Karsten Wenzlaff, Advisor
August 26th, 2025
FFCON18 | February 28, 2018

The 4th Annual 2018 Fintech and Funding Conference Explores the Accelerating Speed and Adoption of Blockchain Technologies, Cryptocurrency and Alternative Investing Markets
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2018 / Hosted by the National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association (NCFA) with presenting partner Nikola Tesla Unite, FFCON18: VELOCITY will be held next week at the Design Exchange in Toronto. Planned announcements, thought leadership content and product launches on Monday, March 5:
These are exciting times - we are witnessing a transformation of technology and society. With new opportunities come hurdles that must be overcome to realize inherent potential. The conference program highlights challenges while celebrating innovative achievements and Canadian milestones.
FFCON18 brings together fintech leaders, investors and emerging innovators from start-ups to scale-ups to government regulatory bodies and agencies who have a vision for the future of finance. A must-attend event for fintech investors, companies raising capital and decision-makers in technology, finance and digital media.
Tickets are selling fast. Check out the conference website and register at: FintechandFunding.com (Event hashtag: #FFCON18) NCFA Members get 20% off with code NCFA_MEMBER_DEAL
The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, and networking opportunities to over 1600+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
NCFA Canada | Feb 15, 2018

Twelve high-growth companies have been selected from inbound applications to pitch live at the 4th annual Fintech and Funding Conference: VELOCITY (#FFCON18). These companies will be pitching in four sessions on March 5, to be led by McCarthy Tétrault, Techstars Toronto, Launch Academy and Brightspark Ventures. Congratulations to the 12 finalists!
One winning company will be chosen from each of the four live pitching sessions at FFCON18, determined by a panel of judges and the crowd. Winning companies will receive prize packages consisting of free Lean Startup Training Programs from Launch Academy, a complementary Press Release Package for North American distribution from ACCESSWIRE, a “Front of the Line” Golden Ticket from CBC Dragon’s Den and more! These tickets will guarantee the winning companies a chance to pitch in front of the infamous dragons at any of their Season 13 upcoming auditions.

The Conference, to be held from March 5-6, 2018, attracts blockchain, crypto and fintech innovators, investors, companies actively raising capital and key decision makers/stakeholders in technology and capital markets from all over Canada and around the world. Click here to view the full program.
Kodisoft’s world-leading interactive smart table and touch sensor technology has already been championed by partnering companies like Microsoft and Intel. With 4 million consumers using the platform already, Kodisoft is disrupting unchanged practices in restaurants and offering a more lucrative business model for operators. As a global Internet of Things company, Kodisoft has an eye to revolutionizing industries including education, health care, retail, business productivity and eventually, even at-home consumption. Technology leaders have compared the development of smart table and touch display industry to the early days of the Personal Computer (PC) market!
BLOCKCHAIN, CRYPTOCURRENCY and ALTERNATIVE INVESTING The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA) is proud to present FFCON18: VELOCITY (2018 Fintech and Funding Conference), an expanded 4th Annual of Canada’s leading financial technology and funding conference. As Cryptocurrencies dominate the media scene, and the ICO frenzy is in full fledge can the Blockchain live up to the massive demand to deliver real life use cases and value to the customer, and can Fintech and Funding catch up with the changing landscape of the industry.
The theme is all about speed, efficiency and reducing friction: VELOCITY. Accelerating the speed of blockchain and capital innovation, disruption, integration and adoption. If you are a blockchain, crypto or fintech innovator, investor or a company actively raising capital or key decision maker/stakeholder in technology and capital markets innovation initiatives and programs, FFCON18 is a must attend event delivering the most comprehensive thought leadership, education, networks, investment and pitching opportunities to global participants.
If you are a fintech investor, a company actively raising capital or key decision maker/stakeholder in technology and capital markets innovation initiatives and programs, FFCON18 is a must attend event featuring immersive content, pitching, networking, workshops and meeting exchanges over 2 days. Are you ready for the VELOCITY Blockchain speed?

