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Atlantic Canada's Gerry Pond named BDC Entrepreneurship ChampionThe Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has named businessman Gerry Pond its first-ever BDC Entrepreneurship Champion. The award recognizes an entrepreneur who has created and grown one or more successful small or medium-sized businesses and has contributed to Canada's entrepreneurship ecosystem. Pond, who is chairman of Mariner Partners Inc, has co-founded a number of venture-backed information technology startups in Atlantic Canada, including Q1 Labs Inc and Radian6 Technologies Inc. He has also co-founded and helped lead startup accelerators and incubators in the region, including East Valley Ventures.
Telekom Capital leads $8 mln funding of connected car app MojioMojio Inc has secured $8 million in a Series A financing. Telekom Capital, the investment arm of German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG, led the round with participation from Canadian venture capital firms Relay Ventures and BDC Capital, and from AOL Inc co-founder Steve Case. Headquartered in Vancouver, Mojio is a connected car app platform. Update: The company said the proceeds of its latest investment will provide support to its U.S. and international growth strategy. In October 2013, Mojio raised $2.3 million in seed-stage funding /canada/2013/10/28/relay-ventures-leads-2-3-mln-seeding-funding-connected-car-app-mojio/ That deal was led by Relay Ventures.
Telekom Capital and Steve Case back connected car platform MojioMojio has raised $8 million in Series A funding, the company announced in a blog post on its site. Telekom Capital, the investment arm of Deutsche Telekom, led the round with participation from Relay Ventures, the Business Development Bank of Canada and AOL co-founder Steve Case. Based in Vancouver, Mojio is a connected car platform. To read the announcement, visit here https://www.moj.io/mojio-series-a-investment-round-telekom-capital/
BDC earmarks $700 mln to finance women-owned businessesThe Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has earmarked $700 million of funding over three years to help finance Canadian women-owned businesses. Beyond supporting existing clients, the funding will over this period provide an additional 300 to 400 in loans to companies that are majority-owned by women. Lesley Lawrence, a BDC senior vice president, will lead and support related initiatives. The announcement was made at the federal government's Women Entrepreneurs Forum in Ottawa.
- Corsa Technology raises $16.5 mln B round
Corsa Technology said Friday it raised $16.5 million Series B round led by Roadmap Capital. Previous investors including Celtic House Venture Partners, BDC Capital and a strategic technology company also participated. Ottawa-based Corsa Technology provides programmable SDN switching technology.
Kira Talent picks up $1.2 mln in seed deal led by Relay VenturesToronto-based online talent assessment platform Kira Talent has secured $1.2 million in seed-stage funding. Canadian venture capital firm Relay Ventures led the follow-on round with participation from other investors, including new investor the Business Development Bank of Canada and existing angel investors, such as Joe Canavan, Anthony Lacavera, Sam Duboc, John Kelleher and Roger Martin. Update: Kira said proceeds will be used to refine its Kira Academic platform, which allows post-secondary institutions to evaluate applicants through the use of timed video and written response questions. The company was founded in 2012.
- Kira Talent picks up $1.2 mln seed
Toronto-based online talent assessment platform Kira Talent has secured $1.2 million in seed funding. Relay Ventures led the round with participation from other investors that included the Business Development Bank of Canada.
BDC Capital, Foresight invest in clean-tech startups Dark Vision, PyrowaveBDC Capital and Foresight Clean Technology Accelerator recently provided financing to two Canadian clean technology startups. The companies were Dark Vision, a provider of downhole imaging technology that minimizes resource extraction impacts, and Pyrowave, a developer of a microwave pyrolysis technology for use in plastics recycling. BDC Capital participated in the deals through its convertible notes program, which entitles select companies to $250,000 if co-investment criteria are met. Based in Vancouver, Foresight has supported over 25 startups in Western Canada, which together have raised more than $3.5 million in early-stage funding.
Real Ventures, White Star Capital lead $2.5 mln seed funding of GymtrackGymtrack Inc has secured $2.5 million in a seed-stage financing round led by White Star Capital and Real Ventures. Other investors in the deal included 500 Startups and BDC Capital. Based in Ottawa, Gymtrack is a provider of exercise planning and virtual coaching software and devices that help individuals track their workouts. Co-founded in 2014 by Lee Silverstone and Pablo Srugo, the company is a recent graduate of 500 Startups' accelerator program. Gymtrack’s technology, which is currently available at a number of sites in Canada, will later this year be introduced to additional gyms and fitness facilities, the company said.
Chalk.com seeded with $500k from MaRS, BDC, Ryan Holmes and John BakerChalk.com Inc has closed a $500,000 seed-stage financing. The round was led by the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund with the participation of BDC Capital, Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite Media, and John Baker, president and CEO of Desire2Learn. Based in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Chalk.com provides a suite of productivity apps for primary and secondary teachers linked with an online collaboration platform. Currently being used in over 20,000 schools worldwide, the company's technology seeks to create "more personalized learning" for students, Chalk.com said.