Sunil Sharma

Introducing our next Pet Project, Paws Pharmaceutical Inc. BullRun Capital is proud to announce the launch of  Paws Pharmaceuticals,  where we're driven by a simple mission: to revolutionize pet health through the development of amazing new animal health discoveries. The Evolving Pet Landscape "Over the past decade, the pet industry has undergone a remarkable transformation. Pets have evolved from backyard companions to beloved family members.  A staggering 95% of pet owners consider their pet a part of the family and 98% of pet owners report at least one specific health benefit from their pet. Additionally, new research suggests dogs likely play a beneficial role in social and emotional develop. This shift in perception has paralleled the increasing demand for premium products and services, mirroring the human healthcare industry. Child birth rates are down, pet ownership is up, and with it, spending in the animal health sector. Paws Pharmaceuticals: Bridging the Gap Paws Pharma calls itself the “PharmTeam” for big pharmaceuticals, with a goal of developing new animal health drug discoveries from the academic discovery stage and through to regulatory approval pathways until the discoveries are advanced enough to either partner or license to the larger big pharmaceutical animal health companies . We lean on our team of experts to identify and develop groundbreaking technologies, and we are dedicated to advancing these technologies through the rigorous FDA regulatory process, and cutting down on the time it takes to do so and to get new discoveries into the commercialization pathways.  Our Portfolio and Pipeline "Our initial focus is on two critical areas: canine osteoarthritis and bovine mastitis. We have partnered  with Royal Veterinary College out of London, which is the world's leading veterinary college, on the osteoarthritis IP. We are also partnering with University of Saskatchewan on their Bovine mastitis technology. We're committed to developing innovative treatments for these conditions, which significantly impact the quality of life for pets and livestock. Our pipeline is diverse, with several additional promising technologies in advanced negotiations. We aim to build a robust portfolio of several assets that will drive long-term growth and shareholder value." Funding and Future Plans "We have secured initial funding from our founding team and loyal shareholders. We plan to launch oru first ever Crowd Fund launch in December 2024 and invite interested investors to reach out to their investment advisros to determine if our offering is suitable for your investment portfolio. Funding and Future Plans We plan to launch our first-ever crowdfund in December 2024 and invite interested investors to contact their investment advisors to determine if our offering is suitable for their portfolios. Visit us at https://pawspharma.com #Animals #pet(s) #DogHealth #CatHealth #PetHealth #startups #venturecapital #investing #innovation

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As a founder, have you ever been curious about this whole angel investing thing? This week's findfunding.vc spotlight is on an investor who's an expert in it you simply have to know: Matt Wilson, MBA from Allied Venture Partners. He: 🇨🇦 Is Calgary based 😇 Manages one of Canada's largest angle investor syndicates (now at 1,800+ members!) 🏒 Worked as a professional ice hockey referee, which he says shares remarkable similarities with investing Amongst founders, Matt Wilson, is known for bringing empathy and perspective as a former founder himself. Aside from financial support, his goal is to be the 'right' investor - one that aligns with a founder's vision, shares his network, and provides strategic insights when asked. ✉️ Make sure to pitch him, invest, scout, advise and more at https://linktr.ee/alliedvc For more, check out our funder spotlight card below along with Allied Venture Partners' profile on findfunding.vc (link in comments).

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Cool read about portco Vivid Machines using AI to help farmers maximize yield, reduce costs, lower emissions, and make data-driven decisions that weren’t possible a generation ago!! 🍎 🍇 🍐 🥝 From real-time tracking of tree health to optimizing harvest timing, Vivid turns farming into a precise science – helping farmers make informed decisions that improve profitability and boost efficiency. It’s awesome to see Canadian agtech driving such significant economic impact. Proud to support Jenny Lemieux and Jonathan Binas in shaping a more productive and sustainable future for farming! 🌱🚀 https://lnkd.in/e4i2NgMW #AI #agriculture #startups #venturecapital

