes of data through high-speed, power efficient electro-optical systems.

Prior to his current role, he served as Chief Strategy Officer developing the company’s integrated strategy and ensuring that GF has the management systems in place to deliver. Mr. Soukup joined GF in 2011 and held positions of increasing responsibility in technology development and manufacturing operations for the next seven years. In 2018, Kevin transitioned to VP of Business Transformation and helped prepare GF for IPO in 2021.

Before his career with GF, Mr. Soukup spent eleven years with Samsung Electronics’s semiconductor unit in engineering and operations management positions.

Mr. Soukup holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors of VueReal Inc.

Marie-Louise Graf

Head of Strategic Marketing

Infineon

Marie-Louise Graf is Head of Strategic Marketing, Accelerators & Strategic Projects of Power & Sensor Systems (PSS) at GaN Systems, since 1st July 2023.

Marie-Louise started her career in investment banking/ mergers & acquisitions in Vienna and Frankfurt, before moving to Infineon Technologies AG in-house mergers & acquisitions in 2016. During this time, she was part of a team acquiring Cypress Semiconductors, which marks Infineon’s largest acquisition to date. In 2020, Marie-Louise joined Infineon’s Power & Sensor Systems (PSS) Division, heading the divisional strategy department. With the acquisition of GaN Systems, she moved into the newly founded Business Line as Head of Strategic Marketing, Accelerators & Strategic Projects where she is responsible for overarching marketing content and cross-divisional R&D projects, deepening her experience in the fields of GaN discretes and system components. Since February 2024, Marie-Louise is based in Ottawa, Canada. She is part of the Business Line GaN Systems and Infineon Canada Leadership Team.

Marie-Louise holds master’s degrees in management as well as finance & entrepreneurship from Vienna University of Economics and Business & University of St. Gallen Switzerland.

Niraj Mathur

Co-Founder

Blumind

For over 20 years Niraj has been a leader in the silicon and hardware arena with broad industry experience in strategy, marketing, business development and product engineering. He has held senior leadership roles and led global, cross-functional teams to support these disciplines.  

 

Niraj is passionate about building scalable startups with extraordinary technology and impact. He is currently Co-Founder at Blumind, a deep tech semiconductor startup on a mission to build the world’s most efficient neural network processors. Niraj holds a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from McGill University and an MBA from Cornell University. 

Patrick Gagné

Président-directeur général

Cycle Momentum

Portrait de Guillaume Synnott

Guillaume Synnott

Partner

Fasken

Guillaume Synnott is a partner in the Corporate and Commercial Group. He focuses his practice on venture capital and private equity financing, mergers and acquisitions and public offerings for high-growth technology companies.

Guillaume distinguishes himself by his ability to provide creative solutions to his clients’ strategic and business objectives. He represents companies ranging from startups and emerging companies to well-established public companies. He also represents angel investors venture capital and private equity funds, and institutional investors.

Guillaume acts as legal counsel in a wide range of industries,
including SAAS software, big data, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, medtech, nanotechnology artificial intelligence (AI), neurotechnology, blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Guillaume provides a range of legal advice covering the entire life cycle of companies, from their creation to the completion of a liquidity event liquidity event, including strategic planning,
governance, financing rounds, corporate reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and company sales.

Guillaume completed the first part of his professional training in Shanghai. He was the first member of the Quebec Bar to complete part of his articling with a Chinese law firm in mainland China.

Portrait d'Ariane Cloutier

Ariane Cloutier

Partner & Chief Financial Officer

Cycle Capital

Ariane joined Cycle Capital team in 2019 and as a CFO, she is responsible for managing accounting activities, compliance requirements and the production and disclosure of financial information.

Ariane began her career as an auditor at KPMG Montreal, where she worked nearly 7 years, assisting clients in assets managements, private equity, infrastructures and renewable energy. She also held various internal roles at KPMG, where she participated in audit training and university recruitment.

She then worked as a Director of finance for a private venture capital fund focused on growth capital investments.

Member of the Quebec CPA Order since 2013 (CPA designation), Ariane holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Specialized graduate diploma (DESS) from HEC Montreal.