Pitching Companies at FFCON18
Twelve high-growth companies have been selected from inbound applications to pitch live at the 4th annual Fintech and Funding Conference: VELOCITY (#FFCON18). These companies will be pitching in four sessions on March 5, to be led by McCarthy Tétrault, Techstars Toronto, Launch Academy and Brightspark Ventures. Congratulations to the 12 finalists!
One winning company will be chosen from each of the four live pitching sessions at FFCON18, determined by a panel of judges and the crowd. Winning companies will receive prize packages consisting of free Lean Startup Training Programs from Launch Academy, a complementary Press Release Package for North American distribution from ACCESSWIRE, a “Front of the Line” Golden Ticket from CBC Dragon’s Den and more! These tickets will guarantee the winning companies a chance to pitch in front of the infamous dragons at any of their Season 13 upcoming auditions.

The Conference, to be held from March 5-6, 2018, attracts blockchain, crypto and fintech innovators, investors, companies actively raising capital and key decision makers/stakeholders in technology and capital markets from all over Canada and around the world. Click here to view the full program.
Cinchy is the next evolution in database technology. Tier-1 banks are already using Cinchy as a smart alternative to application databases, saving millions and building enterprise systems 2-10x faster.
ColliderX is the world’s first open-source, crowdsourced, and crowdfunded blockchain research and development hub. This is a unique model for unbiased, ground-breaking R&D that bridges the gap between industry problems and pure academic or corporate research.
DIID is the neighbourhood watch for fraud management. Monitor customer behaviour across all channels to enrich the tools your business uses to fight fraud.
Decentralized Event Management & Marketing Protocol on Blockchain: imagine Eventbrite & Meetup.com on blockchain with an awesome reward system that enables effective marketing.
Neptune Dash runs infrastructure for the Dash cryptocurrency network, specifically dedicated servers known as masternodes. We also build innovative technology that pushes the Dash currency to the next level. TSX-V: DASH


Discover new blockchain, crypto and startup/scale-up deal flow opportunities and investment strategies. Gain access to high grow start-ups and leading-edge insights.

Lawyer, accountant, marketing specialist or tech guru? Get access to emerging early stage companies, deal flow and partners through new financial instruments to generate revenue and leads for your practice.

Network and pitch your venture to investors, customers and partners. Learn about the latest funding strategies and options.

Connect with leading capital markets innovators, consultants, fintech and blockchain leaders to develop an internal sandbox, rapidly iterate, test, deploy a nextgen global solution.

Celebrate the transformation of digital finance with fintech peers and share how you are unbundling and enhancing financial services, mint your brand while fostering global opportunities.

Discuss and learn how emerging digital technologies will impact the future of financial transactions and services globally and what it means for existing regulatory cultures and policies.

Gain valuable industry insight and make new connections with customers, partners, investors, entrepreneurs and innovators.

Ticket widget not working? Click here to register on Eventbrite
Verified students get a special deal (email: info@ncfacanada.org)
WE ACCEPT CRYPTO! (email: info@ncfacanada.org)
NCFA Canada | Jan 8, 2017

With FFCON18: VELOCITY. Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Alternative Investing Conference fast approaching March 5-6 in Toronto at the Design Exchange, we thought it would be great to feature some of the volunteers this year. Meet Janni Hjorth. A new comer to Canada from Denmark (4 months in Toronto) who has been volunteering and working on her own business and funding campaign.
Volunteering is a great way for communities to grow, for individuals to acquire new skills and to support those around us. But for me it’s also a part of my strategy to establish and grow my network in a globalized world, and the upcoming Fintech & Funding 2018 Conference - FFCON18: VELOCITY and 'all things' Crowd & Crypto is a perfect fit. We're looking to raise capital for our business, meet investors, movers ad shakers and expand our network in the fintech arena.
I have travelled my whole life both for personal and professional reasons. The first time I moved to another country as an 18 year old, I realized that in order to become established and to accomplish my goals I needed to form fundamental networks. Those that come more natural to you when you live in the country you were born. I started understanding the importance of tapping into local communities and connecting with local organizations by volunteering for them. Ever since then I have practiced this no matter where I go, and so far I have lived in 7 countries. At the moment I am doing the same here in Toronto, volunteering has been an important part of my strategy to establish a network, getting to know the local culture and getting involved. The NCFA was a great place for me to offer my assistance, as they play an important role in the Canadian Crowdfunding and Fintech industry which I have a personal interest in.
It’s an excellent way for communities to come together to support causes and businesses that they believe in. It’s an invaluable strategy for startups. I have recently experienced this first hand as I had my own crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Last year I co-founded a company in order to bring a travel footrest to market that required me to establish funding for the first production run. We utilized crowdfunding to enable this.
For a startup like mine crowdfunding has been about more than “just” establishing funding. It’s also been about creating awareness about my project and an avenue to connect with key individuals that have been willing to share their experiences and best practices with me. Especially as a newcomer, getting these connections is a key for success.
My product is a travel footrest called HÄNGAR. We launched it on Kickstarter and reached our funding goal of $5000 within the two first weeks. To date 9464 CAD has been raised from 118 backers (189% over target - we're so excited).

