Category Archives: NCFA Blog

March 22, 2016   NCFA Blog, NCFA Press Releases, Press Releases   No comments

Chantal Cipriano, Lawyer/Compliance Manager, BMO Private Banking, Joins NCFA’s Ambassador Program

About NCFA Canada | Craig Asano | Mar 22, 2016

Chantal CiprianoTORONTO, ON March 22, 2016 – The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) today announced that Chantal Cipriano, Lawyer and Compliance Manager, BMO Private Banking, has joined the Association’s Crowdfunding Ambassadors Program.

“Chantal brings a wide range of skills, professional background and keen interest to advance the development and growth of crowdfunding markets across Canada.  She will be assisting NCFA on a variety of educational and compliance/standards related work and we look forward to her valued inputs as an ambassador of the Association and industry at large", said Craig Asano, Executive Director, NCFA Canada.

NCFA Canada Crowdfunding Ambassadors

Crowdfunding Ambassadors (CFAs) are leaders, educators, supporters and advocates of an inclusive and broad-based crowdfunding industry in communities across Canada. They are circles of influence and ‘go to resources’ for small businesses, organizations and investors to connect with, share and learn about crowdfunding via locally hosted events and initiatives. CFAs are specialists and plugged into an international network of shared resources, thought leadership, and industry professionals striving to cultivate and shape the future of crowdfunding in Canada and beyond.

Chantal Cipriano, Lawyer and Compliance Manager, BMO Private Banking

Chantal Cipriano is a Lawyer and Manger of Compliance with BMO Private Banking, supporting the bank in their dealings with the trusts, estates, pensions and registered plans of high net worth individuals. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in Languages, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Leicester, and a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School with a focus on Securities Regulation, Corporate Finance and Copyright Law. During Chantal’s Master's, her Corporate Finance paper weighed in on the pros and cons of the Crowdfunding regime prior to its coming into fruition, advocating for it to come into force. Chantal was a speaker at the second annual Crowdfunding Summit, advising on how to protect your business as both a startup venture and Crowdfunding platform.

Chantal is the Public Affairs Liaison of the Ontario Bar Association’s Young Lawyers’ Division. Her focus during her tenure has been on increasing membership in the organization and assisting with developing educational seminars for lawyers across the country. As an ambassador of the National Crowdfunding Association, she will seek to carry out the same mandate in helping the association grow and by promoting awareness.

Chantal’s entrepreneurial spirit was sparked at a young age by becoming part of The Finishing Touch Decorators, a residential and commercial painting and interior decorating company. Her role includes processing accounts, negotiating and drafting contracts, and advising on legal matters. Her goal is to continue helping small businesses grow.

“Crowdfunding is a way of bringing your ideas and passions to life without the often deterring high legal costs and burdens on small companies without the capital. Canada is far too behind – failing to keep up with other parts of the world which are actively embracing Crowdfunding could result in extraordinary companies re-locating to do business elsewhere. This will ultimately lead to a negative impact on the Canadian economy.” – Chantal Cipriano

Chantal can be reached at chantal@chantalcipriano.com

# # #

About National Crowdfunding Association of Canada

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country.  NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1300+ 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.  Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

Source: NCFA Canada

For more information please contact:

Media Contacts:

Craig Asano
NCFA Canada
Executive Director
p. (416) 618-0254
e. casano@ncfacanada.org

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March 11, 2016   Entrepreneurs, Start-ups, Small Businesses, Equity Crowdfunding, Alternative Funding, Fintech and Networking Events, NCFA Blog, NCFA Supported Events, P2P, Lending, Digital Bonds, BNPL, Private Credit, Stories   No comments

Event Wrap-up: 2nd Annual 2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit on March 3 (Toronto)

NCFA Blog | March 11, 2016

The 2nd annual Canadian Crowdfunding Summit (#CCS2016) on March 3, 2016 brought together a diverse crowd of companies, investors, providers, industry experts and leaders in the crowdfunding, fintech and altfi sectors. Over 440 attendees were in attendance, including 75+ speakers, 30 sessions and 12 pitching companies.

View the #CCS2016 event website | photo album  | highlights video

2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit

Now in its second year, the Canadian Crowdfunding Summit (hosted by the National Crowdfunding Association of Canada) is Canada’s only national event on crowdfunding, alternative finance and fintech that brings together Canadian and international industry experts, leaders and innovators in the fast growing and lucrative crowdfunding alternative finance industry. With the newly released equity crowdfunding regulations across Canada and the emergence of marketplace lending and investment bank 2.0 platforms, 2016 is anticipated to be a year of exponential growth.

This year's Summit was officially opened by Ontario Finance Minister Hon. Charles Sousa, who endorsed the emerging industry, which helps build on the province's plan for economic growth and job creation.

