Founder's Story
Louis Bélanger-Martin Spent 8 Years Building—Then He Revolutionized Air Travel | Ep. 196
04 Apr 2025
Today’s guest is Louis Bélanger-Martin, the visionary co-founder of DTI Software, the company that pioneered the in-flight entertainment systems we now take for granted. From the first flicker of a boring flight to Washington D.C., Louis saw an opportunity where others saw nothing and turned it into a multi-billion-dollar industry. His entrepreneurial journey didn’t stop at takeoff. Louis is also the founder of Groupe W Inc., a Canadian private equity firm that helps businesses scale globally with smart capital and real-world experience.In this episode, Louis shares:How a dull flight became the spark behind a global innovationWhat it takes to build a category-defining company over 8 long yearsThe biggest challenges and rewards of B2B enterprise sales to major airlinesHis transition from entrepreneur to investor—and why he rarely backs startupsThe one trait he looks for in every founder he fundsWhy clarity, simplicity, and knowing your audience are critical in a pitchHow Canadian private equity is evolving in 2025Louis also gives founders actionable insights on how to stand out in a crowded capital market and how to approach private equity with strategy, not just ambition.📩 Connect with Louis:Email: [email protected]: Louis Bélanger-MartinOur Sponsors:* Check out Indeed: https://indeed.com/FOUNDERSSTORY* Check out Northwest Registered Agent and use my code FOUNDERS for a great deal: https://northwestregisteredagent.com* Check out Plus500: https://plus500.com* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com
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Hey everyone, welcome back to Founder Story. Today we have Louis Belanger-Martin. You are the co-founder of DTI Software and you revolutionized the in-flight entertainment, which we are going to go into. For me, it's been critical because I fly so much and I always judge an airline based on their in-flight entertainment.
You are also the founder of GroupW Inc., which is a successful Canadian private equity. And we're going to dive into all things private equity in North America. I'm very interested about what is the pulse of Canada. But before we do that, we'd like to kick it off here on Founders Story as to why did you become an entrepreneur? And then also, why did you get into DTI Software as the company?
So entrepreneur usually comes from an event, from something. And I remember the first flight I took, I was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. And the first flight I ever took was a flight, short flight from Montreal to Washington, D.C., And as I'm sitting down on the aircraft, I'm looking around and there's not much happening.
And I was so, my level of expectation was so high in that I was actually flying. I was going from point A to point B at 40,000 feet up in the air. And I was extremely disappointed in that. I said, well, this is an opportunity. This is, you have people sitting down and they're looking at,
the front seat and there's nothing, let alone later, a few years later came the idea of putting screens and putting all sorts of different things. But the experience was so ununique and there was nothing to call my mother about that I kind of took it upon myself to say, well, there's an opportunity here. So not sure how, when, But I really want to change this.
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