We (iNovia Capital) invested in Gamerizon for a number of reasons, and among them, one stands out: we believe that Alex, Martin, Robert & the team already have the ingredients required to build a very large Company. And by very large, I mean to grow to + $100M in annualized revenues within a reasonable short period of time, and not fall into the trap of an early sale of the Company to a major Media conglomerate. At least, this is our premise as of today! The team’s deep understanding of crucial game mechanics, and the fact that they have built into the company’s DNA a fundamental understanding of mobile and social interaction, makes us believe Gamerizon will outperform most of the game studios out there today. The Chop Chop franchise already show great traction, they own some key proprietary technology, have tons of industry knowledge, and they presented us with an impressive plan for growth. The team is doing all the right things as a start up. Self-funded until they hit tangible milestones, got over 15 million downloads of their product to prove traction, built an amazing team and early-on opened up to a few key potential investors. I also think we have the best co-investor for this Company. Who better than Vanedge Capital to help guide an A team that wants to build the next PacMan, the next Zynga? Vanedge! We are really looking forward working along side Paul Lee (ex-President of Electronic Arts, and Glenn Entis (ex-President of Dreamworks Interactive), helping Gamerizon rise to the top. Congrats guys, you are off to an awesome start! Check out Gamerizon site: http://gamerizon.com/ And most importantly, download chop chop on the AppStore!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Gamerizon Thinks Big, and Acts Big! Chop Chop
Monday, June 6, 2011
Startup Visa Canada: Who's In, Supporting Organizations, Media Coverage, and How You Can Help
Startup Visa Canada
- Ben Yoskovitz, Year One Labs
- Jason Bailey from SuperRewards and GrowLab
- Anthony Lee, Altos Ventures and C100 Organization
- Chris Albinson from Panorama Capital and C100 Organization
- David Crow from Startup North
- Roger Chabra, Rho Ventures
- JS Cournoyer, Real Ventures
- Paul Kedrosky
- Dan Martell, Flowtown
- Maria Pacella from GrowthWorks
- Brian Wong of Kiip
n the world of technology startups, waiting times measured in Olympiads will convince applicants to apply for a visa elsewhere." -
Joe Friesen, The Globe & Mail- Tell your friends to endorse the Initiative, if they have not already done so.
- Tweet and blog about the initiative @startupvisaca
- Send your local MP's a message with a link to the site and express your support for Startup Visa Canada
- Follow us on Twitter @startupvisaca and like us on Facebook
Friday, May 13, 2011
The largest gathering of Venture Capital and Private Equity firms is heading out to Vancouver
Posted first on May 12, 2011 by Chris Arsenault for CVCA VCRants Blog
I’ve been an active board member of the CVCA – Canada’s Venture Capital & Private Equity Association – for many years, with somewhat of a focus on helping make the annual main event a unique and uttermost valuable gathering of the minds that define our private capital industry.
I’m predicting that this year’s event will set new groundbreaking records. In fact, I think that this year’s event will break every record we have logged at the CVCA! And why you may ask? Because this year’s event speakers and attendees are made up of the most active and opinionated leaders in our industry.
We have the largest group ever of Limited Partners attending, coming from across North America, Europe and Brazil, which, in turn, is attracting practically every Venture & Private Equity Fund Manager and General Partner in the country.
This year’s Annual conference is being held from May 25-27th in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Westin Bayshore.
The speaker lineup is amazing and includes:
Leo DeBever, CEO and Chief Investment Officer, Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo)
Barry Gonder, Managing Partner, Grove Street Advisors, LLC
Doug Pearce, CEO and Chief Investment Officer, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC)
Maurício da Rocha Wanderley, CIO, Valia
Sebastien Burdel, Principal, Coller Capital Ltd.
Alan Hibben, Managing Director, Mergers and Acquisitions, RBC Capital Markets
John McCoach, President, TSX Venture Exchange
Andrew Rippy, Managing Director - Investment Banking, Pacific Crest Securities
Blair Cowan, Vice-President, Corporate Finance, CIBC
Vipon Ghai, Managing Director, Manulife Capital
Mark Jenkins, Vice-President and Head of Private Debt, CPP Investment Board
Greg Woynarski, Managing Director and Head of the Global Debt Capital Markets Group and Global Co-Head of Credit Capital Markets Group, Scotia Capital
Chris Arsenault, Managing Partner, iNovia Capital Inc.