Master of Ceremonies Michael Brancroft (Executive Producer of Bloomberg Canada TV and co-host of The Feed with Amber Mac on Sirius XM), Tim Jackson (EVP Corporate and Community Development, MaRS) and Craig Asano (founder and Executive Director of the National Crowdfunding Association of Canada) kicked off the summit at 8:30 am, with Hon. Charles Sousa ringing the opening bell.

 

View Official Opening Speech: 

Honourable Charles Sousa, Endorses Canadian Crowdfunding Industry at 2016 Summit

 

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Amar Njjar (CEO, R2CROWD), Tim Jackson (EVP Corporate and Community Development, MaRS), Hon. Charles Sousa (Ontario Finance Minister) and Craig Asano (Founder & Executive Director, NCFA Canada)

 

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Hon. Charles Sousa with the media.

Following the official opening came the Summit's keynote speaker Bill Morrow (founder and CEO, Angels Den), who discussed what it takes for a crowdfunding ecosystem to thrive in a country, and not just exist based on over 8 years of insight from having operated Angels Den in the UK and internationally. There is an implied assumption from most crowdfunding platforms that startups "just" need cash to get up and running... but cash is only #3 on most angel investor's list of important factors to consider, after passion / excitement about the company, and altruism.

Bill Morrow head of Europe and Asia's largest angel network, said "I was so impressed with the vibrant ecosystem that we have entered into negotiations with a partner firm and two professional service providers with a view to setting up Angels Den in Canada. Hopefully we will see Angels Den return next year as a full member of The Association and playing a fuller part in the running of this amazing event"

Following the keynote were a number of shorter TEDx-style talks and presentation on diverse topics covering Canadian and global market data and trends; the sharing economy; trust and transparency in the internet of money, diversity in crowdfunding; P2P lending and the future of banking; virtual reality; equity crowdfunding's impact on private and public markets, and marketing to millennials.

CF160302-219Teri Kirk (CEO, Funding Portal)

CF160302-248Ted Graham (Innovation Leader, PwC)
CF160302-271Bernd Petak (Founder and CEO, Finstripe) CF160302-286Amy Cortese (founder and editor, Locavesting)

CF160302-299Cato Pastoll (Co-founder and CEO, Lending Loop)

 CF160302-343Christopher Charlesworth (Co-founder and CEO, HiveWire)
CF160302-357Peter-Paul Van Hoeken (CEO, Frontfundr)

 

CF160302-366Sophie Nicolaou (Head of Marketing and PR, Lending Arch) and Ryan Laidlaw (FinTexpert, Lending Arch)

Next came the much-anticipated panel " Fireside Chat with Crowdfunding Rockstars" moderated by Mark Evans (Principal, ME Consulting) with panelists Daniel Blumer (CEO/Co-founder, Revol Technologies Inc, whose raised over $2.6 million USD for their Revols product - Bluetooth earphones that mold to the contours of a person’s ears, earning them the new record for Canada's top crowdfunding campaign; Behrouz Hariri (Co-founder, Smart Nora), raised more than $1 million USD in pre-orders for Nora, the non-invasive and smart snoring solution and Judeh Siwady (CEO/Founder, Spacefy), who recently raised capital through equity crowdfunding for Spacefy, which gives creators access to unique and under-utilized spaces while allowing space owners to further monetize their spaces.

 

Finally, the morning session wrapped up with an industry experts panel on Regulatory Perspectives: What to Expect in 2016 with securities lawyers, the Ontario Securities Commission, an founders of leading crowdfunding and crowdlending platforms moderated by Alixe Cormick (President, Venture Law Corporation) and panelists Daryl Hatton (CEO, Sponsifi & FundRazr), Monica Kowal (Vice Chair, Ontario Securities Commission), Jason Saltzman (Partner, Dentons Canada LLP) and Kevin Sandhu (CEO, Grow).

 

Then comes the mad dash to the buffet tables as lunch time rolls around! Several guests avoided the lines by going to R2CROWD's Lunch & Learn in the green room: How to Achieve 8-12% Annual ROI in Commercial Real Estate through Crowdfunding.

 

For Profit BusinessCast 'Live at the Summit' podcast --> Listen Now

Hosted by Robert Gold

 

After lunch, the crowd chose from 5 concurrent afternoon streams of workshops, panel sessions and live pitching. Here's a look at the highlights from the Main Stage (Auditorium B+C), where the following sessions took place:

  • 1:15 PM: The Emergence of Fintech in Lending: What it Means for Banks and Main St. [Moderator: Sarah Efron (Small Business Editor, The Globe and Mail), Panelists Kevin Clark (Co-founder and President, Lendified), Tabitha Creighton (CEO/Co-founder, InvestNextDoor) and Jeff Mitelman (CEO, Thinking Capital)]

 

 

