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Helping entrepreneurs build the world of tomorrow by propelling innovative technologies with a positive social impact is what we do best.
ACET was born from a desire to offer any entrepreneur or researcher who has developed a technological innovation the possibility to start their business by surrounding themselves with resources that meet their needs in order to maximize their chances of success.
We aspire to train a new generation of entrepreneurs who are likely to forge the world of tomorrow and ensure the progress of our society thanks to the marketing of technological innovations.
bold and innovative projects with high potential of success.
entrepreneurs in their development.
innovative startups that have a positive impact on society.
Each day, what pushes our limits is the human relationships we cultivate with people we believe in, where respect, integrity, empathy, attentiveness, and passion come together.
This trust is what drives our networks, our experts, and our team to give 100% in order to meet your needs and take you and your business further.
We value innovative ideas and foster creativity to develop and support bold projects that will build our future.
Our entrepreneurs are real agents of change: they contribute to the common good by pushing the established limits and shaking up the future thanks to their innovation and their willingness to positively change the world.
With our entrepreneurs and their businesses, we seek the path of excellence.
We therefore accept a limited number of projects each year according to very selective criteria in order to offer exceptional support to those we choose.
To achieve this, we also believe it’s necessary to be persistent, have courage, dare, know how to learn from one’s mistakes, listen, trust, and be passionate.
For us, each project that we accept is unique and subject to its own specific needs, which is why we create a customized support scenario with each of our entrepreneurs that meets their expectations and their ambitions while respecting their pace of growth.
ACET grew out of a shared desire of the Université de Sherbrooke – which wanted to offer its students and graduates the appropriate resources and essential support to transform their technology projects into innovative startups, while also helping them become true entrepreneurs – and the region’s business community, which wanted to get involved in creating a coaching model for startups.
After more than 2 years of work to put in place a solid organizational structure and develop an attractive entrepreneurial pathway, ACET welcomes its first promising tech startup projects from the Université de Sherbrooke.
ACET unveils ACET Capital 1, its first investment fund exclusively for ACET tech startups, to accelerate and optimize their growth through an initial raising of capital.
ACET launches its iA7 market intelligence service to meet the growing demands of its startups seeking strategic information to deepen their understanding of coveted markets and increase their chances of commercial success.
ACET has a successful year thanks to launching ACET Capital 2, being designated as a CDPQ Hub and receiving a generous donation from National Bank.
ACET participates in the creation and launch of Quantacet, the first venture capital fund in Canada aimed exclusively at supporting the development and growth of quantum startups.
Ghyslain shares his wide-ranging experience in business start-up and development, including the critical stages of creating a tech company.
Jacques brings to the table a vast network in the research and granting sectors, providing access to both research and business contacts. He helps entrepreneurs with issues related to technologies’ business potential.
Passionate about marketing and communication, Cécile puts her business acumen at the service of our organization in order to promote ACET ‘s initiatives in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and to create a dynamic community around her.
Romuald helps entrepreneurs understand and take stock of their market so they can clarify their strategy. To do so, he draws on local and international experience with competitive analysis in the industrial as well as service and new technology sectors.
In addition to being an active collaborator in the ACET financial ecosystem, Dominic supports our incubated companies in the preparation of financing rounds and their financial arrangements, and by analyzing their file with a view to potential investments from our investment fund. private ACET Capital.
With his experience as an entrepreneur, René supports our companies and guides them through the crucial stages of their development.
Marie-Pierre is an expert at setting up the right accounting system for the short, medium and long terms in order to ensure sound management.
With several years of experience in the field and endowed with a keen sense of organization, Suzanne supports ACET’s growth by supporting the activities of the management team, and by ensuring file management and the communication of our corporate messages.
Martin plays an important role in the development of an investment fund dedicated to quantum technologies, in the technical due diligence of companies, in the support of entrepreneurs, in the development of the transaction flow and in the relations with the various partners in the quantum ecosystem.
With a wealth of experience in financing and commercializing innovations, Michel supports and guides quantum and deep-tech companies in their development and growth.
Thanks to her creativity, versatility and 360 vision, Marie-Ève deploys various campaigns and communication strategies to contribute to the growth of our organization and the notoriety of our incubated startups, especially by exploiting all of our digital opportunities.
