Lynn Johannson, Advisor, Sustainability and ESG
January 4th, 2024
Lynn Johannson, President of E2 Management Corporation and Catalyst for THE Collaboration
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Category Archives: Press Releases
OneVest Closes $20M Series B to Lead Wealthtech
Financing | April 11, 2025
Image: Freepik
OneVest Secures $20M in Series B to Build the Future of WealthTech in North America
On January 29, 2025, Calgary and Toronto-based fintech firm OneVest announced the close of a $20 million Series B round, led by Salesforce Ventures and joined by Allianz Life Ventures, TIAA Ventures, and returning backers like OMERS Ventures, Deloitte Ventures, Fin Capital, Luge Capital, and Pivot Investment Partners.
See: OneVest’s Rapid Expansion Powered by a $17M Funding Round led by OMERS Ventures
OneVest estimates that $84 trillion of wealth will be passed down from Baby Boomers to Gen X and Millennials over the coming decades, creating a massive opportunity and challenge for financial institutions. OneVest's platform is positioned to offer financial institutions, such as banks, insurers, asset managers and RIAs, a module tech platform to build or upgrade their wealth management services. Companies ca upgrade outdated infrastructure by plugging in only the components they need, reducing time and cost to market.
Amar Ahluwalia, CEO of OneVest:
“We are tackling massive challenges in an industry that’s been traditionally slow to adopt new technologies. Having such esteemed investors solidifies our position to reimagine wealth management technology for enterprises across the U.S. and Canada. With this new funding, we are poised to achieve our goal of becoming the leading wealth management platform in North America.”
Flexible, Smart, and Built for Scale
The OneVest platform offers financial institutions end-to-end wealth offerings or customized tools to match their requirements. Advisors can manage portfolios more efficiently with a hybrid experience that blends automated insights with human guidance. OneVest is investing in AI-powered decisions making tools and building out it's capabilities in alternative investments, helping firms better service their clients who are looking to diversify beyond traditional assets.
See: Wealth Management Insights for Fintechs and Investors
OneVest continues to strengthen its strategic partnerships with major players like BlackRock, Vanguard, and Salesforce Financial Services Cloud, helping expand its reach across the financial services sector. Since many clients use Saleforce, OneVest plans to further streamline the advisor-client experience across systems.
What’s Next for OneVest
With this funding, OneVest will focus on scaling operations, growing its team, and continuing product development. Its mission has been clear from the start. To become the leading infrastructure provider for wealth management in North America by providing financial institutions modern tools so they can keep up with the changing needs of their clients.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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eToro Files Nasdaq IPO After Crypto Revenue Surge
Public Market Funding | March 31, 2025
Image: Freepik/macrovector
Trading platform eToro officially files to go public on Nasdaq as IPO interest builds
On March 24, 2025, an Israeli fintech platform known for social trading and crypto investments, eToro filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, confirming intent to go public on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “ETOR". After several years of IPO uncertainty and decline, here's a
of 10 private fintech companies watching and waiting to see how IPOs in early 2025 perform before announcing their own.
About eToro
eToro is an Israeli fintech company with offices in Cyprus, UK, US, Australia, Germany and the UAE, and not currently available to Canadian residents. It's an online, multi-asset trading platform founded in 2007 where users can trade stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), cryptocurrencies, and commodities. Uniquely it offers social trading features where users can view, follow, and copy the investment strategies of other traders. This innovation makes investing more accessible for those new to trading and financial markets.
See: 10 Fintech and Crypto IPOs 2025 – Boom or Bubble?
eToro is a digital-first platform that operates entirely online via web and mobile apps, reducing many of the barriers traditionally associated with investing. It was one of the first early fintech players to embrace crypto trading which helped democratize digital assets among retail investors. With a friendly UX/UI, real time data tools, and low starting requirements, eToro is often compared to fintech giants like Robinhood, Revolut, and Wealthsimple and is part of the broader movement to challenge incumbents by using new technologies to offer simpler, faster, and often cheaper alternatives.
eToro’s financial performance has been strong heading into 2025. In 2024, the company generated $931 million in commissions, an 31% increase over the year prior. Net income also jumped to $192 million from just $15 million the year before. Why the growth? A surge in crypto trading made up 38% of their commissions last year which is up more than double from 17% in 2023 per investopedia reporting.
