The entrepreneurial legacy of a great builder, the vision of a new generation
MONTRÉAL, Sept. 29, 2025 /CNW/ - Quebecor and asterX are pleased to announce the five winners of the 27th annual Pierre Péladeau Bursaries, which will share a total of over $200,000 in prizes. This announcement was made this evening at a gathering of Montréal's business community during a tribute to Quebecor founder, Pierre Péladeau, as part of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal's Strategic Forum, 'Entrepreneurship reimagined: The path of business succession'.
Spanning sectors from health technologies and robotics, to cleantech and sustainable development, over one hundred applications were submitted in the winter of 2025. Following a rigorous selection process, the most promising business projects were chosen by the selection committees at their respective universities to proudly represent their institutions in the final round of the competition.
"My father, Pierre Péladeau, would be very proud to see the determination and boldness of this emerging generation of entrepreneurs. I believe he would have enjoyed meeting them and offering his valuable advice. It is inspiring to witness the ingenuity and visionary spirit of these student entrepreneurs. We are proud to support them and give them the resources to achieve their ambitions!" said Pierre Karl Péladeau, President and CEO, Quebecor.
"For 27 years, the Pierre Péladeau Bursaries have offered us a unique window into the forefront of student entrepreneurship in Québec. This year, we wanted to spotlight the talent and creativity of Québec's most promising university entrepreneurs by launching the first-ever 100 LIMITE ranking. The 15 finalist projects, which include this year's five bursary recipients, are led by young builders who, like Pierre Péladeau, dare to envision a future without limits. Their business projects challenge the status quo and have the potential to make a real impact on our society. They are ones to watch," said Pelra Azondekon, Managing Director, asterX.
Five Rising Startups Crowned Winners
Awarded since 1999 by Quebecor and now managed by asterX, the Pierre Péladeau Bursaries are Québec's largest university entrepreneurship competition. Each year, they support young entrepreneurs from various backgrounds and across all Québec universities. Five winning startups particularly impressed Quebecor's Jury with their high level of innovation, strong potential, and the social and environmental impact of their solutions. Together, they received five bursaries totaling $200,000. This financial support, combined with professional guidance, is designed to help these students turn their business ideas into reality and generate a positive impact on society.
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2025 Pierre Péladeau Bursaries!
Watch the video announcement here.
$75,000 Bursary - BrainInnov
Roseline Olory | Université du Québec à Montréal
To honor a promise made to a friend who passed away too soon, Roseline Olory has designed an AI solution to detect lung cancer before symptoms even appear, potentially increasing five-year survival rates from 4% to 63%. Inspired by the work of pioneers such as Joy Buolamwini and Timnit Gebru, she is committed to developing an innovation that is ethical, inclusive, and deeply human. An artist at heart, this gospel singer is now channeling her creativity into her childhood dream: using science to save millions of lives.
$50,000 Bursary - SensÈn
Madline Sauvage & Delphine Bouilly | Université de Montréal
SensÈn is the result of a partnership between a young PhD student with an entrepreneurial drive and a dedicated research professor with cutting-edge expertise in physics. Together, they are developing miniature electrical sensors to improve the monitoring of breast cancer and make personalized therapies more accessible. Their solution aims to help doctors adjust treatments based on a tumor's real-time aggressiveness. Driven by a deep desire to make a tangible impact for the many women affected worldwide, they aspire to make their innovation a global benchmark.
$35,000 Bursary - BardXpert
Samuel Raymond, Charles-Antoine Boivin, Guillaume Rochette-Marion & Xavier Riva | Université de Sherbrooke
Addressing the harsh realities of the roofing profession, the BardXpert team is tackling a major safety issue with its Bard-X tool, which automates shingle removal. Ingenious and passionate about motor racing, their strengths are agility and speed of execution, proven when they closed a pre-sale in under two months. Inspired by entrepreneurs like Jean Bélanger of Premier Tech, they are determined to protect the workers who build Québec, all while aiming to conquer the North American market and establish themselves as an industry leader in construction.