Jean Charest

Expert Advisor

Canada-U.S. Trade Council (CUSTC)

The Honourable Jean Charest is a Canadian politician who served as the 29th Premier of Quebec from 2003 to 2012. He has a rich background in Canadian politics, having been a member of Parliament from 1984 to 1998 (served as a minister in the federal government during Brian Mulroney’s administration from 1986 to 1993) and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998. During his career, he played a significant role in various political and economic developments, including key free trade negotiations, notably advancing agreements such as the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and shaping Canada’s broader trade relations. Mr. Charest’s expertise in federal-provincial relations and his extensive experience in negotiating complex political agreements make him a valuable advisor on Canada-U.S. trade relations, as he currently serves as an expert advisor to the Canada-U.S. Trade Council (CUSTC), where he contributes to the Council’s efforts on tariff and CUSMA matters. 

Catherine Bérubé

Partner

Cycle Capital

Catherine Bérubé is a Partner at Cycle Capital, a leading impact venture capital firm specializing in climate technologies.

Since joining Cycle Capital in 2014, Catherine has been instrumental in shaping the firm’s impact investing practice. She plays a key role in investor relations and public affairs, leveraging her expertise to build strategic relationships and promote sustainable investment practices.

Andrée-Lise Méthot

Founder and Managing Partner

Cycle Capital

Andrée-Lise is the Founder and Managing Partner of the largest investment platform in climate technologies in Canada, Cycle Capital. She is an engineer by training and an active member of l’Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec, with a master’s degree in science and training in physics of the atmosphere and climate science. Cycle Capital has experienced exponential growth since its foundation in 2009, including 8 funds and the Cycle Momentum accelerator. Andrée-Lise believes that the key to facing the climate crisis is through funding breakthrough technological innovations.

She currently sits on different boards, such as 5N Plus, and l’École de la Technologie Supérieure and many Cycle Capital portfolio company boards. She was involved, as board member, in different organizations such as the Montreal Heart Institute, the Infrastructure Bank of Canada, University Laval, Société québécoise des infrastructures and the Pointe-à-Callière museum, to name a few.

She also sat on many advisory boards for her expertise. For example, she co-chaired the Task Force under the United Nation Environment Program (UNEP) from 2004 to 2009. She was the ambassador in clean technologies for Investissement Québec from 2021 to 2025. She was a member of the Task Force for Women in the Economy for the Department of Finance Canada in 2021, and a member of the Pioneer’s Selection Committee for Bloomberg from 2018 to 2022. She is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for Paris Fond Vert.

She received numerous awards, such as Officière de l’Ordre Nationale du Québec in 2018 and the 2019 Grand Prix d’Excellence from the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec. She also received the Summa Carrer Prize from University Laval in 2021 and was the recipient of the Trailblazer Award at the Women’s Private Capital Summit Canada in 2023.

Portrait de Ethan Zindler

Ethan Zindler

Head of Americas

BloombergNEF

Ethan Zindler serves as Head of Americas at BloombergNEF (BNEF), a provider of data, research and analysis on clean power, electric vehicles, carbon credit markets, commodities, and other aspects of the transition to a lower-carbon economy. In this role with BloombergNEF, Zindler managed BNEF research analysts in New York, Washington, London, and Sao Paulo.

He previously led the Treasury Climate Hub, reported directly to and advised the Secretary on a broad range of climate matters, and was in charge with leading Treasury’s efforts to facilitate and unlock the financing needed for investments to achieve a net-zero economy at home and abroad.

Portrait de Gerd Goette

Gerd Goette

Senior Partner

Cycle Capital

Gerd is a seasoned board member, strategic advisor and venture capital investor with deep domain expertise in energy, transportation and the built environment. He joined Cycle Capital in November 2022 as a Venture Partner, focusing on deal sourcing and portfolio management. In July 2024, he became a Senior Partner. On behalf of Cycle, Gerd is a director at Powerside and a board observer at Vutility.

Gerd is also the Managing Director of Lupine Growth Advisors, an advisory helping start-ups navigate the growth challenges from minimum viable product to tens of millions in revenue. Currently Gerd serves on the board of directors at 60Hertz Energy.

Previously, Gerd spent 18 years at Siemens Venture Capital, where as a Managing Partner he was the global head of the energy practice.

Musfika Mishi

Analyst

BloombergNEF

Musfika Mishi is a Technology & Innovation Analyst at BloombergNEF covering early-stage climate technologies and startup activity. She leads BNEF’s climate-tech corporate finance research across venture capital, private equity and public equity markets. Musfika writes about various themes including carbon dioxide removal solutions and hydrogen. She holds a MS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a BA in Cellular and Molecular Biology from Boston University. 

