Participated · Series A · May 2025

ProteinQure develops AI-driven peptide therapeutics using a proprietary ProteinStudio platform that integrates machine learning, structural biology, and atomic-level simulations to design peptides with non-natural amino acids for tissue-specific delivery. Its lead candidate, PQ203, is a first-in-class peptide-drug conjugate targeting the sortilin receptor and is being developed for triple-negative breast cancer and tumors resistant to topoisomerase I inhibitors. Preclinical efficacy was demonstrated in patient-derived xenograft models. The company plans a multicenter phase 1 trial for PQ203 anticipated to open in Q3 2025 with planned enrollment of 70–100 patients across Canada and the U.S., at centers including Princess Margaret, MD Anderson, and Yale Cancer Center. ProteinQure is advancing additional pipeline programs in neurology and nephrology and is pursuing partnerships with global biopharma to accelerate its platform. The company is headquartered in Toronto and has combined seed and Series A funding of $16 million. ProteinQure is a Toronto-based protein therapeutics company that develops computational R&D tools for in silico drug design. Its platform leverages quantum computing, molecular simulations and reinforcement learning to engineer novel therapeutics. The platform combines biophysical models with statistical and machine learning approaches and leverages high-performance GPUs, TPUs, specialized circuits and quantum computers. It also integrates experimental data and assays to complement the computational models, allowing the company to learn complex underlying relationships and scale simulations. ProteinQure has begun applying the platform in initial collaborations with industry leaders in the discovery of protein therapeutics and plans to work with these teams over the next two years to generate additional data on peptide drug discovery. The company raised $4M in seed funding to continue adding interdisciplinary talent and expand partnerships with industry leaders.

Participated · Equity · Apr 2025

1NCE offers a cloud-based software platform for connected products and connectivity, managing 30 million devices for more than 24,000 customers across 170+ countries. The company operates what it calls the world’s largest privately run IoT network in the cloud and reports endpoint availability of 99.97%. Since launching in 2018 the platform has been used to accelerate time-to-market for data collection projects and to manage devices across their lifecycle. 1NCE plans to broaden its product portfolio with a next‑generation SaaS platform and to add new AI tools and features for customers using its 1NCE OS. The company is focused on continued global expansion—having team members in 30 countries, branches in 11 countries, digital support in 25 languages, and a user base in 50+ countries—and intends to further grow its presence in the United States. 1NCE was recognized as “Best Innovation in the Internet of Things” at the 2024 SaaS Awards and recently strengthened its leadership and advisory roster. 1NCE provides global cellular connectivity and software for the Internet of Things via a flat-rate offering designed to last the lifetime of a device (one-off $10 for 10 years). The company sells fast, secure, and reliable connectivity and related software services across more than 100 countries and employs about 200 staff with offices in multiple cities. 1NCE is expanding its footprint and in 2022 targeted growth to more than 140 countries (up from 104) and a 25% increase in Tier‑1 wireless operators in its network. Its next product phase centers on intelligent software connectivity and over‑the‑top (OTT) services to enable customers to develop and manage IoT solutions on the 1NCE platform. The company was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Cologne, Germany. The article does not disclose revenue or other operating financial metrics. 1NCE is a Germany-based IoT network carrier that offers fixed-price cellular device connectivity in over 100 countries. Its core product is cloud-based IoT software paired with cellular connectivity, and it says it manages more than 10 million connections for over 7,000 business customers. The company was founded in 2017 with Deutsche Telekom as a seed-stage backer; Deutsche Telekom remains an investor and a customer. 1NCE employs more than 100 staff across cities including Cologne, Hamburg, Amsterdam, London, Rome, Paris, Warsaw and Riga. It will use the fresh capital to grow its business in the US and Asia, continue developing its cloud-based IoT software, and ramp up recruitment. The company raised $50 million in new funding from SoftBank, Deutsche Telekom and other investors.

