Anthem Properties Group Ltd, a Vancouver-based real estate development, investment and management company, has raised $200 million in new funding. KingSett Capital, a Canadian private equity real estate investment firm, supplied the eight-year facility, which will be used by Anthem to retire shorter-term debt and fund continued growth. Founded in 1991 by CEO Eric Carlson, Anthem has invested in, developed or managed over 200 residential, commercial and retail projects with a total value of about $5 billion. Its primary focus is markets in British Columbia, Alberta and Northern California.
3 min read · 23 April 2018
Canadian private investment firm MacKinnon, Bennett & Co (MKB) has closed MKB Partners Fund LP at over $50 million in committed capital. MKB said the fund exceeded its target due to commitments from Bennett Church Hill Capital, a co-founder of MKB, BDC Capital, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, McConnell Foundation and the firm, as well as a group of family offices, foundations and accredited investors. The fund will invest growth capital in companies in the clean energy, smart city and transportation sectors. It has already deployed about $20 million to four companies, including Miovision Technologies Inc, which raised $30 million in an MKB-led round in 2015.
4 min read · 23 April 2018
Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has invested a total of $40 million in four Canadian clean technology companies. The investments, made from a $700 million program launched by the federal government in January, backed Ensyn Technologies, an Ottawa-based converter of forest residues into heating fuels; GreenMantra Technologies, a Brantford, Ontario-based converter of waste plastics into specialty polymers and other specialty chemicals; GHGSat, a Montréal-based maker of a satellite that measures greenhouse gas emissions, and; Enlighten Innovations, a Calgary-based developer of technology for desulphurizing heavy oils.
4 min read · 23 April 2018
Canadian private equity firm Fulcrum Capital Partners has acquired Athletica Sport Systems Inc, a Waterloo, Ontario-based designer and manufacturer of arena services and products, including dasher board systems for hockey arenas and multi-sport athletic facilities. The deal's financial terms were not disclosed. Robert Naegele Jr, who founded Athletica in 1996, will continue to be involved with the business. Andrew McRae, Atheltica's CEO, said the partnership with Fulcrum will support the company's "next phase of growth.” Athletica is the eighth platform investment of Fulcrum Capital Partners V, which raised $344 million in 2015.
2 min read · 23 April 2018
Montréal-based printing company Transcontinental Inc (TSX: TCL.A/B) has closed a bought-deal subscription receipt offering, raising about $287.5 million. Investors in the offering included Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), the company said. Transcontinental plans to use the proceeds to help fund the acquisition of Coveris Americas, the U.S. packaging unit of Luxembourg’s Coveris Holdings SA. The deal, announced earlier this month, is valued at about $1.7 billion. Coveris Holdings is a portfolio company of U.S. private equity firm Sun Capital Partners.
5 min read · 20 April 2018
Boralex Inc (TSX: BLX) has agreed to acquire Kallista Energy Investment SAS, a French wind power company, for $348.7 million, including project debt. The seller is the infrastructure arm of French private investment firm Ardian. Boralex, a Kingsey Falls, Québec-based developer, builder and operator of renewable energy facilities, said the buy will increase its global installed wind power capacity by more than 11 percent, from 1,456 megawatts to 1,619 megawatts. Last month, Boralex raised a $200 million unsecured subordinated loan from Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Fonds de solidarité FTQ to support its growth strategy.
4 min read · 20 April 2018
Montréal-based medical device company SoundBite Medical Solutions Inc earlier in April raised $19.9 million in a Series A financing and said it may secure more funding in a second tranche this quarter. New and existing investors backed the round, among them Fidelity Investments Canada. Founded in 2015, SoundBite is a developer of shock wave technology to address clinical needs in interventional vascular treatment. It will use the funds raised to prepare for a commercial launch in Europe and clinical testing and development priorities. Along with the Series A round, the company announced the appointment of Francis Bellido as CEO.
4 min read · 20 April 2018
Vancouver-based mineral exploration company North American Nickel Inc (TSX-V: NAN) has closed a private placement deal, raising $17.5 million. China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd accounted for $15 million of the investment, while Sentient Group, a resource private equity firm based in the Cayman Islands, also contributed. As a result, Sentient holds about 46.9 percent of issued and outstanding shares. The proceeds will be used by NAN for a work program and additional exploration and drilling activities at its Maniitsoq nickel-copper-platinum-group-elements project in Greenland and other priorities.
5 min read · 19 April 2018
Hamilton, Ontario-based automotive maintenance service GoWrench Auto has raised $525,000 in financing. The investors included Ontario Centre of Excellence, Good News Ventures, Lindsay Adamson and Sameer Kochhar, the founder of Last Pass. Launched in 2015, GoWrench's mobile service helps send certified auto mechanics directly to the customer. Currently available in over 45 Canadian cities, the company plans to use the funds raised to scale-up operations, on-board mechanics, and develop its B2B and consumer-facing platform. GoWrench is led by Founder and CEO Josh Lombardo-Bottema.
3 min read · 19 April 2018
EStruxture Data Centers Inc has acquired Backbone Datavault, a Vancouver-based colocation services provider. No financial terms were disclosed. EStruxture, a Montréal-based network and cloud-neutral data centre operator, said the deal supports its expansion to Vancouver and allows the company to serve customers in both Western and Eastern Canada. Launched last June with a pan-Canadian acquisition and development strategy, eStruxture has been backed with $180 million in financing from various sources, including Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Fengate Real Asset Investments.
4 min read · 19 April 2018
