Canada
Alberta Tar Sands | Photo credit: Russ Heinl
Institutional Impact | January 24, 2022
O Canada, how do your pension plans get high ESG scores when you’re up to your neck in tar-sands oil?
When in doubt, publish a list. It’s a media truism. The trick works for not-for-profits too. New America, a Washington D.C. think tank, …
Photo credit: Telus.
Corporate Impact | December 1, 2021
TELUS’ $100 million Pollinator Fund for Good adds three portfolio companies
ImpactAlpha, December 1 — Canadian telecommunications company TELUS launched Pollinator Fund for Good last year to invest in local and international impact startups …
PHOTO BY KEVIN FRAYER, GETTY IMAGES.
Dealflow | September 27, 2021
Ara Partners fund secures $1.1 billion to decarbonize the industrial sector
ImpactAlpha, September 27 — Ara Fund II will focus on buyouts and growth investment in companies in industrial and manufacturing, chemicals and materials, …
Oceans | September 8, 2021
Trio of climate funds launch ahead of fall climate summits
ImpactAlpha, September 8 – Climate action is in the air. Three new climate-focused funds debuted this week ahead of this month’s Climate Week …
Photo credit: Clearco
Dealflow | July 12, 2021
Clearco secures $215 million from SoftBank to finance online businesses
ImpactAlpha, July 12 – Andrew D’Souza and Michele Romanow launched Clearco (then Clearbanc) in 2015 to back e-commerce, mobile and software startups. The …
Dealflow | June 21, 2021
Spring Lane Capital invests $20 million in “EV as a service” in Canada
ImpactAlpha, June 21 – Vancouver-based 7 Generation Capital develops charging infrastructure and vehicle leasing projects to help commercial fleet operators transition to electric …
Photo credit: AdvancedAg, an Indigenous-owned water and agtech company in Alberta
Dealflow | April 20, 2021
Indigenous Growth Fund raises $150 million to back Native lenders in Canada
ImpactAlpha, April 20 – A new fund in Canada is aiming to impact marginalized Indigenous communities by channelling capital to Indigenous-owned financial institutions. The …
Dealflow | March 9, 2021
Canada’s Raven Indigenous Capital raises $25 million to bridge gaps for Indigenous founders
ImpactAlpha, March 9 — The more than 56,000 Indigenous-owned businesses in Canada contribute over $30 billion annually to the country’s GDP. More than …
Photo credit: Borrowell
Dealflow | February 23, 2021
Borrowell raises $25 million and acquires affordable credit provider Refresh Financial
ImpactAlpha, February 23 – Toronto-based Borrowell supports financial health for under-served Canadians through credit education, monitoring and coaching. It serves 1.5 million customers. The …
Dealflow | January 5, 2021
Ivanhoe Capital SPAC targets $200 million for sustainable mining and clean energy.
ImpactAlpha, January 5 – The hottest new sustainable investing trend is entering new territory: mining. Vancouver-based Ivanhoe Capital is, a new SPAC, or special …
Canada | July 13, 2020
Rally Assets to invest for impact in public and private markets
ImpactAlpha, July 13 – Toronto-based advisory firm Rally Assets launched the Rally Total Impact Fund to invest in both private and public impact …
2030 Finance | September 30, 2019
Renewal Funds closes third impact fund at $109 million
ImpactAlpha, September 30 – Vancouver-based impact investor Renewal Funds has been investing in environmental technology and sustainable consumer products since it launched its first …
Canada | September 17, 2019
Classcraft raises $7.5 million to gamify K-12 curricula
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 17 – Classrooms, meet Minecraft. Classcraft allows teachers to turn existing curriculum into gamified personalized quests. Investissement Québec led the Quebec and …
Canada | September 16, 2019
After light bulbs and plastic straws…toilet paper
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 16 – Another everyday staple is under scrutiny. “The Issue With Tissue” from environmental watchdog NRDC details the environmental and social harm …
Agrifood Tech | September 11, 2019
Terramera raises $45 million to reduce chemical use in agriculture
ImpactAlpha, Sept. 11 – Vancouver-based Terramera’s Series B was led by two ag-focused funders: new investor Ospraie Ag Science and returning investor Seed2Growth …
Canada | June 13, 2019
Small Canadian impact fund targets “economic reconciliation” for indigenous entrepreneurs
ImpactAlpha, June 13 – Canada’s indigenous communities face the same challenges as indigenous populations the world over, because of past injustices and persistent structural barriers. …
Canada | June 4, 2019
Canada pledges $300 million to Equality Fund for women’s advancement
ImpactAlpha, Jun. 4 – Roughly 2.8 billion women and girls live in countries that are outright failing or performing poorly on gender equality. That’s more …
Canada | May 28, 2019
StandUp raises C$18 million to invest in Canada’s women-led tech startups
ImpactAlpha, May 28 – Toronto-based StandUp Ventures launched in 2017 to help women in tech overcome bias in early-stage startup funding. The fund has raised …
Canada | April 22, 2019
Bridging Finance launches fund to finance Indigenous development projects in Canada
ImpactAlpha, April 22 – First Nations and Inuit people in Canada do not own their land. Per the Indian Act, it’s held by …
Canada | January 9, 2019
Manitoba social impact bond will finance doulas for indigenous mothers
ImpactAlpha, January 9 – The Canadian province of Manitoba is targeting a $3 million raise from private investors for a program to prepare and …
Canada | November 26, 2018
Canada pledges C$800 million to seed social finance market
ImpactAlpha, November 25 – The Canadian government is creating a C$755 million ($570 million) Social Finance Fund to invest in nascent market solutions …
2030 Finance | September 12, 2018
CoPower retail bondholders invest in Canadian geothermal projects
ImpactAlpha, September 11 – The Toronto-based company has made a C$6.4 million ($4.9 million) investment in residential geothermal projects in British Columbia. The …
Agrifood Tech | September 5, 2018
Enterra raises Series B to multiply insect farming
ImpactAlpha, September 4 – The British Columbia-based insect farming business raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Hong Kong-based ADM Capital and an …
2030 Finance | July 24, 2018
Ontario pension backs smart energy storage company Stem
ImpactAlpha, July 24 – Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, a C$189.5 billion pension, is committing C$200 million ($152 million) in project financing to roll out smart …
France's players celebrate as they hold their World Cup trophy during the trophy ceremony at the end of the Russia 2018 World Cup final football match between France and Croatia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on July 15, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - NO MOBILE PUSH ALERTS/DOWNLOADS
Canada | July 24, 2018
Which nation will win the World Cup of impact investing?