IPO Market 2020-2025
Initial Public Offering markets have been hit or miss over the past five years, due to economic uncertainties, investor sentiment and global events. Below is an overview.
2020-2021 - IPO activity surged. Low interest rates and a bullish stock market created favourable conditions that leads to a record number of companies going public. In 2021, global IPO proceeds raked in $508.9 billion, an 80% increase compared to 2020.
2022-2023 -IPO decline/uncertainty. Due to rising inflation, rising interest rates, and geopolitical tensions, IPO momentum slowed in 2022 and 2023. Investors were caution leading to a big drop in IPO activity. In 2023, global IPO proceeds fell like a stone to around $117.9 billion, the lowest in the last decade.
2024 - IPO markets showed signs of recovery. While the U.S. led in IPO proceeds, India surpassed other countries in IPO volume, highlighting regional strengths. Private equity and venture capital-backed IPOs played a key role with tech, industrials, and consumer sectors leading activity.
2025 - pentup IPO demand / optimism Returns? With easing inflation and anticipation for further rate cuts, some confidence is returning to IPO outlook, proceeds in 2024 were up 45% and the number of IPOs also rose 40% from the previous year. Sectors like artificial intelligence, fintech and crypto are gaining traction due to a shift in the regulatory outlook, especially in the U.S. under the new administration. At the same time, tariffs and trade wars are dominating the narrative putting pressure on investor's outlook and economic uncertainty.
So after a period of volatility, IPO markets in 2025 appear to be ready for renewed activity but not without risks. As such, companies waiting in the IPO queue are watching with abated breath to see how proceeds and investor sentiment are before launching their own IPOs, including firms like BitGo, Gemini, Kraken, Circle, Klarna and Chime.
eToro's IPO Outlook
This isn't eToro's first kick at the IPO can. Back in 2021, eToro planned to list through a SPAC deal, a type of company that exists just to be taken over so firms can go public quickly. That deal would have valued eToro at over $10 billion but it fell through in 2022 according to investopedia.
See: How Fintechs Are Unlocking Value in Private Markets 2024
This time, eToro has big brand banks backing its IPO like Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, UBS, and Citigroup. If eToro’s IPO is successful, it could open the door for more tech and fintech firms that have been patiently watching on the sidelines and may finally be able to enter the public markets.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Meridian’s Motusbank Winds Down After 6 Years
Fintech in Canada | March 31, 2025
Image: Freepik
Motusbank will shut down by 2026 as accounts move to Meridian and Coastal Capital Savings
In early Q2 2019, Ontario's largest credit union, Meridian Credit Union launched a digital only bank called motusbank, now after 6 years in operation, motusbank is shutting down. In a joint announcement, Meridian and Coast Capital Savings confirmed they will take over motusbank’s accounts and assets by early 2026, pending regulatory approval. This marks the end of motusbank's short run as a national online bank. It was meant to be Meridian's vehicle for expanding across Canada but it struggled to reach sufficient scale to remain viable long term.
Why Did motusbank Shut Down?
According to the announcement, despite having national ambitions, motusbank only reached 16,000 members by 2025. It highlights that competing in Canada's banking markets without branches or significant branding, or a strong digital acquisition strategy, is a grind.
See: Will Competition Reforms Boost Fintech? Inside the Fight
The pandemic also hurt smaller banks, but the stiff competition from bigger players like EQ Bank, Tangerine, and Simplii who have more brand recognition, marketing might and deeper pockets was a headwind.