Pénélope helps companies in their seed, start-up and growth phase, while supporting the improvement of our support for entrepreneurs incubated at ACET.
Marilyn helps companies in their early stage, startup and growth phases, while supporting the improvement of our incubated startups at ACET.
Jahel is a bachelor’s student in finance and marketing at the Université de Sherbrooke. Her creativity, initiative and interpersonal skills help the marketing and communications team develops innovative digital strategies.
Jacques brings to the table a vast network in the research and granting sectors, providing access to both research and business contacts. He helps entrepreneurs with issues related to technologies’ business potential.
Passionate about marketing and communication, Cécile puts her business acumen at the service of our organization in order to promote ACET ‘s initiatives in the entrepreneurial ecosystem and to create a dynamic community around her.
Romuald helps entrepreneurs understand and take stock of their market so they can clarify their strategy. To do so, he draws on local and international experience with competitive analysis in the industrial as well as service and new technology sectors.
In addition to being an active collaborator in the ACET financial ecosystem, Dominic supports our incubated companies in the preparation of financing rounds and their financial arrangements, and by analyzing their file with a view to potential investments from our investment fund. private ACET Capital.
With his experience as an entrepreneur, René supports our companies and guides them through the crucial stages of their development.
With several years of experience in the field and endowed with a keen sense of organization, Suzanne supports ACET’s growth by supporting the activities of the management team, and by ensuring file management and the communication of our corporate messages.
Martin plays an important role in the development of an investment fund dedicated to quantum technologies, in the technical due diligence of companies, in the support of entrepreneurs, in the development of the transaction flow and in the relations with the various partners in the quantum ecosystem.
With a wealth of experience in financing and commercializing innovations, Michel supports and guides quantum and deep-tech companies in their development and growth.
Thanks to her creativity, versatility and 360 vision, Marie-Ève deploys various campaigns and communication strategies to contribute to the growth of our organization and the notoriety of our incubated startups, especially by exploiting all of our digital opportunities.
Pénélope helps companies in their seed, start-up and growth phase, while supporting the improvement of our support for entrepreneurs incubated at ACET.
Jahel is a bachelor’s student in finance and marketing at the Université de Sherbrooke. Her creativity, initiative and interpersonal skills help the marketing and communications team develops innovative digital strategies.
Over the past 20 years, Michel Coutu has become established in a market that requires two essential qualities: hard work and perseverance. After studying finance and law at Université de Sherbrooke, Mr. Coutu was driven by his fascination with the American market to do his MBA in Rochester, New York. The son of famous pharmacist Jean Coutu, he bought his first pharmacy in 1987, while also working on the creation of the Jean Coutu Group USA. In 1994, he acquired 221 Brooks pharmacies. Ten years later, he acquired 1,560 Eckerd pharmacies, making this name the fourth leading North American giant in the industry.
Paul Gobeil is a chartered accountant and has held management positions in an array of food businesses as well as in the government of Quebec, for which he has acted as Minister responsible for Government Administration, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of International Affairs. He holds one master’s degree in commerce and another in accounting from Université de Sherbrooke in addition to having completed the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He is also a director for many corporations including DiagnoCure inc., National Bank of Canada, MDN inc. and Yellow Media inc.
Matthew Cassar holds a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s in business administration (MBA), and was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 2008. He earned these degrees while continuing to carry out his duties as President of SherWeb, a flagship of Estrie entrepreneurship that he cofounded with his brother in 1998.
This continually growing company has staked out its place as a leader in the North American cloud computing market with a range of services including business productivity (Office 365), infrastructure as a service, security solutions and VOIP telephony. Its impressive list of more than 100,000 client organizations across over 100 countries sets SherWeb apart as a leading Canadian provider of enterprise IT services.
Nathalie Beauregard is a partner of the Corporate Practice Group. Her work is focused on the financing, mergers and acquisitions transactions of technology companies and intellectual property as applied to businesses (whether start-ups, growing or established). She represents numerous companies in life sciences, information technology, green technologies and artificial intelligence with respect to negotiating national and international strategic alliances, joint ventures, licensing and collaboration agreements and government contracts. She also advises prominent franchise systems expanding in Quebec, and is a founding member of Réseau Anges Québec.
