.jpg)
1 hour ago
2
Article content
Online event on February 19 brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and senior leaders to address funding gaps as federal government commits $750 million to early growth-stage capital
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
- Enjoy additional articles per month
- Get email updates from your favourite authors
Sign In or Create an Account
or
Article content
TORONTO, Feb. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) today announced the launch of a national roundtable focused on closing Canada’s early-stage capital gaps and mobilizing private investment at scale to strengthen Canada’s innovation-driven growth. The online roundtable takes place at 11:00 AM ET on Thursday, February 19, with registration now open at vision.nacocanada.com.
Article content
Article content
Article content
The roundtable builds on an intensive nine-month, industry-led consultation process with over 250 senior leaders across Canada’s innovation economy and follows the federal government’s $750 million commitment in Budget 2025 to support Canadian firms facing early growth-stage funding gaps. Early-stage capital—the pre-seed and seed funding that determines whether promising Canadian companies can move from concept to commercialization and scale domestically—will be a central topic of discussion.
Article content
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Article content
“This $750 million announcement is a timely and strategic investment in Canada’s angel infrastructure,” said Claudio Rojas, NACO’s CEO. “It recognizes that when we support the networks and investors behind early-stage companies, we strengthen the entire innovation economy and create the conditions for Canadian companies to scale globally from Canada.”
Article content
Article content
Article content
Article content
Claudio Rojas, CEO of National Angel Capital Organization in roundtable consultation with investors from across Canada
Article content
Addressing Critical Gaps in Canada’s Innovation Economy
Article content
The roundtable will examine:
Article content
Article content
- Funding gaps hindering the formation of high-growth companies in Canada, including findings from a forthcoming evidence-based report by Startup Genome on gaps at the seed and pre-seed stages in Canada.
- The phenomenon of founders leaving Canada, with only 32% of Canadian-founded startups now being started from Canada, while the U.S. produces 45x more high-potential startups than Canada according to a recent study by Leaders Fund.
- How early-stage capital determines hyperscale outcomes, including a newly released editorial by NACO that investigates how early-stage capital and networks determine whether countries are able to produce global technology champions consistently and at scale.
Article content
The roundtable will be a forum for broader engagement on how Canada can mobilize private capital at scale across the national ecosystem, building more innovative companies that commercialize their technologies and scale globally from local communities across the country.
Article content
“We need to ensure early-stage capital reaches founders where they are,” said Mary Long-Irwin, NACO Board Chair. “A founder in Atlantic Canada, rural Alberta, or Northern Ontario shouldn’t need to relocate to access early-stage funding. When an increasing number of Canadian-founded startups are being established outside of Canada, it tells us our domestic capital infrastructure isn’t reaching founders where they are. We need to build robust capital and networks nationally, or we will continue losing founders to jurisdictions with more vibrant sources of risk capital.”
English (US)