I initially came up with the concept of HÄNGAR on a flight where I was very uncomfortable. I had knee and leg pain and to relief the pain I tied my scarf around the seat in front of me and rested my legs in the hammock the scarf created. Based on this I created the first simple prototype, however it wasn’t until I reached out to my network and got involved with other entrepreneurs and startups through crowdfunding that I actually understood how to tackle this as a business venture. Without the knowledge exchange that comes along with crowdfunding, I would still be flying with a scarf. Events like the FFCON18: VELOCITY is therefore an important forum where startups can grow in a face to face setting and of course seek the funding they need to move forward.
I am very excited to be participating as a volunteer and I will definitely be binging HÄNGAR along.
Volunteer Profile:
Janni Hjorth Kristensen
Origin Denmark
MSc in Events Management
Co-founder of HÄNGAR Travel
Crowdfunding experience: Kickstarter campaign December 12th 2017 – January 12th 2018
Website: www.hangartravel.com
Check out the Campaign: http://kck.st/2jS1KvV
The National Crowdfunding & Fintech Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a national non-profit actively engaged with social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, peer-to-peer (P2P), initial coin offerings (ICO), and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, networking opportunities and services to thousands of community members and works closely with industry, government, academia and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a vibrant and innovative fintech and online financing industry in Canada. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
NCFA Canada | December 22, 2017
The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, and networking opportunities to over 1600+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
British Columbia Securities Commission Release | Nov 16, 2017
VANCOUVER, Nov. 16, 2017 /CNW/ - The British Columbia Securities Commission (BCSC) today announced its sponsorship of the first ever Regtech Hackathon held in British Columbia. The one-day Hackathon will challenge participants to create innovative solutions to help industry meet its regulatory requirements more efficiently and effectively, and improve regulatory quality and competitiveness.
"The BCSC is a strong supporter of industry-led innovations and solutions," said Mark Wang, Director, Capital Markets Regulation, BCSC. "We are excited to be a part of this event, because we believe it has the potential to generate some truly novel and exciting ideas to help advance regulatory technologies."
The Regtech Hackathon is part of the National Crowdfunding Association of Canada's (NCFA) VanFUNDING 2017 Conference on Tuesday, November 28. Teams of three to six people will select a problem statement to solve and work throughout the day on their pitch with help from experienced mentors, including some BCSC staff members.
The full problem statements are available on the VanFUNDING Conference's website, and address the following five areas of focus:
"We are thankful to the BCSC and other industry partners for their support," said Craig Asano, NCFA Founder and CEO. "This collaborative approach is the basis for developing creative and innovative regtech solutions. We encourage entrepreneurs and regulatory experts, innovators, data analysts, designers, and developers to join us in helping discover and launch some amazing B.C. regtech-focused projects."
The winning team will have an opportunity to present their pitch to the VanFUNDING Conference, as well as a chance to win prizes valued at over $20,000. Submissions will be judged on innovation, user experience, pitch, and viability.
The Regtech Hackathon will take place at the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue located at 580 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. More information on the Hackathon, including how to register, can be found on the VanFUNDING Conference website.
About the British Columbia Securities Commission (www.bcsc.bc.ca)
The British Columbia Securities Commission is the independent provincial government agency responsible for regulating capital markets in British Columbia through the administration of the Securities Act. Our mission is to protect and promote the public interest by fostering:
Learn how to protect yourself and become a more informed investor at www.investright.org
SOURCE British Columbia Securities Commission
