process
and timeline

Send us your deck. We start with a video-conference call, followed-up with an in person meeting. We then have a due diligence and Q&A period.

Our timeline for investment usually looks like one of these two scenarios:

  • 3-4 weeks - For well-organized companies with full due diligence in hand (a report and data room is great) and who are in the midst of doing an existing round with a lead investor

  • 1-3 months - For early-stage companies who have not found a lead and need some support. We need a bit of time to get to know you.

where do we invest

We typically look for founders in two focus areas, where we have people on the ground. Our network is growing all the time, so the closer we are to you, the more we can help. 

  • Canadian start-ups whose founders are accessible in Toronto or Waterloo

  • Israeli start-ups whose founders have interest in adding a Canadian investor base and network

other criteria

  • Stage:  We love to work with founder teams that have validated their business, so we typically look for early stage companies (seed) with either early revenue or other meaningful traction. But, we also work with companies in other life stages: (i) a pre-revenue company that has something special and where we can provide real value through our professional expertise and network; (ii) a co-investment as part of a later financing round for an emerging business (and we even sometimes work with pre-IPO companies).

 

the Elements of our Portfolio

 

  • Proprietary:  The technology must be interesting and defensible. Patents are nice, but the ability to differentiate on speed and story will win the day. 

  • People: We must see the opportunity to form a direct and meaningful relationship with the founders. To be aligned on the basis of equity is easy, but to be aligned on passion, shared vision and friendship will carry us through the hard times of building a business. We are willing to accept a technology risk, but we are never willing to accept a people risk.

  • Industry: We look at everything. We are greater believers in people and their ability to solve problems than the specific industry. We look at consumer hardware or products as well as B2B and SaaS. We do not look at pure pharma; however, we love seeing interesting biotech or healthtech companies that will solve a big problem with a well—thought out business model and with low capex.