Navigating the Canadian venture capital landscape

May 06, 2013

Navigating the Canadian venture capital landscape

Last week’s Entrepreneurship 101 lecture welcomed a panel of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs who have successfully received investments to share both sides of the story when it comes to raising money for your venture.

Moderator Barry Gekiere, managing director of the Investment Accelerator Fund, asked questions that triggered a discussion of the venture capital landscape in Canada.

The panellists 

The panel provided interesting insights into the venture capital industry, including reasons why it has seen low returns in Canada for the past 10 years and future trends in the market.

Entrepreneurs Michael Silagadze and Stephen Lake shared the stories of their journeys seeking investments from both angel investors and venture capitalists, including first-round investments for both pre-sale and revenue-generating startups.

Duncan Hill and Bryan Kerdman, who both have entrepreneurial experience, provided an inside look at what venture capitalists are looking for in potential investments. They shared their ideas on successful pitch tactics, as well as market dynamics.

Barry then opened up the floor to audience questions, which touched on topics including:

  • how to do preliminary research on venture capital funds;
  • how to network at venture capital firms;
  • what venture capitalists look for when they are approached by an entrepreneur; and
  • the formula for valuation of your venture.

Learn more by watching the full video here.

http://vimeo.com/65330840

Produced by MaRS Media.

Then, check out this Hot Tips video to help you leverage strategic partnerships: Forging Effective Alliances: Four Hot Tips for Startups.

Next lecture: The Pitch on Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Resources: 

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