Jeff Clavier, Founder and Managing Partner, SoftTechVC
John Ruffolo, Senior Vice-President and Head of Knowledge Investing, OMERS
Boris Wertz, CEO, W Media Ventures
Frank Dennis, President and CEO, Swiss Water Decaffeinated Coffee Company
Brett Hodson, President and CEO, Corix Group of Companies
Peter Luit, President and CEO, Livingston International
Tim April , Managing Director, Fund Investments, BDC Venture Capital
Jacques Bernier, Managing Partner, Teralys Capital
Jennifer Brooy, Vice President and Head of Equity, Export Development Canada
Melissa McJannet, Managing Director, Northleaf Capital Partners
Todd Tessier, Vice President, BC Renaissance Capital Fund
Stephen Dent, Partner, Birch Hill Equity Partners
Kelly DePonte, Partner, Probitas Partners
Aaron Gershenberg, Managing Partner, SVB Capital
David Henderson, Managing Director , XPV Capital Corporation
Tim Kelly, Partner, Adams Street Partners
Susan Long McAndrews, Partner, Pantheon
Dave Mullen, CEO and Head of Private Equity North America, HSBC Capital (Canada) Inc.
Deanna Brown, CEO, Federated Media Publishing Inc.
Matt Klainer, Business Development Manager , Google
Michael Shim, Vice President, Mobile Partnerships, Groupon
Jim Orlando, Managing Director, OMERS Private Equity
Scott Stedman, Partner, The Yucaipa Companies
Gary Rubinoff, Managing Director, Summerhill Venture Partners
Chris Wormald, Vice President – Strategic Alliances, Research In Motion
Paul Deninger, Senior Managing Director, Evercore Partners
Jennifer Morais , Senior Principal, Funds and Secondaries, CPP Investment Board
Jim Pittman, Vice President, Private Equity, PSP Investments
Rakesh Saraf, Portfolio Manager, Private Investments, Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund Board
Lincoln Webb, Vice President, Private Equity & Infrastructure, BC Investment Management Corporation
Miguel Ferreira, Head of International Markets, Tarpon
Tim Formuziewich, Managing Partner, Brookfield Brazil
Miguel Perrotti, President, Invest Tech
Maurício da Rocha Wanderley, CIO, Valia
Duncan Littlejohn, Managing Director for Latin America, Paul Capital Partners
Michael Woolhouse, Senior Principal, Private Investments, CPP Investment Board
Sidney Chameh, Chairman, ABVCAP Founder and Partner, DGF Investimentos
Martin Pose, Partner, TozziniFreire Advogados
David Snow, Founder & CEO, Privcap
Bing Gordon, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
Don Mattrick , President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft
Neil Young, CEO, Ngmoco
Stephen Todd Walker, Managing Director, Oppenheimer & Co., and Author of ‘Wave Theory for Alternative Investments’
And yes! The rumors were well-founded. Entertainment before the traditional Scotch Tasting Evening on the 26th will be provided by none other than “Great Canadian Entrepreneur and Entertainer Howie Mandel”
HOWIE MANDEL
Howie Mandel, one of the biggest names in comedy, will entertain us after dinner. Howie Mandel has remained a constant force in show business for over 30 years. This summer he embarked on his latest endeavor as a judge on NBC’s hit talent competition series “America’s Got Talent” alongside Sharon Osborne and Piers Morgan. Howie recently received an Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Reality/Competition Host” for “Deal or No Deal” and a Daytime Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Game Show Host” for the syndicated version of the show.
So if you are not registered and are looking for “the place to be” later this month, then LINK TO CONFERENCE WEB SITE, SPEAKER LIST & AGENDA and register today – we are almost sold out!
See you in Vancouver!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
C100 AccelerateMTL – Bring it On Montreal Tech Entrepreneurs!
Come join us for AccelerateMTL on March 31st The C100, iNovia Capital, Real Ventures and BDC Venture Capital have collaborated to bring the Montreal tech entrepreneur community a major event about the “What” and the “How” of building successful tech companies at high speed.
