New reports from the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA) and Thomson Reuters suggest that deal making in Canada’s venture capital market was red hot in 2014. Indeed, Thomson Reuters said dollars invested in Canadian technology sectors last year reflected the biggest total in more than a decade. On the other hand, venture capital fundraising in 2014 declined 15 percent year over year.
Canadian venture capital firm CTI Life Sciences has secured $134 million in the initial close of its second partnership, CTI II, earmarked for investments in biotherapeutics and other life sciences companies. The result puts CTI II within reach of the $150 million target set for the fund, which is expected to wrap up by mid-2015, said Ken Pastor, co-founder and general partner of the Montréal-based firm.
Boston-based HarbourVest Partners is expected to complete an initial close on a new $300 million Canadian venture fund of funds before the end of January, said sources with knowledge of the matter. If it’s successful, HarbourVest will oversee the fourth VCAP-backed fund formed since January 2014. So far, these funds have raised a combined $672 million, close to $450 million of which comes primarily from corporate and institutional investors that are new or returning to Canada's VC market.
First Round Capital is known for its annual holiday parody videos and this year isn’t a letdown.
Datalogix, which had planned to go public, is seeking a buyer, three sources said.
Vancouver LED technology startup Cooledge Lighting has raised US$18.4 million in a Series B financing, peHUB Canada has learned. The round was led by an unidentified alternative assets firm and was joined by Yaletown Venture Partners, ARCH Venture Partners, Export Development Canada and GE Ventures. Yaletown's Kirk Washington told peHUB Canada that the deal reflects a tipping point for the fast-growing LED lighting market.
Revenues of Vision Critical will shoot past the $100 million mark this year, CEO Scott Miller told peHUB Canada at last week’s Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) 2014 in Toronto. He added that the Vancouver-based customer intelligence platform is preparing for an “imminent” growth opportunity that includes an opportunity to “take on more capital” – possibly through an initial public offering.
Canadian venture capital firm iNovia Capital recently led a $1.2 million seed financing of Chronogolf. Chris Arsenault, an iNovia managing partner, believes the small-sized investment will ultimately result in some very big things. Indeed, the Montréal startup is seeking to disrupt the golf industry with its cloud-based software platform.
The latest of several Canadian government-backed investment funds that are being set up to breathe life into the country's venture capital industry raised $160 million on its initial closing, Reuters reported. The fund, dubbed the Kensington Venture Fund, is being run by Toronto-based Kensington Capital Partners. Targeted to raise $300 million in total, Kensington's initial close was achieved in part through capital commitments from leading Canadian corporate and financial investors.
LendingClub Corp., which is backed by investors including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, is pursuing a dual track process, two sources said.