MaRS Catalyst Fund rebrands to Amplify Capital and launches a new impact fund
Amplify Capital spins out of MaRS, and Fund II target size is six times larger than Fund I
Industry News:
Impact Investing becoming Mainstream in Canada
For many Canadians, it’s important that their investments reflect their personal values. A first step may be to avoid investing in companies whose business they see as unethical, such as weapons manufacturers, tobacco and fossil-fuel companies. But an increasing number of people are looking to go further. They want to invest in firms that are working actively to make the world a better place.
Portfolio News:
Hydrostor Announces Close of US$37 Million Growth Financing
Funding highlights accelerating shift toward higher-value long-duration energy storage technologies and market opportunities
Classcraft Secures $10 Million CAD Series A
Financing to Help Educators Motivate Students Investment to fuel company’s AI research and development initiatives, including a partnership with Thierry Karsenti, University of Montréal professor and Canada Research Chair on Technologies in Education
The Rise of Impact Tech
With a myriad of different concepts regularly used to describe the intersections between technology and society, it was not easy to pick one term for this report. Existing terms include tech for good, impact tech, social tech, cleantech, responsible tech, positive tech, transformative tech, humane tech, ICT for development, digital social innovation, factor-4 innovation, and more. Some relate to social good, others to sustainability. Some emphasize avoiding harm, others creating solutions. Yet others focus on specific sectors like civic tech, health tech, peace tech, and carbon tech. All of them have been used to describe projects featured in these pages.
MaRS Catalyst Fund Invests In InVivo AI To Improve The Efficacy Of Drugs Coming To Market Using Machine Learning
InVivo AI, a Montreal-based startup using machine learning to improve the generation, screening, and optimization of new medications, has announced a pre-seed financing with MaRS Catalyst Fund, Real Ventures, Panache Ventures, and Brightspark Ventures, among others.
MaRS Catalyst Fund Invests In Inkblot To Make Mental Health Services More Affordable, Accessible And Effective
Inkblot Therapy, a Toronto-based startup that makes mental health services affordable, accessible and more effective, announced a seed-stage financing round with MaRS Catalyst Fund and Active Impact Fund.
MaRS Catalyst Fund’s ChallengeU Investment Helping High School Dropouts Complete K-12 Diploma In North America
ChallengeU, a Montreal-based online education platform that makes it easier for students to obtain their high school diploma without having to return to brick and mortar schools, announced a financing round of $2M with Real Ventures, MaRS Catalyst Fund and LaSalle International Inc.
Flosonics On Track For Global Growth
When MaRS Catalyst Fund considered investing in Flosonics Medical, we immediately saw the potential in its technology. A smart bandage that can non-invasively monitor arterial blood flow in critically ill patients has a large addressable market among emergency facilities and – crucially for us – could save lives and improve health outcomes.
Richard Branson On Canadian Entrepreneurship
Richard Branson was in the limelight at the recent Canada2020 Conference in Ottawa. Once again, the topic of insufficient early stage venture funding was on the table, and discussions took place around how to close this gap.