Kelsey Cole 🔮 Dodaro

As a founder, have you ever been curious about this whole angel investing thing? This week's findfunding.vc spotlight is on an investor who's an expert in it you simply have to know: Matt Wilson, MBA from Allied Venture Partners. He: 🇨🇦 Is Calgary based 😇 Manages one of Canada's largest angle investor syndicates (now at 1,800+ members!) 🏒 Worked as a professional ice hockey referee, which he says shares remarkable similarities with investing Amongst founders, Matt Wilson, is known for bringing empathy and perspective as a former founder himself. Aside from financial support, his goal is to be the 'right' investor - one that aligns with a founder's vision, shares his network, and provides strategic insights when asked. ✉️ Make sure to pitch him, invest, scout, advise and more at https://linktr.ee/alliedvc For more, check out our funder spotlight card below along with Allied Venture Partners' profile on findfunding.vc (link in comments).

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Are you a B2B software startup founder at the very start? Then you have to meet this early-stage investor! This week's findfunding.vc spotlight is on Dominic Lau from Ripple Ventures. He: 🇨🇦 Is Vancouver and Toronto based 🎣 Loves to fish 🎶 Founded the RippleX Fellowship - a platform to help underrepresented founders access mentorship, intros, and the tools to get from idea to revenue to funding Amongst founders, Dominic and his team at Ripple Ventures, including Matt Cohen, are known for being hands-on partners who open valuable networks, navigate challenges together, and assist in closing crucial revenue and funding deals. Make sure to: ✉️ Pitch him at [email protected] 👀 Look into the RippleX Fellowship - they take 10 companies 2x a year through the Founder Fellowship program and also back companies through the Fellow Fund For more, check out our funder spotlight card below along with Ripple Ventures' profile on findfunding.vc (link in comments).

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Founders in Toronto and Bentonville, are you ready to pitch your startup? BatterUp! is an opportunity for founders to pitch their startups to a panel of angel investors. It's all about direct feedback and connection. The details: - Bentonville: 10/21 - Toronto: 11/5 What to expect: - A free event where you pitch with no slides or decks, just 2 minutes on stage. - After your pitch, a panel of experienced investors will give tips on how to improve Even if you're not pitching, this event is a fantastic resource. You'll be surrounded by 150+ founders, gaining insights on how investors think, and building connections to make the journey a little less lonely. And while this is not an episode of Shark Tank (no money is being promised onstage) I'll say this: a number of startups have received funding as a direct result of participating in BatterUp!. Investors are welcome! You’ll likely meet some Angel Squad members and discover some of the most innovative new companies in these cities. No charge to join, just reserve your spot: https://lu.ma/hustlefund

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𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝘂𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝘀 will pop up everywhere over the next 5 years. Why? 👇 Alberta Enterprise Corporation (AEC)'s recent $15 million investment in their Accelerate Fund IV highlights a trend: 🎯 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘱 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗗𝗼 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿? 1️⃣ 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: Accelerators often provide seed capital 2️⃣ 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽: Access to entrepreneurs and experts helps startups navigate challenges and scale fast. 3️⃣ 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: Being part of an accelerator connects startups with potential investors, partners, and peers. 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 = 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵. Example: Google Accelerator alumni boast a 𝟵𝟲% 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲, a remarkable number considering that over 𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹. For entrepreneurs, joining an accelerator can be extremely beneficial, offering resources and support that significantly enhance their likelihood of success. But, sometimes they are unnecessary, and a lot are simply just unbeneficial… What's your take on Incubators, Accelerators, and Studios? 🤝 #StartupAccelerators #VentureCapital #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #DragonfruitVentures #AI #StartupFunding #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Founder #Funding #Business #Investing #VC #Entrepreneur #Startup #Startups #Venture #Bootstrapping #CapitalEfficiency #StartupAdvice