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The global infant formula market is projected to grow to ~$100B by 2030. Since 1980, two brands – Enfamil and Similac – have held 80% market share in the US. When a Cronobacter sakazakii outbreak resulting in several illnesses and two infant deaths was linked to powdered formula in 2022, that began to shift. Supply chain gaps from the pandemic, broken infrastructure, and lack of breastfeeding support led American consumers to view European formula brands as superior. As a result, parents started zooming in on nutritional profiles in American baby formula. Corn syrup, fillers, and palm oil are prominently listed on America’s dominant formula labels – ingredients you wouldn’t find in their European counterparts. For example: • The EFSA sets stringent guidelines for nutrient levels, the inclusion of DHA (an essential omega-3 fatty acid), and strict limits on contaminants such as pesticide residues. • European formulas mimic the nutritional profile of breast milk with lactose as the carbohydrate source, avoiding other sweeteners common in American formulas. • European formulas are largely organic and non-GMO, not yet standard in the US. The challenge? Despite proven benefits, regulatory red tape from the FDA prevents many European brands from entering the US. One way forward? Meet the demands of both European and American nutritional standards. Today, Bobbie is the only company bridging this gap. Coining the term “European-style” formula, Bobbie meets FDA’s regulatory standards while checking the EFSA boxes: • Lactose as the carbohydrate source • Organic and non-GMO • Meets EU standards for DHA The demand for cleaner baby formula ingredients is clear. Of course, there are subjective preferences, accessibility limitations, and cost considerations that ultimately determine what parents buy. But the trend toward “European style,” better-for-you formula is here to stay.

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Another great #investcanada2024 conference last week. Congrats Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA) again and fantastic collaboration with Réseau Capital for curating + delivering such an important ecosystem event that brings together the who’s who in Canadian investing. It’s an interesting macro environment for both founders and emerging VC funds in 2024. The bar for fundraising is higher and the process is more difficult, but it’s an amazing time to build and fund startups. Over the years I’ve been asked what’s made me a successful investor given the number of exits & investor returns delivered. Beyond it being a full-time obsession for decades, one needs to constantly find ways to evolve to founder needs and deliver differentiated value. Earning the right to back and support the best founders is what delivers outsized investor returns. This is easy to say for many investors, but often many fall flat on the everyday execution for different controllable reasons. Reputations are built & lost fast in a more challenging market. Highline Beta's pre-seed VC & venture studio model continues to not only innovate, but also win predominantly because our core investment value is to always “earn the right on the cap table” with the founders that we support. It’s a complete team effort and after 8 years of building out Highline Beta’s foundation let’s us now grow via new vertical venture studios + funds. 🚀

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Below is a good summary and context for the Q3 quarterly report released by the CVCA. On the surface, it seems like it was a good quarter for venture investment in Canadá. But a quick look under the surface paints a potentially very different picture: - the 130 deals closed in Q3 matches the lows during COVID in 2020 - the $2,651MM in deal value appears fairly robust other than the heady days of 2021. But it includes both the Clio deal of $1,240MM and the Cohere deal of $616MM leaving the remaining 128 deals totalling $795MM, matching the levels last seen during COVID in 2020 - the vast majority of the source of the capital invested in Q3 are from US or other foreign sources of capital - early stage investments continue their trend of performing poorly this year What does this all mean? Not really sure yet. It certainly was not a good quarter of activity but it’s too early to call this a trend. But is it a leading indicator that deal activity will continue to be constrained? Is there evidence of a lack of Canadian source capital required to invest in startups, and in particular, early stage opportunities. When the Federal government decided to increase capital gains taxes, many people in the innovation community sounded the alarm bells. The fear was that such an increase will further take the air out of the sails of funding startups in Canadá. While it is still too early to conclude the impact of such a move, it is clear the timing of this decision is very unfortunate because there is a clear trend that the activity in venture from Canadian sources of capital is slowing down materially.

