Ripple Ventures

Ripple Ventures is excited to announce that we have received a $7.5M investment from VCCI’s Inclusive Growth Stream for our Fund III, alongside RBCx as a second anchor. This funding is part of a larger $50M initiative aimed at enhancing VC access for underrepresented Canadian entrepreneurs and diverse fund managers. This investment doesn’t just fuel our funds; it fuels our fervor to foster a more inclusive VC ecosystem. It enables us to bolster our core portfolio of undervalued founders and expand the RippleX Fellowship program, online courses, and Fellow Fund. Together with the Canadian government, we're on a mission to broaden the educational horizon on building venture-backable startups and forging a VC career, right from the university and college campuses across the nation. The impact that we've seen from our programming to date: - Helped underrepresented founders raise over $60M in VC funding - Assisted 75 underrepresented students in securing VC roles post-program - 2,000 students across 30 countries in our online course - Built a robust alumni network of 300 individuals through 15 cohorts of our flagship program - Hired amazing team members through our analyst and internship program A huge shoutout to Nazuk Thakkar, Katie Ko, Lydia Estreed and CC Song on our team for their hard work in ensuring that this program continues to provide value to the underserved ecosystem. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gaqikNnh

Working with young builders, I've noticed some interesting trends on fundraising risk aversion. Risk aversion is a really common hurdle for many young / new founders. The fear of fiduciary responsibilities, stringent reporting duties, and dispersed accountability can deter them from seeking early-stage investment. This cautious mindset, while rooted in a desire to safeguard their ventures, can limit their growth potential. It's important to recognize that the RIGHT VC partner works with you, not against you and can significantly mitigate these risks. At Ripple Ventures, we are committed to guiding and supporting you from day zero. We actively invest in young founders, providing more than just capital. We aim to build a collaborative partnership, empowering young builders to focus on what they do best—creating and innovating—while we help navigate the financial and operational challenges. This year, we’re investing in 9 fellow fund checks aimed at underrepresented young builders—students, recent grads, and dropouts. What We’re Looking For: 🔹 $50K-$100K investments for early-stage companies (Canada/US) 🔹 Focus on B2B SaaS developer tools 🔹 Hands-on support, resources, and access to our expansive network 🔹 Partnerships with service providers, tech stack perks / benefits, etc. 🔹 Commitment to diversity and inclusion, targeting untapped potential of underrepresented student founders Beyond capital, we offer personalized support, resources, and a vast network of mentors and industry leaders ⭐️ If this sounds like you or someone you know, let’s connect! DM me or anyone on the Ripple Team. You can also email me at [[email protected]] 💌 #VC #DEI #preseed cc: RippleX Fellowship Matt Cohen Dominic Lau Katie Ko

What a fantastic start to Collision in Toronto! Our team had the pleasure of hosting over 100 founders, investors, and operators at our Opening Night Cocktail Mixer. It was an evening filled with insightful conversations and intentional connection. We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our esteemed partners, Fasken, RBCx, Google Cloud, and CloudWerx, whose support and collaboration made this event truly special. Check out the video recap below to catch a glimpse of the energy and enthusiasm that filled the room! We’ll see you next year in Vancouver 🙌 cc: Matt Cohen Dominic Lau Nazuk Thakkar Katie Ko Kate Grant Jeffrey Kwong Michael Huang Brad Dubé Filip Stoj

Great founders discussion on fundraising with RBCx and Ripple Ventures #VSW2024 Key take aways - pitching is a volume game, get to 'no' fast and understand why, have your due diligence well prepared.

🌟 Thrilled to host NBA legend, Baron Davis in Montreal last night! After having the pleasure of featuring Baron on Tank Talks it was fantastic to welcome him to the vibrant city of Montreal during the CVCA Invest Canada Conference this week! Thanks to my co-host, Michael Green from Polar Capital, and our amazing group of guests for joining us. The evening was filled with insightful conversations and great company. Stay tuned for more collaboration between Ripple Ventures and Baron’s BIG platform, as we look forward to more incredible initiatives together!