Geneviève Guertin

Vice-President

Fonds de solidarité FTQ 

Geneviève leads a team of eight professionals dedicated to venture capital investments in the cleantech and technology sectors at the Fonds de solidarité FTQ. She has over 20 years of investment experience, primarily in biotechnology, including four years as head of the Life Sciences team. Throughout her career, she has managed numerous investments in private and public companies as well as in funds, both in venture capital and development capital. 

 Before joining the Fonds in 2012, Geneviève held the position of Director of Investment Monitoring in Life Sciences at the Société générale de financement du Québec. 

 She holds a Master of Science in Management from HEC (Hautes études commerciales) Montréal and has earned the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) designation. She also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Réseau Capital and as administrator on the Board of Directors of Génome Québec. 

Meghan Bader

Director

Breakthrough Energy Discovery 

Meghan Bader is a Director on the Breakthrough Energy Discovery team.  Meghan is responsible for Breakthrough Energy Discovery’s ecosystem work and leading recruitment and selection for the Breakthrough Energy Fellows program. Her work focuses on building and nurturing the climatetech ecosystem, developing relationships and strategic partnerships with top research institutions around the world to source the best and brightest climate innovators and business professionals for Breakthrough Energy Discovery programs. 

Throughout her career, Meghan has focused on advancing climate and clean energy technologies by providing access to funding and resources required to scale. Prior to joining Breakthrough Energy in 2020, Meghan spent a decade at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) focusing on strategic initiatives and building impactful programs to further the development of clean energy technologies. Meghan holds an MBA in Sustainable Business from University of Denver, Daniels College of Business, and a B.S. in Organizational Communication from the University of Portland. 

Grégoire Baillargeon

President

BMO Financial Group, Quebec

Appointed President of BMO, Quebec and Vice Chair, BMO Capital Markets, in November 2022, Mr. Baillargeon has been with the Bank of Montreal since 2004. A trained lawyer working as a business banker for nearly 20 years, Grégoire has been actively involved in our community, including as past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Club of Montreal and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal and Finance Montréal’s Board of Governors. Grégoire also supports many organizations working to reduce social and economic inequality, including as a Board member for Centraide of Greater Montreal and Chair of the Board of academic perseverance organization Youth Fusion.

Passionate about the energy transition and the fight against climate change, Mr. Baillargeon recently joined the advisory board of Volt-age: Electrifying Society, a research program at Concordia University, and also serves on Carbon Removal Canada’s advisory board. Under his leadership, BMO became the first bank to join the Montréal Climate Partnership, as well as the launch of conVERTgence, two movements aimed at accelerating decarbonization and integrating sustainable business practices in the city.

Roland Léger

Associate vice president, venture capital

Desjardins Capital

At Desjardins since 1999, Roland Léger is currently Associate Vice President, Venture Capital at Desjardins Capital, where he manages a portfolio of startup companies in various high-tech sectors.

Roland has been working in venture capital for over 25 years and is recognized for his expertise in financing innovative and high-growth technological companies (Seed, Series A, B), having also managed multiple successful exits.

Roland holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Sherbrooke and a graduate diploma in administration from HEC Montreal.

Portrait de Pascal Drouin

Pascal Drouin

Partner

Cycle Capital

Pascal Drouin joined Cycle Capital in 2013 and has 17 years of experience in finance and portfolio management.

He started working as a Financial Analyst at Multiple Capital where he was involved in numerous investments transactions in high-tech, information technology and biotechnology. He then joined GE Capital, where he was responsible for the development and implementation of commercial credit scoring models for the Canadian portfolio.

Pascal has broad expertise in finance, risk management as well as analysis and financial modeling. Active as a board member of several companies, Pascal is also involved as a mentor with CDL-Montreal and the Cycle Momentum accelerator.

Pascal holds a master’s degree in administration science (M.Sc.) and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from HEC Montreal.

An Huang

Chief Executive Officer

Sonocharge Energy

An Huang is Chief Executive Officer for Sonocharge Energy.

She is a graduate student researcher from University of California in San Diego in advanced Li battery technology with acoustofluidics and in Advanced rechargeable Zn batteries with high energy density and long life.

She also has a PhD in Philosophy.

Portrait de Reza Chaji

Reza Chaji

Founder and CEO

VueReal Inc.

Dr. Reza Chaji is the Founder and CEO of VueReal Inc., a Waterloo-based company pioneering transformative technologies that enhance electronic systems—including displays, sensors, AI, autonomy, medical, health, and automotive applications—through the scalable, affordable, and rapid integration of millions of micro-optoelectronic devices into system substrates.