Additionally, there was a leadership change in January 2022 when Jan-Ann Gilfoy was appointed President and CEO of both Meridian and motusbank. motusbank was pushed by Meridan's previous CEO, and now new leadership is emphasizing local growth, cooperative values, and is aiming to deepen relationships with existing members (customers).
Jay-Ann Gilfoy, CEO of Meridian and motusbank:
“We’ve made the decision to sharpen our focus on the growth and success of Meridian.”
Implications and Reactions
👉 Loans originated in Ontario like mortgages and HELOCs will transfer to Meridian starting May 2025. Deposit accounts and loans outside of Ontario will be transferred to Coast Capital Savings.
For customers, this news is obviously an inconvenience but their funds remain insured and most customers don't need to do anything for now, as the transition will happen automatically.
For industry however, news of motusbank's closure shows that without deep pockets, unique value proposition, a strong digital marketing acquisition strategy, and strong brand, being 'digital only with low fees' may not be enough. Compare and contrast the approach to Robinhood's wealthtech push and lifestyle finance offering.
See: Open Banking Delayed to 2026, Favours Banks Over Innovation
This is a quiet exit from the digital banking space, but it says a lot. According to Reddit users commenting on motusbank shutting down, many saw this coming and pointed to the outdated app, slower innovation and lack of aggressive growth.
One user said, “Motusbank has been pretty much on life support through the pandemic.”
Others said they’ll likely switch banks unless Coast Capital can impress them. Some are locked in for now, like one poster with a GIC maturing in 2027.
Closing Outlook
Neo, challenger, and digital-first banks should sit up and take notice, given that motusbank was one of Canada's few fully digital banks not owned by one of the incumbent banks. The message is pretty clear, convenience and low fees must be paired with innovation, strong growth strategy, size/trust and scale.
Given the dominance of Canada's banks and the governments hesitance to open up more competition in the banking sector, it's harder and harder to go it alone and customers will suffer with limited choice for innovative alternatives and high fees. The Crisis Canada and Fintech Can’t Afford to Waste
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Robinhood’s WealthTech Push and Lifestyle Finance
Robinhood | March 28, 2025
Image: Robinhood Banking (Robinhood's Newsroom)
Robinhood Unveils Low-cost Wealth Management, AI Tools, and Luxury Banking Perks for Retail Users
On March 27 2025, during Robinhood's Lost City of Gold event keynote, the company announced 3 major launches that katipult the company well beyond trading, including Robinhood Strategies, Robinhood Banking, and Robinhood Cortext. The new suite of tools is moving towards a lifestyle finance platform, targeting a future where personalized financial services aren't just for the rich. Built for Gold members, these moves could disrupt Canada's fintech landscape if local players start following suit.
Robo-Advisory for a Fraction of the Cost
Mostly everyone dislikes expensive service fees in finance. That's the pitch of many fintechs who are competing directly with traditional banks. But Robinhood Strategies takes a different approach to investment fees. Instead of charging you proportionately more (in fees) as your total portfolio grows, Robinhood is keeping it simple and low cost by charging an annual flat fee of 0.25%, and Gold members never pay more than $250 a year (no matter how large their portfolio is or how much they invest)!
See: Wealth Management Insights for Fintechs and Investors
To put that in perspective, that's half the price of Wealthsimple’s 0.5% standard tier, and with a low $250 fee cap that means investors with larger portfolios pay even less. Let's do the math. If you invest over $100,000, any money above that is managed for free (due to the fee cap). Someone with $250,000 ends up paying just 0.1%, and at $500,000, the total fee drops to only 0.05%. So as your portfolio grows, you don't pay more fees - you pay less!
Like most robo-advisory models, portfolios are built to match your risk and financial goals, using a mix of ETFs and selected individual stocks. The service also includes built-in tax optimization, loss harvesting tools,and performance insights, all through a user friendly app.
