"In our family, we've always had an entrepreneurial spirit"
Gustave Lapierre founded a promising startup focused on AI-driven text data analysis - 2025 EPFL/Alain Herzog - CC-BY-SA 4.0
Gustave Lapierre is a sharp and dynamic entrepreneur. Alongside his younger brother and a couple of friends, he founded a promising startup focused on AI-driven text data analysis. The Blaze program opened the door to the tech business ecosystem for them, and the accompanying grant enabled their venture to truly take off.
When we meet Gustave, he’s in the midst of final-year exam prep, with just a week to go before his bachelor’s exams. But the young man from the region of Paris doesn’t seem particularly stressed out. “There have been a lot of late nights, ending around 4 or 5 a.m. … but I’ve got it all under control,” he says casually. Despite his young age, he appears to manage stress with remarkable ease. Since his second year at EPFL, he’s been balancing his studies with BoundaryAi, the startup he launched with his younger brother and several friends scattered across Switzerland, France and Canada.
It all started in early 2023, when his brother—a business and management student at McGill University in Canada—asked for help with coding on a project involving several colleagues. “As soon as I saw the potential of their idea, I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” he recalls. He jumped in without hesitation.
And what’s the idea that captured his interest? “Our technology simplifies text data analysis using AI. It summarizes qualitative texts and quickly extracts key points of interest.” This innovation is particularly useful for companies and institutions conducting large-scale surveys.
The idea was there… but how do you find a market and get started? That’s where the Blaze program became a game-changer for the small international team. “It helped us get our foot in the door of the Swiss startup ecosystem. First, through workshops that gave us the general know-how for starting a business in tech, and more importantly, it connected us to a network. It also gave us undeniable credibility when reaching out to clients or potential investors.”
Gustave and his team learned how to create a business plan, navigate legal basics, and pitch their idea. Then, they benefited from the 10,000 CHF grant that applicants can receive through the program. “That really set us in motion. We were able to hire freelance developers, run a marketing campaign, and cover legal fees.”
And today? “Our product has piqued the interest of groups as varied as a consulting firm in Quebec, a city in Jersey, and a university in England… But before all that, I need to finish my exams,” he says with a grin. For a few minutes, you might forget that this poised entrepreneur hasn’t yet completed his bachelor degree.