Dr. Chaji brings extensive expertise in the development, commercialization, and scaling of advanced technologies. His innovations in improving yield, quality, and reliability in OLED TVs have been widely adopted in today’s commercial products.

He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo in 2008, where his research focused on the design and implementation of large-area electronic systems for AMOLED displays, biomedical imaging, and bio-array sensing.
With over 300 published papers, a book, and more than 500 filed or granted patents, Dr. Chaji is a recognized leader in the fields of display and sensor technologies. His contributions have earned him numerous prestigious accolades, including:

  • Finalist, EY Entrepreneur of the Year (2023)
  • Young Alumni Achievement Medal, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo (2012)
  • Douglas R. Colton Medal for Research Excellence, CMC Microsystems (2009)
  • Industrial Collaboration Award, Strategic Microelectronics Council of ITAC (2007)

Under his leadership, VueReal was named one of Canada’s Top 50 Companies to Watch in Deloitte’s 2023 Technology Fast 50™ program.

Michel Gagnon

Chief Executive Officer

Airex Energy

Chief Executive Officer of Airex Energy since May 2022, Michel Gagnon has more than 35 years of experience in executive roles in the light metals and energy industries, most notably at Aluminerie Alouette as Vice-President, Finance and Business Development.

Over the course of his career, Michel has played a key role in the development and industrial scaling of Aluminerie Alouette through his financial expertise in the development of major projects, as well as the implementation of innovative procurement and logistics initiatives to meet today’s challenges.
Michel is also recognized for his expertise in business scale-up.

Michel is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and in 2012 received the “CFO of the year” award in the private sector category for the province of Quebec from the Financial Executive Institute (FEI).

Murthy Renduchintala

Vice President and General Manager of Cellular Systems Division

Skyworks Solutions Incorporations

Dr Venkata Murthy Renduchintala (best known as ‘Murthy’) is one of the most high-profile alumni of the University of Bradford, having pursued a distinguished career in some of the most well-known companies in the world.

Murthy was born in Hyderabad, India. He moved to England when he was three, where he completed his BEng in Electrical Engineering, PhD degree in Digital Communication and Master’s degree in Business Administration in University of Bradford in 1987, 1990 and 1991 respectively, while concurrently worked as a full-time employee at Philips Electronics (1983-2000). He spent a decade with Philips Electronics until Aug 2000, where he progressed from Research Engineer to Vice President of Engineering for its Consumer Communication Business. Then he served as Vice President and General Manager of Skyworks Solutions Incorporations’ Cellular Systems Division.

Claude Vachet

Managing Partner

Cycle Capital

Claude is a Managing Partner at Cycle Capital—an impact investor and leading venture capital investment platform in the cleantech sector, with $600 million in assets under management. He brings 30 years of operational, venture capital, and VC portfolio management experience, investing in high-tech companies. Over the course of his career, he has built a strong investment track record, led large teams of investment professionals, and been involved in numerous exits, including GaN Systems, which signed an agreement to be acquired by Infineon AG for US$830 million.

Before joining Cycle Capital, he was a Managing Partner of high-performing teams at Kirchner and Multiple Capital, where he managed major venture capital funds. He also worked at Innovatech Montréal as Vice President of the IT&C portfolio, where he participated in the sale of the portfolio—the largest venture capital portfolio transaction in Canada, comprising 108 companies and 15 funds. Earlier in his career, Claude worked at Degrémont in the cleantech sector (water, energy, and waste).

Claude holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from École Polytechnique (Montréal) and an MBA in Finance from HEC Montréal.

Kevin Soukop

Senior Vice President

Global Foundries

Kevin Soukup is Senior Vice President of Silicon Photonics Product line at GF, a position he was appointed to in 2024. In this role, Mr. Soukup leads the company’s Silicon Photonics business that enables customers to transport enormous volumes of data through high-speed, power efficient electro-optical systems.

Prior to his current role, he served as Chief Strategy Officer developing the company’s integrated strategy and ensuring that GF has the management systems in place to deliver. Mr. Soukup joined GF in 2011 and held positions of increasing responsibility in technology development and manufacturing operations for the next seven years. In 2018, Kevin transitioned to VP of Business Transformation and helped prepare GF for IPO in 2021.

Before his career with GF, Mr. Soukup spent eleven years with Samsung Electronics’s semiconductor unit in engineering and operations management positions.