Jean-Pierre Perreault studied biochemistry at Université de Montréal before going on to complete postdoctoral studies at Yale University. He then joined the ranks of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Université de Sherbrooke, where he is now Full Professor at the Department of Biochemistry. Since 2001, Mr. Perreault has held several management positions at Université de Sherbrooke, including Director of the Biochemistry Department, Associate Dean of Development and Vice-Dean of Research and Graduate Studies for his faculty.
Jean Roy is Dean of the Management School and Full Professor of Marketing at Université de Sherbrooke. He also has experience as Marketing Director which has led him to work with companies as diverse as Bombardier, Campbell and General Electric.
Author and co-author of scientific communications in marketing, his appreciated teachings led him to provide training on marketing in Algeria, Brazil, France, Guadeloupe, Lebanon, Morocco, Martinique, Tunisia and to collaborate the Business Development Bank of Canada’s export training program.
Doctor of civil engineering and member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, Professor Proulx has an expertise in earthquake engineering, and in dynamic testing of bridges, dams and buildings. Prior to assuming the post of Dean, he was Director of the Department of Civil Engineering and Building Engineering, where he had served since 2012.
Jean Proulx has, among other things, participated in the development and startup of a new building engineering program, and in major construction projects, such as the Scale-up Center and the Hydrological and Environmental Complex of the ACELP Innovation Park.
With his great qualities as a manager and researcher, he also excels in pedagogy, where in 2011 he obtained an Institutional Award for the recognition of his quality of teaching at the University of Sherbrooke.
Holding a Master’s degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Sherbrooke, Jean-Pierre Lahaye has worked for more than 25 years at the National Bank of Canada, where he currently holds the position of Regional Vice-President, Business and Private Management. . Throughout his career, he worked in Business Services to support entrepreneurs in the Estrie region in the development of their business projects. Mr. Lahaye is also involved with his alma mater, notably as part of the Great UdeS Campaign for the School of Management.
Sophie has rare experience in B2C and e-commerce. She has been involved in the Canadian venture capital industry for over 25 years. She worked for the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec for seven years, managing a large portfolio of international venture capital investments, with assets of close to one billion dollars.
Since 2003, Sophie has been Managing Partner of Brightspark, an early-stage venture capital firm. She has participated in the success of several venture capital-backed companies, including Touchtunes, Servicesoft, Think Dynamics, Raidan6, Protecode, Jewlr and Hopper.
An energetic leader known for his remarkable business acumen, Ghyslain Goulet has 25 years of experience in economic development and strategic coaching for business executives. He began his career in the manufacturing industry before taking the helm of the CLD de la MRC de Memphrémagog. During this period, he was President of the Association des Professionnels en Développement économique du Québec, from 2003 to 2005. In 2010, he founded A+ Stratégies, a consulting firm specializing in investment projects for subsidiaries of foreign companies in Quebec. Six years later, he took on new challenges when he became Vice President of Financial Affairs for ACET, an organization for which he has assumed the role of President and CEO since January 2017. He is also President and lead manager of the ACET Capital 1 & 2 venture capital funds.
Over the past 20 years, Michel Coutu has become established in a market that requires two essential qualities: hard work and perseverance. After studying finance and law at Université de Sherbrooke, Mr. Coutu was driven by his fascination with the American market to do his MBA in Rochester, New York. The son of famous pharmacist Jean Coutu, he bought his first pharmacy in 1987, while also working on the creation of the Jean Coutu Group USA. In 1994, he acquired 221 Brooks pharmacies. Ten years later, he acquired 1,560 Eckerd pharmacies, making this name the fourth leading North American giant in the industry.
Paul Gobeil is a chartered accountant and has held management positions in an array of food businesses as well as in the government of Quebec, for which he has acted as Minister responsible for Government Administration, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of International Affairs. He holds one master’s degree in commerce and another in accounting from Université de Sherbrooke in addition to having completed the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He is also a director for many corporations including DiagnoCure inc., National Bank of Canada, MDN inc. and Yellow Media inc.