🚀 Emerging Fund Managers: The Unsung Heroes of Investment Returns? As venture capital and private equity landscapes evolve, the debate intensifies around the potential of emerging managers. Recent data from PitchBook highlights a crucial trend: while the overall share of US private market fundraising by newer managers dipped to 12.7% in 2023, their performance tells a different story. 💡 **TLDR on Why Emerging Managers Outperform:** Emerging managers often bring fresh perspectives and agility, allowing them to exploit niche markets and innovate. Their smaller size enables quicker adaptation and a focus on higher-risk, higher-return strategies that can lead to outsized gains compared to the industry giants. 📈 Key Insights: - **Higher Returns:** Emerging managers in VC have consistently outperformed their established counterparts since 1997, often yielding higher median IRRs. - **Innovative Strategies:** Smaller fund sizes and innovative approaches have enabled emerging managers to capture lucrative opportunities often overlooked by bigger players. - **Stronger in Downturns:** The current market downturn has sifted out the truly dedicated emerging managers, presenting a unique opportunity for savvy investors. - **Big Bets from Big Names:** Major pension plans like CalPERS and the Teacher Retirement System of Texas are increasingly backing new managers, recognizing their potential to outperform benchmarks and bring diversity to investment portfolios. #VentureCapital #PrivateEquity #EmergingManagers https://lnkd.in/gyM7cY_p

🚀 RippleX Founder Fellowship Batch 2 Applications are OPEN! Since 2019, the RippleX Fellowship has been pivotal in shaping over 500 students into venture-backable entrepreneurs and sought-after venture capitalists. Our alumni have gone on to raise over $65M in capital from notable VCs across North America. 💡 What is the RippleX Founder Fellowship? Our Founder Fellowship is a 6-month program exclusively designed to propel underrepresented founders to the forefront of B2B software innovation. Fellows can expect custom-curated program and content for B2B founders to move from idea to revenue. After the program, there will also be an opportunity to receive funding from the Fellow Fund ($50-100K). 🌟 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gFj5PB8s 📅 Application Timeline: Opens: April 5, 2024. Deadline: April 26, 2024. Interviews take place in the month of May concluding with batch selections by May 31th. Read more about our program here: https://lnkd.in/gbGU2EWJ cc: Matt Cohen Dominic Lau Nazuk Thakkar Katie Ko

✨ Happy International Womens' Day! We celebrate the achievements of women worldwide 🌎 and highlight the amazing women in our team, portfolio, and industry partners. We're grateful to have Nazuk Thakkar and Katie Ko on the Ripple team, who are not only skilled and knowledgeable but also passionately committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in the tech and venture capital ecosystem. Their insights, leadership, and dedication to mentorship empower a new generation of entrepreneurs, creating a ripple effect of positive change. In our portfolio, we want to thank Evanna Hu (Omelas), Jenna Earnshaw (Wisedocs), Tabassum Pasha (WaiveTheWait), and Eunice Wu, PharmD (Asepha) for allowing Ripple to be a part of their journies. These founders' successes are a testament to the untapped potential of female entrepreneurs worldwide and the transformative impact of investing in women-led ventures. This week we supported the International Womens' Day event in Vancouver led by Shelly Bardai (RBCx) and April Hicke (Toast) and are proud to continue fostering progress for women in our ecosystem through the RippleX Fellowship (supporting underrepresented student founders).

✨ Happy International Womens' Day! We celebrate the achievements of women worldwide 🌎 and highlight the amazing women in our team, portfolio, and industry partners. We're grateful to have Nazuk Thakkar and Katie Ko on the Ripple team, who are not only skilled and knowledgeable but also passionately committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in the tech and venture capital ecosystem. Their insights, leadership, and dedication to mentorship empower a new generation of entrepreneurs, creating a ripple effect of positive change. In our portfolio, we want to thank Evanna Hu (Omelas), Jenna Earnshaw (Wisedocs), Tabassum Pasha (WaiveTheWait), and Eunice Wu, PharmD (Asepha) for allowing Ripple to be a part of their journies. These founders' successes are a testament to the untapped potential of female entrepreneurs worldwide and the transformative impact of investing in women-led ventures. This week we supported the International Womens' Day event in Vancouver led by Shelly Bardai (RBCx) and April Hicke (Toast) and are proud to continue fostering progress for women in our ecosystem through the RippleX Fellowship (supporting underrepresented student founders).

❣ Celebrating Women's Excellence in Tech! ❣ Last night's #internationalwomensday2024 event in Vancouver, hosted by Toast in partnership with RBCx and Ripple Ventures, was nothing short of amazing! Thank you to all of the amazing panelists and speakers who shared their wealth of knowledge and experience - it was truly inspiring! Let's continue to celebrate and support women in tech every day. Here's to empowerment, progress, and a brighter future for all! #IWD2024 #WomenInTech #VancouverTech #Empowerment #RBCx #RippleVentures