JF Cote

JF Cote joins Inovia Capital as an Executive in Residence, bringing over 25 years of business experience, including 15 years dedicated to scaling tech companies.

As a two-time winner of EY’s Entrepreneur Of The Year award, JF’s leadership style has been recognized by his relentless focus on innovation, scalability, and growth.

His contributions to adtech have made waves in the industry, including co-founding Montreal-based startup District M in 2013, securing over $50M in funding, and orchestrating the merger-acquisition with Silicon Valley-based Sharethrough in 2020. Under his leadership as President & CEO, he led one of the world’s largest ad exchanges while steering the company through an IPO process. This journey culminated in a nine-figure exit to Equativ in 2024, where he now serves on the Board of Advisors.

JF has served on multiple boards, and currently sits as Chairman of the Board for the travel tech company Stay22. Currently enrolled in Harvard Business School’s Executive Program, JF holds an Executive MBA, a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, specializing in Finance, and is a CPA by training.

JF brings to Inovia a wealth of experience in building profitable, cash-flow-positive businesses, navigating complex markets, fostering unique cultures with high-performing teams, and delivering value to investors and stakeholders.

Beyond his professional achievements, JF is an active philanthropist, supporting children’s education and promoting youth sports through active board memberships and hands-on charity work. In his personal life, he is passionate about travel and exploring new cultures with his family.