Banking Perks That Feel Exclusive (But you don't have to be rich)
Chalk this one up to the marketers but Robinhood Banking certainly sounds good by way of bringing premium banking features to regular users. When the platform launches later this year, Gold members will get access to many services that you'd expect from a private bank like 4% interest on savings, ability to send money globally in over 100 currencies, help with estate planning, taxes, and get this....even have cash delivered to your door like a pizza. The platform will also include some family friendly banking features like accounts for kids with embedded spending controls.
See: Open Banking Delayed to 2026, Favours Banks Over Innovation
On top of all that, Robinhood is adding some luxury experiences like access to high profile events, private helicopters, and global concierge services, apparently as part of a broader push to become more than just a finance app. The goal is to be a full lifestyle platform for money management.
Real-Time AI Tools in Your Pocket
All launches these days include AI and Robinhood is no different. Cortex is the financial platforms brain or real time analysis engine that can answer most basic questions that investors ask all the time, such as Why is this stock moving? What strategy fits my risk tolerance and market perspective?
In response, Cortex will generate short summaries explaining stock price movements and help users build trades aligned with their outlook, which can be helpful when trading complex strategies like options trading. While Cortex isn't designed to place fully autonomous trades on your behalf, it aims to bridge the gap between newish investors and pro-trader research tools, towards a new type of AI powered investing experience for every day users.
What This Means for Canadian Investors
On July 15 2024, Robinhood celebrated the opening of their Toronto office and the hiring of a 50 person team to kickoff their Canadian expansion. As of March 2025, Canadian users still don't have access to the Robinhood app and there isn't a public update on the status of any sort of banking license application or timeline, so Robinhood's banking services remain unavailable in Canada at this time.
See: Wealthsimple’s 10th Anniversary and Path to $1 Trillion AUM
As Robinhood continues to build, Canadian fintechs like Wealthsimple, Questrade, Koho, and other local players are enjoying an early market lead. But now that Robinhood is pushing the boundaries of what's possible, such as expert portfolio management at an ultra low cost, the expectations of the market are bound to change. Canadian firms will need to keep up or risk falling behind. Competition is going to ramp up, so fasten your seat belts and get ready for an interesting ride.
Closing Outlook
Fintech continues to evolve. It’s no longer just about cheap or no fee trading. It’s about offering full financial experiences. With AI tools, pro-managed portfolios, and even banking with luxury perks. Robinhood is setting a new standard. Canadian platforms may have a head start but they better adapt quickly because users will start expecting more, and may look elsewhere to get it.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Support NCFA by Following us on Twitter!Follow @NCFACanada |
GameStop Joins Growing List of Bitcoin Treasury Holders
Bitcoin Reserve | March 26, 2025
Image: Freepik
GameStop Stock Jumps on Bitcoin Reserve Strategy, Shares Surge 15%
Adding bitcoin to your company's treasury is a growing strategy. This time, GameStop is back in the spotlight but not because of Reddit influencers but because of Bitcoin. The video game retailer just announced that the GameStop's board unanimously approved an update to their investment policy to add Bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset. So now there's a green light to use part of its cash or future capital to acquire Bitcoin without setting a cap on how much.
The news sent GameStop shares soaring almost 15% to $29.10 in after hours trading on March 26 2025 and came alongside their fourth quarter earnings which showed a surprising profit despite falling sales with earnings per share at $0.30, crushing analyst expectations of just $0.08.
See: Trump Signs Order for Bitcoin Reserve, Crypto Stockpile
The decision is part of a broader effort to appeal to a new generation of investors and push for a more aggressive company and bolder financial strategy. It's in line with actions taken by other corporations, such as MicroStrategy which have integrated Bitcoin into their financial strategies. The move also follows the recent executive order by President Trump to establish a strategic Bitcoin reserve.
Canadian Companies Embracing Bitcoin
Several Canadian public companies have also adopted Bitcoin as part of their treasury strategies.
