Category Archives: Startups
Fast-Growing Frank & Oak Raises $5-Million Series A Round
In Canada, there are few successful e-commerce startups, most likely because the market is too small to help a home-grown player establish itself. There are, however, exceptions to the rule such as Beyond the Rack and, most recently, Frank & … Continue reading
Talking Startups with BDC’s Robert Simon
Anyone tracking investments in Canadian startups will not be surprised to see the Business Development Bank of Canada (aka BDC) as a participant. The Crown Corporation is a key player in the seed and series A landscape, and its efforts … Continue reading
Can Canadian VCs Embrace More Risk?
Canadian venture capitalists have a problem: they’re cautious, conservative and have a low tolerance to risk. It’s an easy thesis to accept because, in part, it’s true. It explains why the Globe & Mail published an extensive feature on the challenges … Continue reading
Q&A with IAF’s Barry Gekiere on Seed Investing
The Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) has been among the active seed players in Ontario startups, investing $5.4-million in 12 startups since December. To get a better idea of IAF mandate and approach, I talked with Managing Director Barry Gekiere. When … Continue reading
The Canadian Startup Financing Landscape (Infographic)
On a fairly regular basis, I get asked by startups about who to approach for venture capital. I thought it might be useful to create an infographic that lists the leading incubators, accelerators, seed, series A and series B investors. … Continue reading
Marketing Can’t Be Seen as a Necessary Evil
First, this post isn’t intended as being self-serving, although it would be easy to take it that way. Since I started to focus on startup marketing in early 2011, one of the things I’ve learned about startups is their ambivalence, … Continue reading
