The CSE’s Barrington Miller and Scott Pritchard are joined by X Machina Co-Founder & VP of Growth and Value Creation Vaughn DiMarco and Co-Founder, CTO, & CPO Daniel Drouet to discuss the funding gap in the market for early-stage tech companies and how X Machina aims to bridge that gap. The conversation also addresses the potential uses of AI for industrial applications and why Montreal is a growing hub for the technology sector.
Here’s an overview of the discussion in this edition of the “Exchange for Entrepreneurs” podcast:
00:00 – Introduction
04:02 – What does X Machina do?
07:25 – How does X Machina choose AI companies?
09:55 – What is the difference between artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning?
14:48 – What is Startupfest and how does X Machina choose companies? Where do you see the best opportunities?
18:43 – How does X Machina provide value to potential companies?
21:59 – Why is Montreal an AI and tech hub?
29:21 – What are SR&ED credits?
36:05 – How many companies has X Machina looked at in 2022?
38:20 – What types of companies/industries are emerging?
39:38 – Are there any companies coming from outside of North America into Montreal?
About Vaughn DiMarco
Vaughn is an investor, entrepreneur, and engineer applying AI best practices across industries. As Investment Director at IVADO LABS, he was part of a small team managing INVEST-AI, a $35M Quebec fund. He led due diligence on hundreds of companies, managed a large portfolio, and funding dozens of successful initiatives including but not limited to manufacturing, construction, finance, media, entertainment, medical devices, and tech.
About Daniel Drouet
Daniel has been deeply involved in tech for over twenty years as an engineer, entrepreneur, investor, and mentor. He has expertise in product management, engineering, and venture financing. He has conceived and overseen the delivery of numerous software products and IT services and founded several tech companies. He was a founding partner of Real Ventures, Canada’s most active early-stage venture capital fund, and helped grow Anges Quebec into one of the largest angel investor networks in the country.
Learn more about X Machina at https://machina-ai.com/.
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