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🇨🇦OH CANADA! WARREN HINTS AT A "WE THE NORTH" BIG BET 🇨🇦 BRK ANNUAL MEETING a bit of a snooze fest; a few intriguing nuggets/ dropped hints of coming bets à la their Japan sogo shosha foray. I. GENERAL INSIGHTS (CASH HOARD, SUCCESSION, MACRO): * BRK propping up T auctions (see below) in lieu of foreign direct bidders; reallocating out of equities; but a sudden retracement of rates would sting * a triumvirate will take over from WB (as I posted Friday) with final veto power from CEO Abel on future new positions * WB sounded hoarse, off his game--mistaking CEO Abel for Munger (R.I. P.) * "USA gov owns BRK in part" ascribed to the 21% tax rate along w exhortations for other corporates to pay fair share of Federal taxes * "primary investments only in USA" core names AXP, KO, GEICO; the most important business of the BRK empire? Clearly, I N S U R A N C E * railcar loadings trending down (key macro economic indicator)--BRK exposed * his cryptic comments around Canada: WB has invested in the Great White North before. What is this new play? Probably Energy BEFORE SPECULATING FURTHER, notable highlights as follows: I. APPLE: "2024 SHARE DECLINES YTD PARTIALLY DUE TO BRK SALES" * $189bn cash hoard, invested in "T bills and chill"---awaiting a big bet; a net seller of equities * trimmed AAPL stake (by 13%. 115mn+ shares) to lock in gains < CapGains changes 2025; BRK trim fueled NASDAQ: AAPL recent 2024 declines * fears that AAPL is "losing its moat" in China, Europe as competition intensifies and EU regulatory "takes a bite"; Cook's $110bn buyback a propping up tactic? II. RISK, INSURANCE AND AI: * "USGov = BRK's largest shareholder" begs a Q: would it ever be nationalized? * increased insurance unit exposure to FL last year in the face of others leaving "at the end of the day, still possible to make a decent profit" (in FL) * "in future, largest AI growth industry will be scams"---WB does not understand it, but knows it is potentially dangerous as well as beneficial * self driving cars w AI could be an unknowable threat to BRK insurance cash engine, e.g. GEICO which is in urgent AI catch-up mode (data analytics gap) III. BRK ENERGY: * "we have the money and the knowledge" to win in Energy * rebuilding utilities for AI, data centers is a massive undertaking along with wildfire and other risks to power generation * CEO Abel spent inordinate time on Energy indicating that might be the big bet ----------------------------- NET, BRK MORPHED into a quasi universal bank (asset mgt/money market, credit cards and insurance) with candy and tech sprinkled on top. Insurance alone generates $300bn in revenue: world's biggest insurance company by far. James Eagle has a fascinating visualization on BRK evolution here: https://lnkd.in/gNNRKYJM #BRK #risk #warrenbuffet #strategy #activemanagement #energy

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After almost 1 year of Meta blocking news in Canada, News content is still being OPENLY shared on Instagram and Facebook… We now have over 2,300 examples of News posts / screenshots live on their platforms, being shared, engaged with and viewed by millions of Canadians. Except these aren’t shared from actual news organizations… No, they are shared by various accounts or brands that somehow bypass Meta’s filters or don’t meet their arbitrary definition of a News business. To be fair, this is not only Meta’s fault. The wording and clauses of inclusion in the Online News Act are flawed ❌ According to the law, Platforms (Meta and Google) are only forced to compensate news publishers if they are caught carrying news content from actual News Organizations, not carrying news content from non-News organizations. Do you see how f*cked this is? So, accounts from organizations or individuals that are not defined as news organizations can take content from Canadian news organizations, repost it on Instagram and Facebook, and use that content to grow their followings and brands without being blocked. This is all happening and being profited from on the backs of legitimate news publishers and journalists, who bear all the production costs but have no access to the distribution benefits. We can’t even f*cking opt-out. Our Government can either: A. Reword the legislation to include an official approved list of News Organizations (and these companies should have the option to opt-in or out of Bill C-18) B. Reword the legislation to include ALL news content, not just news content coming from news organizations C. Kill the bill, apologize and leave our distribution alone I prefer C. Let’s do C.

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🤝 Influencer App Node Sells for $13 Million to Talent Agency Dulcedo Group, a Montreal-based talent agency, has bought the startup Node, described as an "AI-powered influencer marketing platform." If you look at influencer M&A activity, most startups are bought for either their existing relationships or their technology. In the case of Node, their 5,000 content creators/micro-influencers and their AI technology are what was attractive to Dulcedo Group. These add to a larger agency's credibility in the realm of "influencer marketing" and can help them win new clients. The ability to mention your "AI capabilities" and your existing relationships with creators are major selling points. The creator economy is one of the biggest trends in media, marketing, and advertising. There is a limited (but growing) supply of native influencer/creator-related agencies and platforms and there is a massive amount of more traditional agencies who know that they need to build out their creator capabilities. They either build that capability in-house or acquire that capability via another company. These supply and demand dynamics will shape the creator economy over the next 3-5 years. More influencer M&A is definitely on the way! #influencers #influencermarketing #creators #creatoreconomy #marketing #advertising #media #entertainment #agencies