The event kicks off at 2:00 pm with “Do More Faster: Techstars Lessons to Accelerate Your Startup”, a keynote and open Q&A session with Brad Feld, co-founder of Techstars and Managing Director of the Foundry Group, investor in Zynga.
Brad will be followed by a panel of leading C100 seed investors and VCs from the US and Canada who will share what they think it takes to get their money and build world class companies from your own backyard.
Not to be missed is the final portion of the program – keynotes from Dave McClure, the Founder of 500 Startups, and Howard Lindzon, Founder of Stocktwits – to be followed by an interactive Q&A with both Dave and Howard.
Come join us to mingle and network with entrepreneurs, VCs and angels who’ve done it and want to support the next generation of great Canadian entrepreneurs.
Note: We will also be announcing the CIX Accelerator winning Montreal Entrepreneur that will be attending the Silicon Valley based Plug and Play Technology Center for three months.
**Doors open at 1:00 pm – come early!**
We also adding the second floor with tables as a business "office hours" area, allowing investors, entrepreneurs and C100 chartered members to hold one-on-one meetings.
For those interested in joining the team for an AccelerateMTL Ski Day click
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Follow up to Steve Blank post: VC’s Are Not Your Friends
“Great VCs do everything they can so that Exceptional Entrepreneurs have the tools they need to build Great Companies”.
After reading Steve Blank's post: VC's are not your friends:
– Steve Blank is a teacher, writer, and serial entrepreneur. He teaches at Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley’s Haas Business School and at Columbia. He is the author of “The Four Steps to the Epiphany” and “Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost”.
It was a good post, but not only the title of the article was mis-leading, the picture chosen to represent the post was just inappropriate. I couldn't resist but provide some additional insight.
I'm a venture capitalist with iNovia Capital yet, I'm first and foremost an entrepreneur. We identify and back Exceptional Entrepreneurs on the premise that the Founder Entrepreneurs are the ones with the passion and vision to get a Company through the real tough times as well as are the ones that are truly able to adapt the business as it becomes needed and can take advantage of the market opportunities that come up over the life of the Company. The Founders don’t need to be the CEO, but, they are the ones we back!
That being said, if, as an investor, I don’t understand the market that is then being addressed, the players, the opportunities and challenges, my intrinsic value as a VC becomes null. Sometimes this happens after the fact, as the company evolves and adjust it's business plan. Like most in my industry, I have limited time and limited capital. Thus, such change becomes a reason to back out. Even thought the entrepreneur is awesome.
Identifying the right investors to work with isn't that different then building a successful management team: you need the right people at the right time in the right position. An Entrepreneur needs the right investors, at the right time providing the right resources.
The message is somewhat confusing in Steve's post – one could easily fall into extrapolated statements, such as: your Employees aren’t your friends; your Customers aren’t your friends; your Suppliers aren’t your friends; your Partners aren’t your friends; and on… even family aren't your friends, right?
Though, I must add that the points Steve makes about what needs to be done to make of a Company a successful one and how VC does play a role is what I think is important in the post.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Supporting an entrepreneurial catalyst – the Canadian Innovation Exchange
I think the Canadian Tech Community is on fire, and even more so in Montreal. The next few years will be of utmost interest. Many elements required to build a solid foundation for Entrepreneurs seeking to not only launch but also to grow their tech business from their home town, are coming together and I think that the Canadian Innovation Exchange (the “CIX) provides one of those elements. Over the last few years, the CIX quickly became a must-attend conference for the principal players in the innovation economy aiming to showcase and accelerate the development of the great technology-based innovation emanating from Canada. And now, CIX can do even more.
The CIX has offered a great platform for tech leaders, entrepreneurs and investors alike, to connect, to share and to build relationships. This conference has not only been extremely successful, it has been very complementary to other innovation and entrepreneurial driven events such as Startup Camp Montreal (SCMTL), the Banff Venture Forum and The Canadian Financing Forum. Being innovative and taking the lead in developing unique opportunities is what entrepreneurship is all about, and I think that the CIX is doing just that.
