Quick answers
Who is Damian Tran?
A co-founder of Minerva, the Toronto anti-money-laundering software company, and its chief technology officer as BetaKit reported in March 2024. Minerva's leadership page, checked in September 2026, lists him as Co-Founder & CTO and says he created the company's foundational deep learning models, algorithms, databases and applications.
How did Damian Tran join Minerva?
BetaKit reported in March 2024 that Jennifer Arnold and Victor Tay met Tran over beers and pizza while he was building AI-based investigation tools for cancer researchers. He came on board in 2018, and the three began quietly building Minerva's platform in 2020.
What did Damian Tran do before Minerva?
His personal site, checked in September 2026, says he spent three years as a researcher at the McMaster Stem Cell & Cancer Research Institute, building an AI assistant for drug discovery in acute myeloid leukemia, and holds an MSc in biochemistry from McMaster University. Minerva's leadership page likewise says he built deep learning models for leukemia research.