Many newer firms are boasting strong early performance, but LPs are looking for the breakout VCs that will create lasting franchises.
It is important to occasionally tip our hats to those who practice the challenging art of seed investing and show results for their efforts. That includes not only the VCs, but also the market agents who help shape deal-making. A few weeks ago, the Private Capital Markets Association of Canada recognized the work of GreenSky Capital, a boutique advisory firm that helped smart sensor maker Smart Energy Instruments raise over $6 million in seed-stage and Series A funding.
Menlo Ventures realized a return of 8x in less than three years on its investment in Dropcam, which was bought by Nest Labs, said guest columnist Mark Siegel of Menlo.
Austin Ventures is exiting Asset International after five years.
(Reuters) - Investors have fired G. Steven Burrill from the head of a $283 million venture capital fund he ran amid alleged fraud and misuse of capital, according to a lawsuit.
Last month's $60 million investment by Spectrum Equity in Verafin, a financial security company based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, wasn't only one of 2014's largest deals involving a Canadian startup. It also marked the beginning of a new growth spurt by a leading North American fin-tech provider. Robert Antoniades and David Unsworth , principals at Verafin's other major backer, Canadian venture capital firm RBC Venture Partners, shared the story with peHUB Canada.
Like all budgets, the Québec government's recent Budget 2014–2015 attracted much media scrutiny. However, one item you might have missed in the headlines is of particular significance to the venture capital industry. The Québec government announced that it intends to participate in a $375 million "new venture capital fund" with the private sector and the federal government.
There is little doubt AngelList is a disruptive force with the potential to transform seed and early-stage investing over the next several years, according to affiliate magazine Venture Capital Journal. But it will do so in ways not usually boldfaced on blogs or prophesied on conference panels.
The inaugural BDC Innovation Award was recently given to Montréal’s Mirametrix, a three-year old company that specializes in eye tracking solutions. Mirametrix was singled out for the honour because of its cutting-edge technology, which is changing the way human beings interact with machines. To a significant extent, Mirametrix’s achievement is equally that of its Canadian venture capital backer, the no-less-innovative TandemLaunch.
Cybersecurity startups are all the rage in Silicon Valley. One of the most talked about is Shadow Networks, which is creating a virtual environment for detecting and undermining advanced persistent threats. Led by Canadian-born president and CEO Eric Winsborrow, Shadow Networks has raised more than US$15 million from VCs, including Canadian VCs Yaletown Venture Partners, which seeded the company, and Rho Canada Ventures. Now Shadow Networks has plans for coming to Canada.