Co-Founder & CEO, New Venture: Automated Quoting Platform for Building Product Distributors

Diagram; Canada; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Diagram is seeking a Co-Founder & CEO for an independent startup focused on revolutionizing the building product distribution process through AI. This leadership role entails full ownership of growth, from vision to execution, within a supportive venture studio framework. Ideal candidates will have significant business leadership experience, excellence in team management, and a strong communication background.

Benefits

Significant equity participation

Supportive co-founder and early investors

Access to a broad network of partners

Qualifications

• Experience leading a business with full P&L responsibility.
• Proven ability to hire and manage high-performing teams.
• Resilient and able to work collaboratively in early-stage environments.

Responsibilities

• Defining and executing the company's vision.
• Building and leading a high-caliber team.
• Leading go-to-market and sales efforts.
• Fundraising for the company.

Skills

Leadership

Team Management

Communication

Sales Experience

Job description

Buildings account for 35% of emissions in North America and consume 40% of its energy—most of it from HVAC, lighting, electrical systems, and other equipment. New construction and end‑of‑life equipment replacements are prime opportunities for energy‑efficiency upgrades and represent a significant economic opportunity. North America spends over $400 billion annually on HVAC, lighting, electrical, and other building materials, within a $1.7 trillion global market. However, the quoting process remains slow, manual, and error-prone, leading to wasted time and missed opportunities. Distributors aim to streamline this with e-commerce solutions, but quoting remains a bottleneck to digital transformation and growth.

We are developing HyperQuote, an AI-powered platform to revolutionize how building product distributors estimate, select, and source equipment and materials. The timing is ideal, given the push towards digital sales and advances in multimodal LLMs and computer vision. We have validated the pain points with over 30 experts and customers, completed technical feasibility studies, and are developing real-world use cases with early adopters.

Supported by Diagram, this venture benefits from capital, a network, and strategic support to scale into a successful company. Diagram has de-risked the product-market fit, technical risks, and competitive advantages.

Note: This is not an employee opportunity at Diagram, but an independent venture created through our venture studio model.

Who We’re Looking For

We seek a Co-Founder & CEO to take full ownership of the company's growth. Responsibilities include defining and executing the vision, building and leading a high-caliber team, guiding product development, leading go-to-market and sales efforts, and fundraising.

Requirements

• Experience leading a business with full P&L responsibility; ideally has built a company or product from 0 to 1
• Proven ability to hire and manage high-performing teams
• Strong communicator with experience selling to customers, investors, and employees
• Resilient and able to work collaboratively in early-stage environments

What You’ll Get

• Significant equity participation in a venture-backed, de-risked business
• Ownership over vision and execution
• A supportive co-founder and early investor at every stage
• Access to a broad network of partners and experts within the Diagram/Portage/Sagard ecosystem

About Diagram:

Diagram is a venture studio building the next generation of tech companies. Since 2016, we've launched over 25 businesses with $400M in assets under management. We combine validated ideas with experienced founders and provide capital and operational support to scale.

Applying at Diagram:

We appreciate your interest; only selected candidates will be contacted for interviews. We may reach out about other opportunities as we launch new ventures in ClimateTech, FinTech, and AI, and seek top talent to join us and our portfolio companies.