Goodfood Market Corp. (TSX: FOOD) In January 2025, Goodfood became one of Canada’s first consumer-facing companies to adopt Bitcoin as part of its treasury. The company made an initial $1 million CAD investment via a spot Bitcoin ETF.
Neptune Digital Assets Corp. (TSXV: DASH) Between January 26 and February 3, 2025, Neptune acquired 20 more BTC for $2 million USD. This brought their total Bitcoin holdings to 376 BTC.
Bitcoin Well Inc. (TSXV: BTCW) In December 2024, Bitcoin Well began a Bitcoin treasury strategy by adding 7.5 BTC and announced plans to raise $2 million through a convertible debenture to expand their holdings.
DeFi Technologies Inc. (NEO: DEFI) In 2024, DeFi Technologies officially made Bitcoin its primary treasury reserve asset and later diversified into Solana and Core DAO staking.
Matador Technologies Inc. (TSXV: MATA) Matador who is focused on tokenizing real world assets (RWA) expanded its Bitcoin treasury in late 2024 by acquiring an additional 3.46 BTC.
LQwD FinTech Corp. (TSXV: LQWD) As of early 2025, LQwD held 136 Bitcoins. Their most recent purchase added 5 BTC to their long-term reserve strategy tied to the Lightning Network.
Kontrol Technologies Corp. (CSE: KNR) In November 2024, Kontrol announced it would begin holding Bitcoin directly as part of a capital preservation plan, starting with a $1 million CAD purchase.
These above companies at the front line of a growing trend among Canadian public firms (there are many private companies, too!) to integrate Bitcoin into their financial strategies, looking to diversify assets and hedge against inflation.
Why It Matters
Bitcoin's interest continues to grow and is starting to be treated as a serious asset by more and more companies who are rethinking how they handle money amidst economic uncertainties and inflation (potential stagflation), and anyone in finance, policy and tech should be watching closely.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Support NCFA by Following us on Twitter!Follow @NCFACanada |
Smarter API Integration with VoPay’s AI-Powered Assistant
Vopay | March 5, 2025
Image: Freepik/rawpixel.com
VoPay’s AI GPT Assistant is Transforming Fintech with Smarter, Faster, Fintech Integration
On March 4, 2025, Vancouver-based embedded payment solutions leader, VoPay, has revealed its latest innovation, it's API GPT Assistant. It's an AI-powered tool designed to help developers integrate financial technology solutions quickly and efficiently. By using advanced language models, it automates API documentation, troubleshooting, and even front-end development to significantly reduce integration time.
See: Embedded Finance: Banking Meets the Customer
Hamed Arbabi, CEO and Founder of VoPay:
“Integration is often the biggest hurdle in adopting new financial technology. With our API GPT Assistant, we are eliminating that friction—empowering developers to build faster, more accurately, and using the programming languages they prefer. This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about fundamentally accelerating financial innovation.”
Who is it for and How Will They Benefit?
The API GPT Assistant is built for developers, fintech startups, enterprises, and product teams looking to setup a payment API integration seamlessly. VoPay's API GPT assistant serves as an interactive guide with automated API call requests, real-time debugging and code suggestions across multiple programming languages including Python, JavaScript, C#, and PHP, and integration strategies. It can also create front-end payment interfaces and ensure compliance with industry regulations, helping teams integrate financial solutions with focused efficiency, and all customized to their specific use case(s).
See: Key Findings from 2025 Advanced Payments and Fintech Survey
Simply put, the assistant reduces complexity and saves a lot of time required for implementing fintech integrations. Developers no longer need to struggle through extensive documentation or troubleshoot errors manually, as the AI provides instant solutions tailored to their platform. By accelerating API implementation, companies can properly setup, launch, and scale financial products faster and more accurately. With this type of instant troubleshooting and 24/7 expert support, teams can focus on innovation, instead of being bogged down with hiccups.