By taking the lead in celebrating Canadian successes, showcasing the tremendous innovations coming to market and providing Canadian tech entrepreneurs with more than a “must-attend” conference, with the tools to exchange and access information and people throughout the year, the CIX can become a true catalyst for growth. By tying into the top Canadians in the Valley (the C100) in order to build stronger links with the global 500 Tech Companies as well as the top tier Valley VC’s, as well as leveraging the multiple initiatives to attract foreign investment into Canada that the CVCA has initiated, and by forging even stronger links with entrepreneurial events such as SCMTL, A100, Anges Quebec, Réseau Capital and others, I expect the CIX to play a critical role in connecting the dots and help deliver even more value to our community.
It’s an honour for me to have the opportunity to collaborate even more closely, as co-chair, with such a great team and to help make CIX an even more important partner to the tech & VC community. I’m really looking forward to gathering feedback, ideas and support from my colleagues and all of those actively wanting to play a part in building up our tech community here in Montreal and across Quebec.
If you have an idea to share please contact me @chrisarsenault
Here is a link to the full CIX press release posted on nextMontreal.com
Friday, December 31, 2010
Looking forward to 2011!
I have always been somewhat intrigued by the fascination some people have with looking back at a given calendar year. I assume they do so in the hopes that the enumeration of the past year’s achievements and successes (but rarely failures) will bring satisfaction and encouragement that repeats itself in the upcoming year. Experience has shown me that none of my last 19 years as an entrepreneur have ever been even close to resembling one another. I feel that the intensity has constantly increased year over year. I think the rush against time is never-changing, and the odds and the amount of effort required to overcome life challenges are always unique. Of course, at the same time, the stakes seem to keep getting higher. We have been investing in new opportunities driven by exceptional entrepreneurs at a rate of 8 deals per year since Fund II (launched in 2007). Over 60% of our deals have been in very early or pre-revenue companies. All of our investments were done in sectors we understand. We have invested in entrepreneurs that we believe in and in large and growing markets that fit our IT cluster strategy (Mobile Internet and Ecommerce, Enterprise SAAS and Cloud-Computing, Digital Media and Communications). Our management’s focused expertise has allowed us to better identify fast growing companies for which we can provide specific insights, and attract complementary skill sets and managerial experience. As a result, many of our investments are either rapidly growing revenue and/or are growing exponentially in their markets. We know that there is nothing easy about building a successful tech company these days. I can only applaud the founders and CEOs that we’ve been privileged enough to work closely with for their constant efforts and energy in making the impossible a reality. Hard work? Yes - and a lot of it! But, most importantly, these entrepreneurs have repeatedly proven that by focusing their energy on the elements of their business they do control, they can learn faster, adjust quicker and gain market validation at much lower cost than anybody else. We have lost 3 of our portfolio companies as a result of not controlling these factors. With all of what we have gone through over that last 12 months (our re-enforced management team, a rapid portfolio growth, M&A analysis, missed opportunities, liquidations, course-corrections, market changes, unique new investments and high quality deal syndication), I can only be ecstatic when thinking of the work load, challenges and opportunities staring at us right in the eye for 2011. However, when I come to think of it, I’m not a big fan of New Year Resolutions either (especially since I’ve listed so many in my past that I was never able to respect). I think we should stick to doing what “feels right”, and what drives our deep passion to succeed. I personally put a lot of effort in doing so. I think that what it boils down to is: “Doing more of what one is amazing at, and doing less of what one is mediocre at.” That simple rule makes me a better person, our team stronger and more cohesive, and our fund a great resource for exceptional entrepreneurs who are looking for a helping hand in building great tech companies. I'm totally psyched, curious, excited and anxious when thinking of what awaits us in 2011: raising a new fund, working with some of the most amazing entrepreneurs on the planet, building up our current portfolio of companies, identifying new opportunities and establishing long lasting relationships… in our own way, helping change the world for a better place! I’m looking forward to what lays ahead…Happy New Year!
The past year seems to have gone by ridiculously fast - actually, the past decade seems all but a flash! For all of us at iNovia, the last few years have been very rewarding. We have achieved many critical milestones, and yet seem to have set ourselves up with even more for the coming year.