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Light AI (ALGO:CBOE) has begun trading, presenting a promising future as it positions itself as a leader in AI-based healthcare technology. $30M CAD invested since 2016, the company’s proprietary algorithm boasts 97% accuracy in diagnosing viral or bacterial throat infections, addressing a global healthcare challenge: antibiotic resistance. The leadership team includes AI veteran CEO Peter Whitehead and prominent advisors like the former CIO of Johnson & Johnson, Tom Scarnecchia, and Emmanuel Blin, a healthcare distribution innovator in low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs). Light AI's disruptive technology aims to modernize diagnostics in LMICs, reducing the misuse of antibiotics. With a total of $26.5M CAD raised in private and RTO rounds and a marketing budget of over $3.5M, the company is poised to capitalize on the booming AI sector, which has seen peers like Healwell and Verses achieve significant valuation growth. Light AI's innovative approach and strategic capital deployment position it for strong market traction in the coming months. I am a shareholder.

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In addition to building our own VC practice at AAF Management Ltd., we’ve invested in 37 VCs since 2017. Here is what, I believe, it takes to build a multi-vintage, early-stage, venture franchise: 𝟭- 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: hyper-focused GPs build longevity and consistency in their businesses. If you pitch LPs saying you will invest in early stage consumer but end up doing late stage consumer that’s a massive red flag. Stay germane to your mandate and strategy. 𝟮- 𝗔𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: the market is crowded with venture firms, articulate your differentiated value proposition to LPs and founders. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Focus on 1-2 value propositions to your stakeholders and execute them with excellence and defensibility. 𝟯- 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆-𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴: we tell stories everyday. Raising capital for a fund and building your venture firm requires that same story-telling skillset. Tell consistent narratives to the market to help build your own brand as well as your firm’s brand. 𝟰- 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁-𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲: if you possess subject-matter expertise in a certain vertical, domain or industry, you already own a defensible moat. Accentuate that to your advantage when building your firm, raising capital from LPs and winning deals from founders. 𝟱- 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: early stage venture is a highly collaborate asset class. Keep your ego at the door, you will never be able to do everything it takes to build a firm alone. Leverage LPs, partners and founders for deal flow sourcing, diligence and overall industry best practices. 𝟲- 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁-𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁-𝗙𝗶𝘁: in quintessential startup vernacular, ideally find your product-market-fit by the time you launch your second fund. You need product-market-fit before you scale your AUM, grow your team and carry more fiduciary responsibility. 𝟳- 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: early stage VC investing is a marathon. Patience will reward you personally, professionally and financially. Build mental, physical and psychological stamina to endure the inherent ebbs and flows of your entrepreneurial journey. 𝟴- 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺: early stage VC investing is the archetypal long-term financial asset. Think in 10 year increments for your firm’s grand vision, think in 4 years for a given fund’s investment period and think in quarters when reporting material updates on your portfolio to your LPs. 𝟵- 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻: if instant gratification, short feedback loops and a constant need for reaffirmation is what you are looking for in a career then early stage VC investing will not fulfill you. Have fun building, and as Naval Ravikant once said: "𝙗𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙥𝙩𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙣." Finally, and most importantly, be authentic and true to yourself. #firmbuilding #entrepreneurs #VC

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We (Climate VC) need to stop making excuses for the growth trajectories of our companies There’s a reason why Matthew Stotts and I chose the venture capital asset class to focus on - it has to GROW fast. And there are a lot of fast-growing, money-making opportunity areas with huge problems that could benefit from highly motivated well-funded and skilled teams looking to build a large company. If you need to make an excuse or caveat for any of the statements in the previous paragraph, you’re in the wrong asset class The good thing about VC is it grows fast and BIG. The clock is ticking on our biggest problem areas - let’s get to work!

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The size of Canada combined with the geographic distribution of health conditions make the country ideal for multi-channel healthcare (e.g., Telehealth). Despite the significant demand for healthcare broadly, those business models haven't been able to achieve exponential growth or ideal unit economics just yet -- they've certainly grown and many are profitable, but millions of Canadians still lack primary care. It's a problem that's on the cusp of being solved (e.g., AI, integrated care) and could unlock significantly more access to care for Canadians. 

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It was great to speak with the Logic earlier this week and share Tidal Venture Partners perspective on the subject of fund domiciling strategy.  It may sound like we’re in the weeds on this topic, but the question of where to domicile is a growing conversation and consideration for many Canadian fund managers with big long-term implications for our innovation economy.  The challenge of Canadian companies remaining Canadian owned will only become more acute if more Canadian funds start to domicile in other jurisdictions.

