Justine McIntyre
May 6, 2022
At the final Session Day event for CDL-Montreal’s 9-month startup mentorship program, PemPem was chosen as “Feature Venture” for the CLD Super Session taking place from June 22-23.
MONTREAL May 6, 2022 – The Session Day event that took place May 6, 2022 marked the last session of the CDL Montreal cohort and was an opportunity for mentors, venture managers, the NextAI team and startups to discuss how the program has helped move them forward in their ambition to “build something massive”.
PemPem Founder-CEO Joann de Zegher presented PemPem’s progress over the course of the program, and was awarded by the mentors who have chosen PemPem to represent CDL-Montreal as “Feature Venture” in the supply chain stream at the CLD Super Session taking place from June 22-23.
Over the course of the past nine months, PemPem has benefited greatly from the mentoring provided through CDL-Montreal’s startup mentorship program. CDL works with startups that employ innovations in technology that promise a chance of delivering massive improvements to economic productivity and human welfare. PemPem was chosen to participate in the CDL program as a company that aims to bring massive improvements to both the productivity and welfare of smallholder producers and buyers.
Currently focused on Indonesian palm fruit supply chains, which until now have mostly operated as part of the informal economy, PemPem is rapidly transforming practices with the introduction of digital supply chain management and financial tools. The more users upload pricing and sales data, the more accurate and useful the information available – including, ultimately, to end users, for whom traceability is an essential measure of sustainable practices.
PemPem wishes to thank CDL-Montreal and their partners, as well as the mentors involved in the program, who have provided invaluable support and insights. Special thanks to CDL mentors Rhiannon Davies (Sandpiper Ventures), Cassandra Carothers (Upheaval Investments), and Sophie Forest (Brightspark) who will be continuing to support PemPem’s development over the next 8 weeks.
About PemPem
PemPem provides financial instruments and supply chain software that increase the efficiency of micro-enterprises in commodities markets, enabling them to be successful while reducing pressure on natural resources. Currently focused on palm fruit production in Sumatra, Indonesia, PemPem is evaluating expansion to other smallholder-dominated commodity supply chains such as rubber, coconut, sugar, and cacao, creating better market opportunities for commodity farmers while supporting sustainable practices in fragmented supply chains.
About CDL Montreal
Operating out of HEC Montréal, CDL-Montreal runs a program focused on artificial intelligence and data science to capitalize on Montreal’s expertise in the sector. CDL-Montreal additionally offers a stream for entrepreneurs working on problems related to supply chains, in collaboration with Scale AI, Canada’s Supercluster, whereby local partners in manufacturing, logistics and transport are leveraged.
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Contact:
Justine McIntyre,
Public Relations