The Business Development Bank of Canada related stories
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Blueprint raises $23 mlnToronto-based Blueprint, a provider of enterprise software for requirements definition and management, announced it has raised $23 million in funding from Centana Growth Partners. The company previously raised about $28 million in funding from the Business Development Bank of Canada, Growthworks, Tandem Expansion and the Walsingham Fund, according to Thomson Reuters.
White Star Capital raises $70 mln VC fund anchored by BDCWhite Star Capital, a venture capital firm with offices in London, New York and Montréal, has secured US$70 million for its first institutional fund. BDC Capital was the anchor investor in the fund. Founded by Canadian-born Managing Partner Eric Martineau-Fortin, White Star is focused on deploying between $500,000 and $5 million to initial investments in early-stage technology companies in North America and Western Europe. Among its recent deals, the firm in May led a $6 million Series A financing /canada/2015/05/14/mnubo-rakes-in-6-mln-series-a/ of mnubo, an Internet-of-Things data analytics company based in Montréal. Canadian venture capital firm McRock Capital also invested in the round.
- HarbourVest announces promotions
HarbourVest Partners has announced a slew of promotions. Among them are Nate Bishop, Carolina Espinal and Aris Hatch to managing director. The firm has also promoted four staffers to principals and one to senior vice president.
BDC named in top employers list for 10th year runningThe Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has been recognized as one of Canada's top 100 employers in 2016. This is the 10th consecutive year in which BDC has been acknowledged in Mediacorp Canada Inc's annual national workplace competition. Montréal-headquartered BDC provides loans, private equity and venture capital investments, and advisory services to more than 32,000 small and medium-sized companies located across Canada.
BDC, Real Ventures partner in launch of Hacking Health AcceleratorCanadian venture capital firms BDC Capital and Real Ventures are partnering with Hacking Health and MaRS Discovery District to launch the Hacking Health Accelerator, a digital health innovation platform. The platform will support entrepreneurs and startups focused on the digital transformation of the health, fitness and wellness sectors. For startups, it will provide up to $200,000 in funding along with mentoring and other resources and services to help accelerate commercialization initiatives. Other partners include Anges Québec, Cossette, Agile MV, Fasken Martineau, GCI Canada, MMA Group and several angel investors.
- Elastic Path Software picks up C$10 mln
Vancouver, British Columbia-based Elastic Path Software Inc, an enterprise commerce software provider, has raised C$10 million in funding. Yaletown Venture Partners and the BDC Venture Capital IT Fund led the round.
Yaletown, BDC co-lead $10 mln financing of Elastic Path SoftwareVancouver-based e-commerce platform Elastic Path Software Inc has raised $10 million in follow-on funding. The round was led by Canadian venture capital investors Yaletown Venture Partners and BDC Venture Capital IT Fund, both of which invested in Elastic Path's $5.35 million financing in September 2014 /canada/2014/09/10/elastic-path-raises-5-35-mln-to-leverage-experience-driven-commerce/ Founded in 2000, Elastic Path provides enterprise commerce software that creates a personalized and unified buying experience for shoppers. To date, it has helped customers generate $40 billion in sales using its technology. The company plans to use the latest round's proceeds to grow revenue, deepen investment in partner channels, and continue development of its platform.
BDC survey finds smallest companies face growth challengesA new survey conducted by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) found six out of 10 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Canada showed weak or negative growth in the last three years. Small business leaders cited a number of key barriers to growth, including rising operating costs, difficulties in hiring and retaining qualified personnel, and external competition. The BDC report, released as part of BDC Small Business Week 2015, at the same time found 30 percent of SMEs showed strong growth and profits. Solutions most likely to improve circumstances for struggling SMEs include client-centric strategies, stronger talent pools, innovation and investment.
- Cymax raises $25 mln
Cymax said Thursday that it raised $25 million in Series A funding led by Frind Holdings, BDC Ventures and Salman Partners. Cymax, of Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, is an e-tailer that uses technology to aide in the of buying and selling of furniture online.
Mike Cegelski named angel of the year by NACO, BDC CapitalThe National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) and BDC Capital have given the Canadian Angel of the Year award to Mike Cegelski. The award, presented at NACO's National Angel Summit, recognizes an investor who has made a significant contribution to Canada's angel ecosystem. Cegelski, a member of Anges Québec, has over 25 years of experience in information technology sectors. He is currently a full-time angel and mentor who has invested in more than 30 Canadian and U.S.-based companies in the last 5 years.