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Co-investment Summit draws impressive group of company presenters, and angel investors
The top angel-invested companies in the country were recently recognized at Ryerson University.
The Ted Rogers School of Management hosted the Spring 2009 Canadian Co-investment Summit: Funding the Future, a conference for start-up companies to seek second-round investments from angel investors. Angel investors supply capital to business start-ups. The School collaborated with the National Angel Capital Organization (NACO), an industry angel association, to host the event, where 15 of the best angel-supported companies in the country made presentations and the Canadian Angel Capital Top Five Companies were awarded the distinction of "Canada's best early-stage investment opportunities."
In addition to the business presenters, the Honourable Michael Bryant, Ontario's former Minister for Economic Development and newly appointed CEO of Invest Toronto, W. Daniel Mothersill, NACO president and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Ted Rogers School of Management, and Ryerson University President Sheldon Levy, spoke at the event.
"As the home of Canada's first university-led angel investor network, the Ryerson Angel Network (RAN), we recognize the value of partnership in financing and mentoring the innovative ideas of next generation entrepreneurs," President Levy said. "We are pleased to be working with NACO to provide an exceptional opportunity to students and alumni to learn critical business strategies, and advance creative products and services."
RAN was launched in December 2008 to bring the entrepreneurial ideas of Ryerson University students and alumni together with angel investors. RAN consists of approximately 20 angel investors and is administered through the newly formed Ryerson Entrepreneur Institute, a University-wide program that motivates students to start up new businesses, non-profit organizations or community programs.
Mark MacLeod impressed the audience with a presentation about his company, Akoha, producers of the world's first social reality online game. The game is unique because it has philanthropy as its base. Players are encouraged to earn karma points by being generous.
MacLeod's company and four others were voted the Canadian Angel Capital Top Five Companies. The others were: Aeryon Labs Inc., a company that specializes in intelligent robotics; Bayalink Solutions Inc., producers of the Liberty, a USB key that uses Bluetooth technologies to link the Blackberry and PC; Quantum Dental Technologies, developers of The Canary System, which will enable dentists to detect tooth decay in the early stages; and VanRx, which specializes in sterile pharmaceutical products.
"We should be proud to have entrepreneurs in our country who can make such compelling pitches and innovative offerings - and equally proud of the angel investors who are confidently taking stakes in them," said Mothersill.