Participated · Series B · Sep 2024

Spare is a Vancouver-based SaaS platform that integrates wheelchair-accessible paratransit, on-demand microtransit, and ride-hail services to match riders with appropriate vehicles and operators. Its AI combines historical trip data, driver performance, and real-time traffic insights from Google to create more efficient routes and enable more on-demand paratransit options. The platform aims to lower transit agencies' operating costs by substituting lower-cost options (for example, using Uber for temporary disabilities) while keeping rider costs the same. Spare focuses on paratransit and is deployed in over 200 cities across North America, Europe and Japan, including Austin, Dallas, the Bay Area, Stockholm and Osaka. It competes with Via but has carved a niche by concentrating on paratransit integration. The company is exploring expansion into non-emergency medical and school transportation services. It recently raised a $30 million Series B (C$42M) led by Inovia Capital, with participation from Kensington Capital and Nicola Wealth. Spare provides on-demand transit software that lets public transit agencies launch flexible, responsive services and modernize specialized paratransit systems. Its Spare Platform uses AI to dynamically schedule and dispatch vehicles in real time, adapting to individual rider needs and improving accessibility for people with disabilities and those underserved by conventional transit. Spare has facilitated over 10 million rides globally and works with agencies including Dallas Area Rapid Transit, CapMetro (Austin), Winnipeg Transit, AC Transit, and Bay Area Rapid Transit. With $10 million in growth capital from CIBC Innovation Banking, Spare plans to accelerate development of human-centric AI to make the platform more intuitive for staff and riders. Management frames the funding as timely given demographic shifts toward an aging population and as a means to help transit become convenient enough to reduce personal car ownership. CEO Kristoffer Vik Hansen said the financing will enhance support for agencies serving historically underserved communities.

Participated · Series C · Sep 2022

Avidbots is a Canadian robotics manufacturer that develops autonomous cleaning robots, notably the Neo 2 floor-cleaning robot for commercial environments like airports, warehouses and shopping malls. Founded in Kitchener, Ontario in 2014, the company says it has more than 1,000 robots deployed across North America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Australia, including deployments in U.S. airports and with Singapore’s SMRT Trains. Neo 2 offers fleet management and performance measurability through a web-based command center that tracks robot locations and surface area disinfected. The company had previously raised $37 million across its eight-year history and has now added $70 million in new funding. With the latest capital it plans to expand its fleet, continue improving the software that powers the machines, and increase headcount by about 100 over the next year. Avidbots positions its robots as a way for commercial operators to mitigate staffing challenges while delivering data-driven cleaning performance. Avidbots designs and builds autonomous connected robots, with its first product Neo, a robotic floor scrubber deployed in commercial locations worldwide. Neo is manufactured in Avidbots’ 40,000-square-foot facility in Kitchener, Ontario, and is in use in over a dozen countries, including Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Toronto’s Eaton Centre, and Rochester Institute of Technology. The company is led by CEO Faizan Sheikh and CTO Pablo Molina. With the new funding, Avidbots plans to accelerate investment in talent acquisition, engineering, marketing, and sales to bring its robots to more customers worldwide. Financially, the company has raised a total of $36M to date after the latest round. The article positions Avidbots as focused on expanding human potential by bringing robots to everyday life.

Led · Series B · May 2022

Humi is an all-in-one people solution offering HR, payroll, insurance, and benefits management to thousands of Canadian businesses. The platform includes applicant tracking, recruiting and onboarding tools, a benefits Marketplace, and business insurance. Humi plans to use new funding to advance its software, enhance its mobile experience, and add employee-centric features such as scheduling and integrated health benefits. Since its Series A in August 2019, the company says it has grown to five times the number of employees on the platform and increased its net promoter score by four times. Humi emphasizes supporting employee recruitment, growth, and retention and has published annual HR data reports on workplace trends. The company is based in Toronto and serves companies nationwide across Canada. Humi provides an integrated cloud-based people platform that combines HR, payroll, and benefits for Canadian SMBs. The product is built to reflect Canadian and provincial employment regulations and is positioned as a unified solution for the employee lifecycle. Humi says it has helped over 4,000 Canadian companies and has seen an 80% increase in demand since March as employers shift to remote-friendly work. The company was launched in 2016 via the Y Combinator accelerator and is hyper-focused on the Canadian market. Humi plans to use new funding to further develop its software as Canada’s only true all-in-one people solution. Customers report time savings across hiring, onboarding, payroll, and vacation tracking.