# Francois Lafortune

> Francois Lafortune is the co-founder and CEO of Diagram, a Montreal venture builder and early-stage investor. His career runs from teenage computer sales and student service businesses to McKinsey’s Canadian technology practice, followed by Diagram’s creation in 2016 with Paul Desmarais III. He is also a managing partner at Sagard and chairman of nesto. Diagram works with founders to validate ideas, launch companies, provide capital, and support growth in fintech and climate technology.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Diagram
- **Organizations:** Diagram, Sagard, nesto, McKinsey & Company (former), Vitres.net (former), Qualité Étudiants (former), Hydro-Québec (former board member), Portag3 Ventures (historical affiliation), ForUkraine.ca / 4Ukraine
- **Education:** Honours Bachelor of Engineering, with Distinction, McGill University, Master of Business Administration, Stanford Graduate School of Business
- **Known for:** Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 honoree, 2019., Received the J.W. McConnell Scholarship and the John D. Thompson Prize for Entrepreneurship in Engineering at McGill., Co-founded Diagram in 2016; its official website reports more than 25 ventures launched with more than 50 founders.

## Career timeline

- **Age 13** — Launched his first business assembling and selling personal computers.
- **1999–2002** — Franchisee and owner at Qualité Étudiants.
- **2002–2005** — Founder and president of Vitres.net; dates follow the Quebec government biography.
- **2005** — Completed a Bachelor of Engineering at McGill.
- **2006–2009** — Project manager at McKinsey & Company.
- **2010** — Intern associate at Tandem Expansion I.
- **2011** — Completed an MBA at Stanford.
- **2011–2015** — Associate partner and co-leader of McKinsey’s Canadian technology practice.
- **2016** — Co-founded Diagram with Paul Desmarais III.
- **2017–2021** — Served on Hydro-Québec’s board; appointed July 12, 2017.
- **2019** — Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40.
- **2024** — Diagram announced the C$80 million final close of its first dedicated ClimateTech Fund.
- **2025** — Discussed venture creation and competition on The Hard Part podcast.

## Achievements

- Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 honoree, 2019.
- Received the J.W. McConnell Scholarship and the John D. Thompson Prize for Entrepreneurship in Engineering at McGill.
- Co-founded Diagram in 2016; its official website reports more than 25 ventures launched with more than 50 founders.
- Diagram announced a C$80 million ClimateTech Fund in October 2024, exceeding its C$60 million target.
- Chairs nesto, which announced its acquisition of CMLS in June 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2025-10** — Appeared on The Hard Part with Evan McCann on October 1 to discuss idea validation, founder selection, funding, competition, and the transition from hands-on support.
- **2025-09** — Nesto Group published an executive biography identifying him as Diagram’s managing partner and CEO and nesto’s chairman.
- **2024-10** — Diagram announced its ClimateTech Fund’s C$80 million final close, jointly led by Amélie Foz-Couture and Paul Manias.
- **2024-06** — nesto, whose board he chairs, announced the CMLS acquisition supported by Diagram and other investors.

## Links

- Website: https://diagram.vc/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/flafortune/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/francois-lafortune
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-09