Mr. Soukup holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors of VueReal Inc.

Marie-Louise Graf

Head of Strategic Marketing

Infineon

Marie-Louise Graf is Head of Strategic Marketing, Accelerators & Strategic Projects of Power & Sensor Systems (PSS) at GaN Systems, since 1st July 2023.

Marie-Louise started her career in investment banking/ mergers & acquisitions in Vienna and Frankfurt, before moving to Infineon Technologies AG in-house mergers & acquisitions in 2016. During this time, she was part of a team acquiring Cypress Semiconductors, which marks Infineon’s largest acquisition to date. In 2020, Marie-Louise joined Infineon’s Power & Sensor Systems (PSS) Division, heading the divisional strategy department. With the acquisition of GaN Systems, she moved into the newly founded Business Line as Head of Strategic Marketing, Accelerators & Strategic Projects where she is responsible for overarching marketing content and cross-divisional R&D projects, deepening her experience in the fields of GaN discretes and system components. Since February 2024, Marie-Louise is based in Ottawa, Canada. She is part of the Business Line GaN Systems and Infineon Canada Leadership Team.

Marie-Louise holds master’s degrees in management as well as finance & entrepreneurship from Vienna University of Economics and Business & University of St. Gallen Switzerland.

Niraj Mathur

Co-Founder

Blumind

For over 20 years Niraj has been a leader in the silicon and hardware arena with broad industry experience in strategy, marketing, business development and product engineering. He has held senior leadership roles and led global, cross-functional teams to support these disciplines.  

 

Niraj is passionate about building scalable startups with extraordinary technology and impact. He is currently Co-Founder at Blumind, a deep tech semiconductor startup on a mission to build the world’s most efficient neural network processors. Niraj holds a Bachelor of Computer Engineering from McGill University and an MBA from Cornell University. 

Portrait de Guillaume Synnott

Guillaume Synnott

Partner

Fasken

Guillaume Synnott is a partner in the Corporate and Commercial Group. He focuses his practice on venture capital and private equity financing, mergers and acquisitions and public offerings for high-growth technology companies.

Guillaume distinguishes himself by his ability to provide creative solutions to his clients’ strategic and business objectives. He represents companies ranging from startups and emerging companies to well-established public companies. He also represents angel investors venture capital and private equity funds, and institutional investors.

Guillaume acts as legal counsel in a wide range of industries,
including SAAS software, big data, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, medtech, nanotechnology artificial intelligence (AI), neurotechnology, blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Guillaume provides a range of legal advice covering the entire life cycle of companies, from their creation to the completion of a liquidity event liquidity event, including strategic planning,
governance, financing rounds, corporate reorganizations, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and company sales.

Guillaume completed the first part of his professional training in Shanghai. He was the first member of the Quebec Bar to complete part of his articling with a Chinese law firm in mainland China.

Portrait d'Ariane Cloutier

Ariane Cloutier

Partner & Chief Financial Officer

Cycle Capital

Ariane joined Cycle Capital team in 2019 and as a CFO, she is responsible for managing accounting activities, compliance requirements and the production and disclosure of financial information.

Ariane began her career as an auditor at KPMG Montreal, where she worked nearly 7 years, assisting clients in assets managements, private equity, infrastructures and renewable energy. She also held various internal roles at KPMG, where she participated in audit training and university recruitment.

She then worked as a Director of finance for a private venture capital fund focused on growth capital investments.

Member of the Quebec CPA Order since 2013 (CPA designation), Ariane holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Specialized graduate diploma (DESS) from HEC Montreal.

Jean Charest

Expert Advisor

Canada-U.S. Trade Council (CUSTC)

The Honourable Jean Charest is a Canadian politician who served as the 29th Premier of Quebec from 2003 to 2012. He has a rich background in Canadian politics, having been a member of Parliament from 1984 to 1998 (served as a minister in the federal government during Brian Mulroney’s administration from 1986 to 1993) and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998. During his career, he played a significant role in various political and economic developments, including key free trade negotiations, notably advancing agreements such as the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and shaping Canada’s broader trade relations. Mr. Charest’s expertise in federal-provincial relations and his extensive experience in negotiating complex political agreements make him a valuable advisor on Canada-U.S. trade relations, as he currently serves as an expert advisor to the Canada-U.S. Trade Council (CUSTC), where he contributes to the Council’s efforts on tariff and CUSMA matters.