Participated · Equity · Apr 2021

Virtual Gurus is a talent marketplace that leverages proprietary technology to match organizations with highly skilled Canadian and American virtual assistants. The company offers a monthly subscription service used by customers such as OutTV, Borrowell and 3Strands Global Foundation to realize time and cost savings and support ESG goals. Virtual Gurus also operates the Virtual Gurus Academy, an online learning platform that supports work readiness and upskilling for virtual assistants. The business closed a combined $8.4m Series A and non-dilutive funding round, bringing cumulative funding since February 2020 to $10.4m. Proceeds will be used to introduce machine learning into high-return-on-investment areas, expand the technology platform, and accelerate expansion into the United States, which currently accounts for 38% of the company’s revenue. Led by founder and CEO Bobbie Racette, the company emphasizes creating meaningful earning opportunities for BIPOC people, LGBTQ2S+ individuals, single and stay-at-home parents, and those with alternate abilities. Virtual Gurus operates a talent marketplace that uses a proprietary Talentplace hub to match organizations with skilled Canadian and American virtual assistants, offering dedicated assistants, project support, and on‑demand tasks via askBetty. The company plans to invest in machine learning to improve onboarding, qualification, and matching efficiencies. It intends to expand staff and grow its talent pool with a focus on diversity and inclusion, prioritizing opportunities for Indigenous people, LGBTQ2+ individuals, single parents, and people with disabilities. Virtual Gurus reported rapid revenue growth since the second half of last year and aims to scale its technology and operations to meet demand. As of January 2021, 91% of its virtual assistants were female and 40% self‑identified as underrepresented. The company will also expand askBetty across other technology platforms to increase accessibility for clients and assistants.

Led · Equity · Mar 2020

Itracks develops proprietary software that enables market researchers to run real-time focus groups via video or text chat, discussion boards, and surveys. The tools are designed primarily for market research agencies that need high-quality, timely data. The company is expanding its product lineup with a new Itracks video IDI (in-depth interview) tool for direct browser-based video chats, interactive whiteboards, screensharing, and mixed written/verbal feedback. Itracks plans to complete renovations for a state-of-the-art software development centre and to grow its software and sales teams. To support these initiatives, the company received $1.1M in business expansion funding from a federal program. The funding will be used to finish the development centre and accelerate product and team expansion.

Led · Equity · Aug 2019

ARTMS develops and commercializes technologies and products that enable cyclotron production of medical radioisotopes. Its flagship QUANTM Irradiation System (QIS) and consumable products enable decentralized, cost-effective, large-scale production of isotopes including gallium-68, zirconium-89, technetium-99m and copper-64 using hospital and distributor cyclotrons. The company plans to develop and validate high-quality, high-activity zirconium-89 (Zr-89) for Immuno-PET to help identify patients likely to respond to immuno-oncology therapies. ARTMS will leverage its proprietary QIS hardware and solid-targetry expertise to produce Zr-89 for radiolabeling antibodies and other molecular targeting ligands. The work is intended to support decentralized, efficient radioisotope supply solutions and disrupt the current nuclear medicine supply chain. ARTMS is based in Vancouver, Canada. Artms develops the QUANTM Irradiation System (QIS), which enables decentralized, local production of medical isotopes including gallium-68 (68Ga), zirconium-89 (89Zr), technetium-99m (99mTc) and copper-64 (64Cu). The QIS leverages locally based medical cyclotrons to allow users to control their supply chain and produce high volumes of radiopharmaceutical products. The company is led by CEO Charles S. Conroy and is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Artms intends to continue collaborating with industry partners to develop cyclotron-produced 68Ga diagnostics. It also plans to expand commercialization of the QIS to produce additional critical medical isotopes. Financially, the company completed a Series A to support those commercialization and development efforts. ARTMS Products develops and commercializes the QUANTM Irradiation System (QIS), a hardware and consumable platform for cyclotron production of key medical isotopes including technetium-99m and gallium-68. The system enables decentralized, local isotope production for hospital-based use and has been installed and is operating in a number of countries. ARTMS says its platform produces no long-lived radioactive waste and advances efforts to eliminate the use of weapons-grade highly enriched uranium for Tc-99m production. The company is advancing commercialization of cyclotron-produced Ga-68 and plans to move new products into clinical development. ARTMS was developed in collaboration with TRIUMF and scientists at BC Cancer, the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization, and Lawson Health Research. The company is based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and reports the funding will help increase revenue growth and create employment by advancing existing programs and building a second-generation QUANTM system. Artms Products, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, offers the QUANTM Irradiation System (QIS®), a hardware-and-consumable system that produces technetium-99m (Tc-99m) on medical cyclotrons. The company’s QIS addresses disruptions in global Tc-99m supply, an isotope used in over 80% of nuclear medicine imaging procedures. The technology was developed in collaboration with TRIUMF and scientists at three Canadian health research institutes, including the British Columbia Cancer Agency, the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization, and Lawson Health Research. Early-stage research funding came from the Federal Government via NSERC and the Isotope Technology Acceleration Program (ITAP). Artms is led by CEO Dr. Paul Schaffer. The company plans to develop the QIS to enable production of other isotopes such as gallium-68, copper-64 and zirconium-89.

Led · Equity · Nov 2016

FLYHT develops satellite-linked avionics and cloud-based software to deliver real-time aircraft intelligence, tracking, health monitoring, diagnostics and cockpit communications. The company is upgrading its Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS) and commercializing its cloud-based UpTime software. Those two technologies will work together to provide customers with predictive maintenance, improved tracking over remote areas, and more efficient maintenance scheduling. The upgraded AFIRS and UpTime are targeted for introduction by early 2019. The company says the integrated technologies are intended to enhance aircraft safety and make FLYHT more competitive in the global marketplace. The project was supported through a federal repayable contribution program for western Canadian SMEs.