Matthew Cassar holds a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s in business administration (MBA), and was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 2008. He earned these degrees while continuing to carry out his duties as President of SherWeb, a flagship of Estrie entrepreneurship that he cofounded with his brother in 1998.
This continually growing company has staked out its place as a leader in the North American cloud computing market with a range of services including business productivity (Office 365), infrastructure as a service, security solutions and VOIP telephony. Its impressive list of more than 100,000 client organizations across over 100 countries sets SherWeb apart as a leading Canadian provider of enterprise IT services.
Nathalie Beauregard is a partner of the Corporate Practice Group. Her work is focused on the financing, mergers and acquisitions transactions of technology companies and intellectual property as applied to businesses (whether start-ups, growing or established). She represents numerous companies in life sciences, information technology, green technologies and artificial intelligence with respect to negotiating national and international strategic alliances, joint ventures, licensing and collaboration agreements and government contracts. She also advises prominent franchise systems expanding in Quebec, and is a founding member of Réseau Anges Québec.
Jean-Pierre Perreault studied biochemistry at Université de Montréal before going on to complete postdoctoral studies at Yale University. He then joined the ranks of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Université de Sherbrooke, where he is now Full Professor at the Department of Biochemistry. Since 2001, Mr. Perreault has held several management positions at Université de Sherbrooke, including Director of the Biochemistry Department, Associate Dean of Development and Vice-Dean of Research and Graduate Studies for his faculty.
Jean Roy is Dean of the Management School and Full Professor of Marketing at Université de Sherbrooke. He also has experience as Marketing Director which has led him to work with companies as diverse as Bombardier, Campbell and General Electric.
Author and co-author of scientific communications in marketing, his appreciated teachings led him to provide training on marketing in Algeria, Brazil, France, Guadeloupe, Lebanon, Morocco, Martinique, Tunisia and to collaborate the Business Development Bank of Canada’s export training program.
Doctor of civil engineering and member of the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, Professor Proulx has an expertise in earthquake engineering, and in dynamic testing of bridges, dams and buildings. Prior to assuming the post of Dean, he was Director of the Department of Civil Engineering and Building Engineering, where he had served since 2012.
Jean Proulx has, among other things, participated in the development and startup of a new building engineering program, and in major construction projects, such as the Scale-up Center and the Hydrological and Environmental Complex of the ACELP Innovation Park.
With his great qualities as a manager and researcher, he also excels in pedagogy, where in 2011 he obtained an Institutional Award for the recognition of his quality of teaching at the University of Sherbrooke.
Holding a Master’s degree in Economics and Finance from the University of Sherbrooke, Jean-Pierre Lahaye has worked for more than 25 years at the National Bank of Canada, where he currently holds the position of Regional Vice-President, Business and Private Management. . Throughout his career, he worked in Business Services to support entrepreneurs in the Estrie region in the development of their business projects. Mr. Lahaye is also involved with his alma mater, notably as part of the Great UdeS Campaign for the School of Management.
Sophie has rare experience in B2C and e-commerce. She has been involved in the Canadian venture capital industry for over 25 years. She worked for the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec for seven years, managing a large portfolio of international venture capital investments, with assets of close to one billion dollars.
Since 2003, Sophie has been Managing Partner of Brightspark, an early-stage venture capital firm. She has participated in the success of several venture capital-backed companies, including Touchtunes, Servicesoft, Think Dynamics, Raidan6, Protecode, Jewlr and Hopper.
An energetic leader known for his remarkable business acumen, Ghyslain Goulet has 25 years of experience in economic development and strategic coaching for business executives. He began his career in the manufacturing industry before taking the helm of the CLD de la MRC de Memphrémagog. During this period, he was President of the Association des Professionnels en Développement économique du Québec, from 2003 to 2005. In 2010, he founded A+ Stratégies, a consulting firm specializing in investment projects for subsidiaries of foreign companies in Quebec. Six years later, he took on new challenges when he became Vice President of Financial Affairs for ACET, an organization for which he has assumed the role of President and CEO since January 2017. He is also President and lead manager of the ACET Capital 1 & 2 venture capital funds.
Together, let’s build the world of tomorrow.
