About this episode
The Unicorn Panel discusses the challenges and realities of building unicorn-scale companies in Canada.
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 scaled category-defining businesses across gaming, mobility, and healthcare technology Topics covered include: Early exit offers vs long-term ambition Scaling from startup to global platform Fundraising strategy and cap table discipline Hiring executives and leadership evolution Crisis moments and near failures Building and keeping tech champions in Canada AI, moats, and the future of company building Recorded live at North Star — Inspiring Entrepreneurs in Montréal.
Topics covered
- building a unicorn-scale company
- ambition
- scaling
- capital
- leadership
- near-death moments
- early exit offers
- fundraising strategy
- hiring executives
- crisis moments
- AI
- future of company building
Keywords
- tech leaders
- global platform
- cap table discipline
- leadership evolution
- tech champions
Mentioned in this episode
Products: gaming technology, mobility technology, healthcare technology
Places: Canada, Montréal
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