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✨ Breaking: Glen Ventures Announces New Fund.- Glen Ventures Eurêka Investment Fund: Glen Ventures has been awarded a $5 million mandate from the Eurêka investment fund, backed by the Quebec government and managed by Investissement Québec. The fund focuses on early-stage healthcare technology startups, particularly those derived from Quebec's public research institutions. Glen Ventures supports these startups through financing rounds, co-investing, and guiding them toward commercialization. https://lnkd.in/dNBcFwRi Please share to let other #Founders know For the ❤️ of Startups #Fusion42 #Startups #Venturecapital

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Are you a B2B software startup founder at the very start? Then you have to meet this early-stage investor! This week's findfunding.vc spotlight is on Dominic Lau from Ripple Ventures. He: 🇨🇦 Is Vancouver and Toronto based 🎣 Loves to fish 🎶 Founded the RippleX Fellowship - a platform to help underrepresented founders access mentorship, intros, and the tools to get from idea to revenue to funding Amongst founders, Dominic and his team at Ripple Ventures, including Matt Cohen, are known for being hands-on partners who open valuable networks, navigate challenges together, and assist in closing crucial revenue and funding deals. Make sure to: ✉️ Pitch him at dom@rippleventures.com 👀 Look into the RippleX Fellowship - they take 10 companies 2x a year through the Founder Fellowship program and also back companies through the Fellow Fund For more, check out our funder spotlight card below along with Ripple Ventures' profile on findfunding.vc (link in comments).

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Shift4 has quietly merged with Eigen Payments, a Vancouver-based payments processing company serving thousands of merchants in sectors like hospitality, hotels, casinos, and large venues. This move expands Shift4's reach into international markets, aligning with its strategy of international growth. Shift4 CEO Jared Isaacman leads the company, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, which now sees significant overlap in the hospitality and stadiums verticals with Eigen. The merger is part of Shift4's ongoing acquisition streak, which included purchases of Vectron Systems and Givex earlier this year. Read More: https://lnkd.in/eE8uuVEb Payments Dive #Hospitality #Payments #Merger #International Branded Hospitality Ventures Hospitality Hangout Podcast Douglas Demko Dustin Alpert Suzanne Davis Sarah Grover Anthony Perez Michael Isaacman Nate Hirshberg

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Despite a growing and robust Canadian tech ecosystem, the country has minted fewer than 30 unicorns in the past decade compared to the US's 700. Should Canadian VCs look to invest internationally? If so, what's the optimal approach to accessing global opportunities, navigating financial and cultural differences, and providing meaningful value? Alternatively, should they focus on strengthening the Canadian tech ecosystem? Is the lack of unicorns primarily a cultural, structural, or financial issue, or a combination? Can VCs play a role in addressing these challenges? Happy to participate in the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA) webinar with Mana Hosseini, JD/MBA and Kim Furlong addressing these topics. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Registration link in the comments #venturecapital #startups #investing #canada

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What If Alternatives Aren’t So Alternative? This is something most private market investors and family offices think about on a regular basis. There is a level of simplicity that has been built into the public markets that makes them accessible to almost everyone. This is not the case in the private markets and if it is simplified then it’s likely that you are the one left holding the bag while everyone else is exiting. That is the feature and where the returns are. That’s why I allow other family offices to participate in my deals at F Partners as sometimes they’re so weird and wonderful that the average investor thinks we’re all crazy. Read The Full Article Here: https://lnkd.in/eeF5DrxX #singlefamilyoffice #familyoffices #familyoffice #privateinvestor #privatemarkets

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✨ Breaking: Pender Ventures' Technology Inflection Fund II LP Announces New Fund.- Pender Ventures' Technology Inflection Fund II LP Pender Ventures focuses on Canadian B2B and health tech startups poised for scale-up, with over $100 million in available funds. https://lnkd.in/eJSYQQ4d Please share to let other #Founders know For the ❤️ of Startups #Fusion42 #Startups#Venturecapital

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