Participated · Equity · Sep 2022

ProNavigator offers a purpose-built SaaS knowledge management platform for the insurance industry that leverages AI, chat, smart dialogue systems, machine learning and natural language processing to surface mission-critical information. The platform helps insurance professionals store, manage and use documents that sit outside policy management systems and AMSs, and the company says thousands of insurance professionals use the award-winning product daily. In September 2022 ProNavigator closed $10.0M in growth equity financing to support expansion. The round was co-led by Graphite Ventures and returning investor Luge Capital, with participation from EDC, Tactico and CIBC Innovation Banking. ProNavigator will use the proceeds to accelerate U.S. and Canadian sales, advance product development, and grow the team. Founder and CEO Joseph D'Souza will lead the U.S. expansion from a new second headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina. ProNavigator provides an AI-powered natural language platform offering chat and voice virtual assistants tailored to the insurance industry. Its models are trained on hundreds of thousands of real insurance conversations and the company offers packaged assistants for sales, service, underwriting, and claims. Products include a chat assistant and a voice assistant that can integrate with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and the assistants can be customized and integrated into existing insurance platforms. ProNavigator says its virtual assistants have automated or semi-automated more than 50% of customer claims, underwriting, service, and sales tasks for clients. Since launching in 2016 the company has signed 80 clients in North America, roughly 75% of which are in Canada, and has opened a satellite sales and marketing office in Chicago. The company plans to use recent funding to expand into the US, grow its Waterloo R&D team (adding about 10 employees to its current 20) and build out phone-line voice calling slated for release in the latter half of 2019.

Led · Series A · Apr 2022

Emma is a Montréal-headquartered insurtech that delivers a fully digital, simplified life-insurance experience aimed at young Canadian families. Working in partnership with insurer Humania Assurance, the startup designs and underwrites its own policies, enabling what it claims is the fastest and easiest life-insurance purchase process in Canada. Participation in Intuit’s Prosperity Accelerator helped propel the company to more than 500% growth over the past year, demonstrating strong market traction. Customer reviews and rapid adoption have positioned Emma as a leading modern alternative within the traditionally slow-moving insurance sector. With fresh capital, the team plans to extend its products to every Canadian province, double its workforce, and introduce additional insurance offerings that emphasize inclusivity and accessibility. CEO and co-founder Felix Deschatelets states that these initiatives will help Emma become “families’ most loved insurance solution.” While no revenue figures were disclosed, the company’s growth metrics and investor backing underscore its momentum.

Participated · Seed · Aug 2021

FIX4 Capital provides flexible vehicle repair financing through an app that approves customers in minutes without a credit check. Loans run up to $10,000 with 12, 24 or 36-month terms and a stated interest rate of 19.9%. Since launching its app and quick loan service earlier in 2021, the company has served hundreds of drivers. FIX4 leverages technology to speed approvals and targets drivers needing repair financing. The company intends to use new funding to accelerate its growth plans. FIX4 was founded in early 2020 and is based in Montreal; its leadership team includes founders Tave Della Porta, Derek Lloyd and Robert Bédard and several experienced executives who recently joined.

Led · Seed · May 2021

helloDarwin operates an online platform that matches businesses with qualified B2B service providers through a combination of human account management and algorithmic matching. The company evolved from a quotes-focused product into a broader one-stop shop for services including app development, video production, e-commerce and ERP. Businesses use the platform for free while service providers pay referral fees and can subscribe to monthly packages, creating recurring revenue. In 2020 the company’s net monthly revenue rose to $165,000 from $30,000 in 2019. To date helloDarwin has helped over 6,000 businesses and lists more than 4,000 qualified service providers; the team is roughly 40 people and the company plans to grow to about 75 staff. Key near-term plans are geographic expansion across Canada and a proof of concept and planned launch in the United States.

Led · Seed · Jul 2020

Willful is an online platform that guides people through a series of questions to create customized legal wills and estate-planning documents drafted with provincial estate lawyers. The company offers free future updates so customers can keep wills current as life changes, and its fully digital notarial will in Quebec can be completed online without an in-person notary. Willful launched a pilot program for digital wills in British Columbia and the service is available in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Manitoba. The company was co-founded in 2017 by Erin Bury and Kevin Oulds and operates with a 15-person team. Willful partners with estate lawyers in each province to draft and maintain legal content as legislation changes. The platform also supports appointment of executors and beneficiaries and provides instructions for executing wills in accordance with provincial requirements. Willful provides an online platform for Canadians to create legal wills and assign powers of attorney for personal care and/or property. The startup plans to use its new funding to launch products that make it easier for Canadians to prepare legacy plans and tools to help families wrap up a loved one’s affairs, and to invest in its partner program. Willful has partnerships with League, Wealthsimple, Sonnet Insurance, and CAA, and Tactico will help lead the company’s Quebec launch. The company reported a 600 percent increase in demand during COVID-19 and a threefold increase in revenue, and it has provided more than 2,500 free plans to frontline healthcare workers. Willful’s platform is available in Ontario, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Manitoba. The company was launched in 2017 and graduated from Real Ventures’ FounderFuel accelerator in 2019.