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Maple Bridge Ventures announced this week it has secured $10.2 million from anchor investors Farm Credit Corp. and Realize Capital Partners as well as other partners that include former Canopy Growth CEO Mark Zekulin.

The Canadian VC has so far raised C$10.2m towards its C$20m target with support from institutional LPs.

To support its expansion, Maple Bridge Ventures announced two key additions to its leadership team. Billy Lai joins as CFO and Venture Partner, bringing more than a decade of venture finance experience at iGan Partners and Deloitte. Shelley Li also joins as Principal, coming from CIBC Innovation Banking and Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) with deep expertise in startup financing and ecosystem partnerships.

“This first close represents more than capital — it’s a validation of our belief that immigrant founders are Canada’s untapped engine for innovation and growth,” said Agyemang. “It signals that leading institutions share our conviction that the next generation of globally competitive companies will be built by founders who blend global perspective, resilience, and ambition with unmistakable Canadian grit.”

Maple Bridge Ventures plans to exclusively back new Canadians developing tech solutions for agriculture, food, health, and enterprise applications at the pre-seed and seed stages. The firm plans to write initial cheques of $250,000 to $1 million, and will reserve 40 percent of the fund to provide follow-on support to portfolio startups.

Shelley Li’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of education and the unwavering support of the Schulich School of Business. Graduating from the school with a BBA and later an MBA, Shelley leveraged her academic experiences and the guidance of the Centre for Career Design to build a dynamic career, ultimately becoming a director at CIBC Innovation Banking.

Algonquin College alumnus Eric Agyemang empowers immigrant entrepreneurs to drive innovation and economic growth through venture investment.

Recognized as one of the most distinguished business awards, the Forty Under 40 celebrates the region’s rising young business stars.

Toronto-based Realize Capital Partners has announced its first investments, committing a total of $35.2 million CAD to nine direct investors.

The Telfer School of Management’s 2023 Young Achiever’s Award is bestowed annually upon remarkable alumni under the age of 40 who are making extraordinary contributions to their communities and professions.

In Canada, immigrant-led startups and SMEs have a higher export propensity and achieve twice the export growth than Canadian-born led businesses of similar size. This makes immigrant entrepreneurs Canada’s export trade “secret” engine, even though we have yet to fully put that pedal to the metal.

Deeply committed to creating meaningful social change, Eric Agyemang (BCom ’15) turned to international trade and community-based volunteering — to use his knowledge in entrepreneurship to serve underrepresented communities.

Eric Agyemang (BCom ’15) has always put people at the forefront of his personal and professional efforts. His goal: to give both underrepresented groups and up and coming entrepreneurs the means to find their own way to economic and social success.

This month, we celebrate the passion, creativity and entrepreneurial achievements of Black students and alumni.