Food you eat in the morning. The tastiest meeting of the day.

Venture funding is a long-game, with cycles of investment that outlast the lifespan of many of the startups invested in. So what have institutional investors learned through the peaks and valleys of the past decades? How are investors considering venture over different cycle from a portfolio construction point of view? In this panel, seasoned veterans will discuss their takeaways, the importance of keeping a long view and vision for the future of investment.

In the past 5 years, the relationships between funders and founders in Canada and the US has radically changed. With Canada’s growing AI and deep-tech research advantages and expanding tech ecosystems, US investors have never been more interested in what’s happening in “Silicon Valley North.” So what exactly is in Canada’s secret sauce that’s had US VC’s hopping on flights to Toronto and Montreal from San Francisco and New York? And how can Canadian and US funds work together to continue raising up the best and brightest startups coming out of Canada’s tech communities?

AI might have captured the world’s imagination but what are the other technologies that are emerging from the crucible of research and how will these impact venture funding? In this panel we’ll discuss the impact of AI and quantum computing on the industry.

Who are the newest technology investors and what can we learn from them? How do we encourage the brightest minds to take the plunge into entrepreneurship or VC straight out of college rather than stepping onto the conveyor belt of consulting and corporate finance? In this panel, you’ll hear from the youngest VCs in the industry about their vision for the future, what they see coming out of the top computer science classrooms and business schools, and how they’re working to change the industry.

The best venture capitalists don’t just invest in companies — they invest in people. But strangely, this human-focus is missing from most firms’ investment theses. While many firms offer value-add services in the form of expert networks or operational support, very few support the mental, emotional, and physical health of their founders. The entrepreneurial ecosystem is facing an epidemic of mental health issues, burnout, and stress-related illness, and venture capitalists are in a position to alleviate or exacerbate these issues. By incorporating founder mental health and well-being into your investment thesis, your firm can not only differentiate its value proposition to attract the top entrepreneurs, but also protect the financial and human capital behind its investments.
In this session, you’ll learn: Why entrepreneurs are more susceptible mental health issues, burnout, and stress-related illness How to spot the red flags of a struggling founder and know when/how to intervene What your firm can do to align its beliefs, actions, and processes with the well-being of its founders

You’re looking for the next great startup idea, and we want to help you find it! Join participants of our Funding workshop as they take the stage to pitch their companies. Interested in participating? Let us know!