For further information: Media Contact: Alison Walker, 604-899-6713; Public inquiries: 604-899-6854 or 1-800-373-6393 (toll free), inquiries@bcsc.bc.ca
The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, and networking opportunities to over 1600+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
NCFA Canada | Craig Asano | Nov 15, 2017
VanFUNDING 2017 GOING MAINSTREAM is the premier West Coast conference dedicated to connecting people looking to form long-lasting partnerships, investment and business opportunities.
In less than 2 weeks, VanFUNDING2017 Blockchain, Fintech & Funding Conference and Regtech Hackathon descends on Vancouver November 28th, 8am-6pm at the Morris Wosk Centre for Advanced Dialogue. There is also a VIP networking event on November 27 from 530-8pm at the Diamond cocktail lounge where you can meet the biggest names in Fintech.
VanFUNDING 2017 offers world class program and education delivered via keynotes, TEDx-style presentations, panels and workshops covering Blockchain, Fintech, Regtech, and Innovation Finance topics from a diverse range of perspectives including technology, finance, legal, global innovation and humanity.
The title sponsor is Raymond James, with Gowling WLG, Victory Square Technologies, Blockchain Intelligence Group, and Etherparty as platinum partners.
“We are proud to sponsor The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada,” says Sean Martin, Managing Director, Investment Banking at Raymond James Ltd. “There has been an explosion of blockchain technology that has proven 2017 to be the tipping point of financial innovation.”
The conference features over 50+ expert speakers and mentors from companies and organizations such as Microsoft, IBM, TSX Venture Exchange, Blockchain Intelligence Group, RightMesh, Grow VC, AIBB.io, CoinPayments, Pegasus Fintech and TokenFunder. They will be covering ground-breaking topics such as Blockchain smart contacts, Initial Coin Offerings, emerging regulations, and opportunities in PeerToPeer crowdfinancing, investment opportunities, cryptocurriences, intelligence applications and global financial marketplaces.
"Vancouver is quickly establishing itself as a prominent market for blockchain innovation on the global scene. Victory Square has always supported events that facilitate discussion and collaboration on disruptive new technologies and the VanFUNDING conference falls in line with this mandate. We look forward to an excellent event that will allow our local tech community access to some of the global thought leaders in the blockchain space," said Shafin Diamond Tejani, CEO of Victory Square Technologies.
"We look forward to a great conference & BCs first ever Regtech Hackathon and would like to thank everyone involved from organizers, volunteers, sponsors, community partners and of course our awesome speaking roster! Special thanks to the BC Securities Commission for their support, and a growing list of Regtech Hackathon partners such as Vancity, Supirio and Launch Academy who all recognize the need for a collaborative approach to developing innovative Regtech solutions.
While Regtech is new in Canada, its gaining significant traction globally, and firms are gaining a competitive advantage. Participation in the hackathon is inclusive and we encourage entrepreneurs and regulatory experts, innovators, data analysts, designers and developers to all join us in helping discover and launch some amazing BC Regtech-focused projects", said Craig Asano, CEO VanFUNDING.
VanFUNDING 2017 brings together start-ups and leading industry professionals in a unique venue, selected to promote interactive dialogue and discussion. Combined with workshops and a Regtech Hackathon co-hosted with the BC Securities Commission where $20,000 is up for grabs in cash and prizes, this is a not to be missed event that provides opportunities for all types of businesses in the blockchain and financial technology sector to innovate, learn and network.
The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding, alternative finance, fintech, P2P, ICO, and online investing stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, industry stewardship, and networking opportunities to over 1600+ members and works closely with industry, government, academia, community and eco-system partners and affiliates to create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada. For more information, please visit: ncfacanada.org
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NCFA Canada
Craig Asano
CEO and Executive Director
casano@ncfacanada.org
ncfacanada.org