The FIFA World Cup is over. It was an exciting display of drama, talent, and endurance of football’s finest. But there is a …
2030 Finance | June 29, 2018
Macquarie debuts North American green investment strategy
Macquarie Capital formed its Green Investment Group through an acquisition of the British government’s Green Investment Bank last year. At the time, there were …
Canada | June 25, 2018
Bank of Montreal catches the gender-lens bug
ImpactAlpha, June 25 – Canada has put women’s opportunity and equality in the center of its international aid budget and G7 presidency. At …
Canada | May 16, 2018
SOLVE’ing global (and local) challenges takes center stage at MIT
UPDATE: May 18. – At the MIT Solve conference in Cambridge, Mass., Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke about effective leadership, gender equity and …
Canada | April 24, 2018
CoPower unveils new green bond offering for Canadians
ImpactAlpha, April 24 – CoPower, a Toronto-based company, is launching a new green bond after selling out its last bond of C$10 million …
Canada | April 18, 2018
Aqua-Spark, Obvious and Real Ventures back XpertSea’s fish-tracking tech
ImpactAlpha, April 18 – XpertSea, the Quebec City-based startup, has developed a sensing device that helps fish farms and hatcheries keep track of …
Canada | March 16, 2018
RBC launches women-focused exchange traded fund tracking Canadian companies
RBC’s Global Asset Management group, which manages more than $400 billion in assets, has developed an ETF comprised of Canadian companies that have …
Canada | March 6, 2018
VERGE Breakthrough Fund raises $1.7 million for Ontario startups
VERGE Breakthrough Fund has raised $1.7 million for Ontario startups. The seven-year fund is looking to raise $2 million in total to provide …
Canada | March 6, 2018
Canada doubles down on innovative finance for global development
By Christopher Clubb, Convergence The Government of Canada’s new budget announced this week is good news for those living in developing countries. The …
2030 Finance | January 30, 2018
Addenda Capital launches Canadian fixed-income impact fund
The Montreal-based investment firm is building an impact fund made up of public debt, commercial mortgages and other types of loans in the …
Canada | November 22, 2017
Social Finance Awards winners spotlight Canada’s impact leaders
Canada’s impact investing market is red hot, attracting more than CAD$9.2 billion ($7.2 billion) in 2015. Check out the winners of the Social …
Canada | November 16, 2017
SVX launches online impact investment platform
SVX launched in 2013 to help social startups get investment-ready. It has worked with 149 ventures and supported fundraising of C$100 million ($78 …
Canada | September 28, 2017
Meet Purpose Capital’s new CEO, Upkar Arora
Purpose Capital has recruited Upkar Arora as its new CEO. Toronto-based Purpose Capital works with U.S. and Canadian investors to develop impact investing strategies. …
Canada | September 22, 2017
Social Finance Awards to celebrate Canada’s impact field-builders
Smarter Money ImpactAlpha is proud to co-host the awards. Apply here by October 20th. PC: Social Finance This year’s fourth edition of the Social Finance …
2030 Finance | August 3, 2017
CoPower raises C$2 million for clean-energy bond platform
CoPower offers green bonds for everyday Canadian investors to invest in community clean energy and building retrofits across North America. It mitigates risk by …
2030 Finance | June 21, 2017
Canadian government launches $2 billion fund for its low-carbon future
Canada’s five-year Low Carbon Economy Fund will finance regional public, private and nonprofit initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases and pollution and develop climate-friendly …
Canada | April 27, 2017
Openimpact.ca profiles more than 150 Canadian impact investing products
Openimpact.ca debuted with information on more than 150 Canadian impact investing products. The public database provides a detailed look into Canada’s C$9 billion …