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Spent a wonderful week in Canada with family! Now back to business.. Here's your weekly AI update: 🔙 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬: 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 Week 51 | August 5 - August 11 The OpenAI Brain Drain Industry: 🚨OpenAI co-founder John Schulman leaves for Anthropic; President Greg Brockman is taking extended leave through the end of year. What's interesting is that three of their most technical co-founders (Ilya Sutskever, John Schulman, Andrej Karpathy) have all left the company now. This then begs the question - is this a result of natural silicon-valley attrition, or is there something deeper going on here? And moreover, how will this impact the technical moat that OpenAI has built over the years? (https://lnkd.in/gztRKhwV) 🚨Google announced that new Gemini AI-powered features will be incorporated in a variety of home devices, such as Google Home and Nest (https://lnkd.in/gV2QacAQ?). It also announced a significant reduction in token cost of Gemini 1.5 Flash (https://lnkd.in/gbNe6yNU?) 🚨Figure releases Figure 02, it's newest humanoid robot. Figure has been actively testing robots with BMW at a manufacturing plant. Figure last raised $675M Series B in February 2024, valuing the company at $2.6 billion. (https://lnkd.in/gZnPSke4) 🚨Mark Zuckerberg said on Meta's Q2 earning call that to train Llama 4, the company will need 10x more compute than what was needed to train Llama 3. (https://lnkd.in/g5pEPrTw?) 🚨Elon Musk filed a lawsuit against Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, renewing claims that the company is betraying its founding aims of benefiting the public good rather than pursuing profits. (https://lnkd.in/gAk5grU6) Financing and M&A: 🚨Groq raises $640m in Series D at a $2.8B valuation. The round was led by Blackrock Private Equity Partners with participation from other investors such as Neuberger Berman, Type One Ventures, Cisco, KDDI, and Samsung Catalyst Fund. (https://lnkd.in/gRtKQKvW?) 🚨Hugging Face acquires Seattle data storage startup Xethub. The HF team plans to integrate Xethub's backend storage technology, enabling developers to host more large models and datasets than currently possible. CEO Clem Delangue 🤗 confirmed this was the largest acquisition the company has made thus far. (https://lnkd.in/g8fJ-BjT) 🚨OpenAI is leading a $60m Series B funding round for Opal Camera, a maker of professional-grade webcams(https://lnkd.in/gMT9dkTG) 🚨ProRata.ai a company that has invented an attribution technology to properly compensate content owners, has raised a $25m Series A, led by Prime Movers Lab, Mayfield Fund and Revolution Ventures. (https://lnkd.in/gumjbWmj) R&D: 🚨Alibaba Group releases Qwen2-math, a SOTA model for math-specific tasks. (https://lnkd.in/g8Jh3M7T?) Other Interesting Resources: 🚨 Between May and August, more Humane AI Pins were returned than purchased (https://lnkd.in/gy56qpKm?). 😯

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Going to #DiscoveryX tomorrow? Here are the things that I’m mostly looking forward to: ✅ Further developing relationships with the members of the Toronto investment community. No, we are not raising at Mavuus, but it's never too early to start building connections. ✅ Meeting the founders of the latest and greatest tech innovations. I love hearing about other people’s ideas and their success - it’s definitely a source of inspiration. ✅ Lastly, watching the Pitch Competition from early-stage startups. Honestly, they are my absolute favorite thing to do when at conferences. Want to learn the pitching Do’s and Don’ts? This is your place to start. Want to exchange notes on Top Things at #DisoveryX? Let’s connect.     

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12 steps to Venture Studio epiphany (and 60% IRR)! However the very first one: “up front capital”, divide studios in two categories: with or without own post launch funding capability. Far too many studios are still stuck in a launch focused framework, where the individual ventures are still dependent on external growth capital and hit the wall after launch…. Own follow on funding completely change the ownership structure and ROI dynamics :) venturerock

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This post from Alexis Grant is clear, concise and to those who have this on their radar, includes valuable nuggets. Bottom line: once you’re on your journey, moving at highway speed, pay attention as traffic, accidents, potholes and better routes etc can appear and approach rapidly, requiring decisions to be made. Huh? Ok, forget all that. Just read her post.

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Peter Thickett offers sharp insights on how NoLo beverage brands can enter the luxury segment: 1. Don’t Obsess over Alcohol Content Lack of alcohol should not be the primary talking point. The drink should be able to stand its ground with its flavour, ingredients, and process alone. 2. Prioritise Precision Be specific about where the ingredients come from – not just the country, but the region, the farm, the woods, the field. Describe the liquid with the finesse and detail of a sommelier to emphasise its pairing potential. 3. Foreground the Maker Where desirable, celebrate the genius of the ‘maker’ behind the drink, to drive trust and credibility. Use their personality and industry pedigree as a way to build more intimate relationships with the discerning drinks consumer. 4. Build a Mythology: Whilst the drink may not be hundreds of years old, the place that it comes from may well be. Use the stories of the land and its people to build a modern mythology around the drink that adds a layer of mystique and romance. 5. Emphasise Rarity Scale reduction is a sure-fire way to drive covetability. Create liquid expressions in limited batches, with ingredients available for a restricted time window to create a sense of scarcity. 6. Utilise Aging Techniques In the world of alcoholic drinks, time is value. Borrow techniques from wine and spirits, like cask-aging, sea-aging, and high-altitude aging, to pre-empt the expectations of the discerning future non-alc consumer.