$25,000 Bursary - Peregrine Photon
Guillaume Ramadier & Rodrigo Itzamná Becerra Deana | Polytechnique Montréal
Behind Peregrine Photon is a duo of young PhD students, among the few in the world to have mastered the fabrication of tapered optical fiber components. On their journey from the lab to entrepreneurship, their mission is to democratize access to super-resolution microscopy with a compact fiber module that plugs directly into any existing microscope. This innovation opens the door to advanced imaging for countless labs and could spark major new scientific discoveries around the globe.
$15,000 Bursary - KONOS Technologies
Jonathan Gauvin, Justin Couturier, Louis-Charles Baillargeon & Philippe St-Laurent | Université Laval
KONOS Technologies is rethinking how traffic cones are placed and retrieved with an automated machine that eliminates repetitive and dangerous tasks for road workers. Each year, more than 200 workers are injured while handling these cones on our roads. With a fully functional product and a first sale already secured, KONOS aims to become a North American leader in road safety automation. The team is determined to leverage its strong cohesion and personal bonds to achieve success.
Exceptional Juries
Quebecor and asterX wish to highlight the dedication of the 30 members of the selection committees for each university, who examined a high volume of promising applications from a wide range of sectors. The finalist applications were then submitted to Quebecor's Jury, which had the task of selecting the five winning business projects.
Thanks to Quebecor's Jury members for the 27th edition:
- Pelra Azondekon, Managing Director, asterX and Managing Director, Corporate Venture Capital, Quebecor
- Jean B. Péladeau, Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer, Vidéotron and Freedom Mobile
- Chanel Damphousse, Partner, MacKinnon Bennett & Co. (MKB)
- Sylvie Lalande, Chair of the Boards of Quebecor and Groupe TVA, Corporate Director
- Érik Péladeau, President, Publication Alpha inc.
About Pierre Péladeau – A Leading Figure of Québec Inc.
Pierre Péladeau is a symbol of the rise of Québec's French-speaking business class. He entered business in the 1950s by buying Le Journal de Rosemont, a struggling neighborhood publication that he quickly turned around. He then developed several other local newspapers and created Le Journal de Montréal in 1964 and Le Journal de Québec in 1967, both of which became the largest French-language dailies in North America. He expanded into printing and press distribution to control all activities linked to his publications. This visionary and integrated approach was revolutionary and led to the creation of Quebecor in 1965, a vertically integrated media conglomerate he transformed into a Québec flagship company. A man of conviction and generosity, deeply attached to Québec, Pierre Péladeau saw his successes as a philanthropic lever to advance society. He actively supported causes in culture, education, and health--an engagement that Quebecor continues today.
About Quebecor's Social Commitment
For more than 70 years, Quebecor has been contributing to the economic, cultural, and social vitality of Québec, bringing about change by teaming up with local visionaries, creators, artisans, and the next generation. Driven by its entrepreneurial roots and a strong philanthropic commitment to more than 400 partners and organizations across Québec, Quebecor actively contributes to numerous initiatives that have an impact on the Québec culture, the environment, local entrepreneurs, its community and its employees.
The sum of these efforts gives our community the collective power to develop a stronger, more innovative economy, a richer, more diverse culture, and a healthier, more sustainable society.
Let's continue to build a proud and prosperous Québec. Together, let's cultivate the possible.
https://www.quebecor.com/en/social-engagement
About asterX
asterX is a venture capital fund powered by Quebecor (TSX: QBR.A, QBR.B). With a mission to cultivate boldness and entrepreneurial spirit, asterX leverages Quebecor's solid and diversified network and resources to create lasting human relationships and winning partnerships with like-minded entrepreneurs. It fosters the development of innovative solutions with the potential to create tangible value within Quebecor's business sectors and for our society. Through the asterX Capital fund, we offer capital and leading-edge expertise to the most promising startups, from seed to post-launch.
To find out more about asterX and the startups it supports, visit https://asterx.vc/en/.
SOURCE Québecor Média Inc.
For more information: Quebecor, [email protected]
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