VoPay’s Expanding Fintech Ecosystem
VoPay has been actively building a robust fintech ecosystem through strategic partnerships and groundbreaking innovations. The fintech is constantly improving how businesses handle payments. By refining its embedded payment technology, the company is making it simpler for businesses to add seamless, secure financial transactions directly into their platforms. Below are just a few examples to check out:
VoPay teamed up with Mastercard to make international payments quicker and safer. This partnership helps businesses move money across borders in real time, reducing delays and improving security.
VoPay is growing its presence in the U.S. by working with Cross River Bank. This allows businesses to use major payment networks like ACH and Real-Time Payments (RTP), making transactions smoother and more efficient.
VoPay’s payment technology made it easier for people to donate to charities using GiveWise. As a result, donations went up by nearly 50%, and more funds were sent to charities.
Real estate investment company, Parvis, started using VoPay’s payment system, reducing the time it takes for payments to go through from a full week to just a few days, giving investors quicker access to their funds and drastically speeding up transactions.
VoPay set up a special AI research lab to explore how artificial intelligence can improve financial processes. The lab focuses on predicting financial trends and automating repetitive tasks, helping businesses make smarter decisions and work more efficiently.
Conclusion
By reducing integration barriers and providing intelligent, real-time support, VoPay is helping businesses implement secure, scalable payment solutions with unprecedented ease. As AI adoption continues to transform financial services, VoPay remains at the forefront, driving efficiency and innovation in fintech solutions.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Support NCFA by Following us on Twitter!Follow @NCFACanada |
BDC Commits ~$1 Billion to Support Canadian Scale-ups
Financing | Feb 18, 2025
Image: Freepik/jcomp
BDC Invests Nearly $1B to Boost Canadian Businesses
Canada’s Business Development Bank (BDC) is injecting almost $1 billion into helping Canadian companies scale up and compete globally, during this period of challenging economic conditions. The announced funding will almost be split between two growth funds as follows:
The Growth Venture Fund (GVF) will receive $500 million, targeting late stage tech firms facing difficulties in securing capital. In 2023, venture capital investment in Canada dropped across all stages, with funding for later stage firms almost in half compared to 2022.
The Growth Equity Partners (GEP) program will receive $450 million to support mid-market businesses with equity investments to help companies grow and acquire strategic assets. Since its launch in 2017, GEP has invested over $440 million in 36 Canadian firms.
See: What Toronto Can Learn from Tel Aviv’s Start-Up Scene
Isabelle Hudon, President and CEO, BDC:
"We are leaning into our role as Canada's development bank. We fundamentally believe that our economic resilience begins and ends with the Canadian entrepreneur. Investing in our best and brightest is always a winning strategy, whether it's responding to the short-term uncertainty like tariffs and inflation or shoring up our long-term economic prosperity".
Notable Investments
- Certn (Victoria, BC): Receiving $30M to grow its AI powered background check/screening services globally
- StackAdapt (Toronto, ON): A digital advertising company that uses AI
- BCES Global (Ottawa, ON): Electrical services is using BDC’s investment to consolidate its market position
- Dissan Group (Montreal, QC): A janitorial supply distributor will use funding to expand its network
Why It Matters
With risking economic uncertainty, borrowing costs, and labour challenges, it's harder for businesses to access capital. BDC's almost $1 billion investment will help Canadian businesses grow and compete by filling funding gaps for mid-size and scale-up companies, strengthening Canada's innovation economy.
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA Canada) is a financial innovation ecosystem that provides education, market intelligence, industry stewardship, networking and funding opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and funding industry in Canada. Decentralized and distributed, NCFA is engaged with global stakeholders and helps incubate projects and investment in fintech, alternative finance, crowdfunding, peer-to-peer finance, payments, digital assets and tokens, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, regtech, and insurtech sectors. Join Canada's Fintech & Funding Community today FREE! Or become a contributing member and get perks. For more information, please visit: www.ncfacanada.org
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Support NCFA by Following us on Twitter!Follow @NCFACanada |