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Cool read about portco Vivid Machines using AI to help farmers maximize yield, reduce costs, lower emissions, and make data-driven decisions that weren’t possible a generation ago!! 🍎 🍇 🍐 🥝 From real-time tracking of tree health to optimizing harvest timing, Vivid turns farming into a precise science – helping farmers make informed decisions that improve profitability and boost efficiency. It’s awesome to see Canadian agtech driving such significant economic impact. Proud to support Jenny Lemieux and Jonathan Binas in shaping a more productive and sustainable future for farming! 🌱🚀 https://lnkd.in/e4i2NgMW #AI #agriculture #startups #venturecapital

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Check out this epic interview.

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These entrepreneurs faced risk in their platform-dependent business. So they opted to sell their Shopify app: Canadian entrepreneurs Derek Morin and Bogdan Radu knew there was a risk to building apps for someone else’s platform. In 2016, they launched Tabarnapp to enable automatic discounting in Shopify. Their metrics by 2022: • Over $1 million in annual revenue • 80% net margin • 60,000 downloads of their flagship app, Automatic Discount • 2,500 recurring clients paying $10 to $1,000 monthly But they recognized the risk. “We realized that at any point, because we were platform-dependent, we could go bankrupt or we could be disrupted by Shopify,” Morin said. Changes to the platform — plus an increased competitive landscape — sparked the idea to sell the company. They sold Tabarnapp to software company Staytuned in November 2022 in a mid-7 figure deal. All the details in our story... https://lnkd.in/eUGEB9K5

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✨ Breaking: Pender Ventures' Technology Inflection Fund II LP Announces New Fund.- Pender Ventures' Technology Inflection Fund II LP Pender Ventures focuses on Canadian B2B and health tech startups poised for scale-up, with over $100 million in available funds. https://lnkd.in/eJSYQQ4d Please share to let other #Founders know For the ❤️ of Startups #Fusion42 #Startups#Venturecapital

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If you want to see the power follow the money. Dragoneer Investment Group Dragoneer Investment Group, founded in 2012 by Marc Stad, is a San Francisco-based investment firm specializing in technology investments globally across public and private markets. As of 2024, the firm manages approximately $22.6 billion in assets under management (AUM) and employs 83 professionals. Dragoneer's investment strategy focuses on growth-oriented opportunities, partnering with companies with strong potential for expansion and market leadership. The firm's portfolio includes notable investments in Airbnb, Alibaba Group, Atlassian, DoorDash, and Roblox. In the public markets, Dragoneer manages long-only strategy funds that invest in technology companies. For private markets, the firm manages private growth equity funds that provide funding to private technology companies. Dragoneer often employs innovative fundraising methods, such as secondary stock sales or convertible debt notes, to support its investment activities. As of June 30, 2024, Dragoneer's top holdings included Global-E Online Ltd., Atlassian Corporation, Roblox Corporation, Coupang Inc., and PDD Holdings Inc. These investments reflect the firm's focus on high-growth technology companies with significant market potential. By following Dragoneer's investment activities, one can gain insights into emerging trends and influential players within the technology sector, highlighting the firm's role in shaping the industry's landscape.

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🚀 Incredibly happy to officially announce the close of Emerge's oversubscribed $73m fund - the first cheque for founders building the future of work and learning. I’ve always believed we can use technology to democratise access to opportunity to help everyone fulfil their potential, regardless of where or who they are born to. I’ve never believed in this more than now. If we play things right it’s not about AI taking away our jobs, it’s about empowering humans to fulfil their potential through AI with more effective and meaningful learning, career navigation and work. We are only 1% there in this journey, but we’ve made a huge jump from 0 to 1 in the last few years. ⭐️ Incredibly grateful to my amazing team for their unwavering commitment to our mission: Jan, Nic, Zara, Sami and Charlotte ❤️ It’s been a huge honour supporting our missionary portfolio founders and having the backing from our exceptional LPs. 🙏 My huge appreciation goes to our 100+ Venture Partners, founders and leaders from the likes of Udemy, Coursera, Degreed, Busuu, Kahoot!, Andela and Docebo. You have been my role models and inspirations for pursuing a career in this space. The future is here and it’s looking bright. Founders - thank you for what you do. 🦄 Please get in touch if you are:  - innovating in the categories of learning, education, HR, recruitment, talent, training, skills or knowledge management - a pre-seed and seed stage founder looking for $500k-$2.5m investments - looking for support from proven operators and titans of the industry 👇More about our new fund in press release link in the comments! #futureoflearning #futureofwork #edtech #hrtech #workforcedevelopement #skills 

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