  • 2:00 PM: Investment Strategies: Why Leading Angels/VCs are Joining the Crowd [Moderator: Sunil Sharma (Managing Partner, Extreme Venture Partners), Panelists Janet Bannister (General Partner, Real Ventures), Karen Grant (Executive Director, Angel One Investor Network) and Jim Orlando (Managing Director, OMERS Ventures)]

 

 

  • 3:00 PM: Market Makers: Equity Crowdfunding's Impact on the Innovation Economy [Moderator: Megan Cornell (Founder & CEO, Momentum Law), Panelists Sandi K. Gilbert (Founder & CEO, SeedUps Canada), Rubsun Ho (CEO, Crowdmatrix) and David Shore (Director, Investor Relations, OurCrowd)]

 

 

  • 3:45 PM: Hot Vertical: Real Estate Crowdfunding, an Emerging New Asset Class [Moderator: Brooks Barnett (Manager, Government Relations & Policy, Real Property Association of Canada), Panelists Ann Kaplan (CEO, Brix RCR), Amar Nijjar (President & CEO, R2Crowd) and Hitesh Rathod (CEO, NexusCrowd Inc.)]

 

 

 

 

Highlights from the Tactical Stream (Auditorium A), where the following sessions took place:

  • 1:15 PM: Big Data Investment Trends and Digital Finance Technologies [Moderator: Asier Ania (Co-Founder, HiveWire), Panelists Steven Dryall (Principal, Incipient Technologies), Craig O'Neill (CEO & Director, Versapay) and Angela Wang (Associate Director, Big Data, North America, UnionPay Smart)]

 

 

  • 2:00 PM: How Dubuc Motors, Canada's first EV car, is raising $25M in the US? [Moderator: Carlos Pinto Lobo (Chief Compliance Officer), Panelists Alixe Cormick (President, Venture Law Corporation), Mario Dubuc (Co-Founder & CEO, Dubuc Motors) and Mike Kakogiannakis (Co-Founder & COO, Dubuc Motors)]

 

 

  • 3:00 PM: The Marketplace Lending Opportunity for Banks and Institutional Investors [Moderator: Dr. Sean Geobey (Assistant Professor at the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development, University of Waterloo), Panelists Jeff Brown (Vice President, Community Banking, Meridian), Tabitha Creighton (CEO/Co-founder, InvestNextDoor) and Colin Kilgour (Co-founder, First Marketplace Group)]

 

 

  • 3:45 PM: Making the Most of Every Dollar Raised: Financial Planning for SMEs [Presenters: Darryl Irwin (Tax Partner, PwC) and Alan Lio (Senior Tax Associate, PwC)]

 

 

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Big Data Investment Trends and Digital Finance Technologies panel.

 

 

 

Highlights from the Tactical Stream (CR2), where the following sessions took place:

  • 1:15 PM: Crowdfunding Best Practices: Pre, Launch, and Post Campaign [Moderator: Christopher Charlesworth (Co-Founder and CEO, HiveWire), Panelists Bret Conkin (Founder & CEO, Crowdfund Suite), Khierstyn Ross (Founder & Podcaster, Uncut Entrepreneur) and Jaimy Warner (Executive Director, Raindance Canada)]

 

 

  • 2:00 PM: The Longest 40 Days of Your Life: AMA (Ask Me Anything) [Moderator: Sunny Shao (Advisor, National Crowdfunding Association of Canada), Panelists Gareth Everard (Co-founder, Rockwell Razors), Viktor Grabovskyy (Co-founder, Forever Spin) and Corey Herscu (President, Herscu and Goldsilver)]

 

 

  • 3:00 PM: Protecting Yourself, Your Business and Your Crowdfunding Investment [Moderator: Jeff Musson (President, Dynamite Network), Panelists Chantal Cipriano (Lawyer / Manager, Compliance, BMO Private Banking), Marvin Huberman (Barrister, Mediator, Arbitrator, Marvin J. Huberman) and Monica Tigleanu (Financial Institutions Underwriter, AIG)

 

 

  • 3:45 PM: Community Capital and Locavesting [Moderator: Amy Cortese (Founder & Editor, Locavesting), Panelists Jennifer Bryan (Community Investment and Marketing Manager, SolarShare), Trish Nixon (Director of Investments, CoPower) and Adam Spence (Founder & Director, The SVX, MaRS Centre for Impact Investing)

 

 

 

Highlights from the Meet & Greet (Green Room), where the following sessions took place:

  • 1:15 PM: Meet & Greet with Dentons: Crowd Financing Options for Start-Ups [Kris Miks (Senior Associate, Denton and Jason Saltzman (Partner, Dentons Canada LLP)]
  • 2:00 PM: Presentation & Discussion by OSC: Ontario's Crowdfunding Regime (MI 45-108) [Maria Carelli (Senior Accountant, Compliance and Registrant Regulations, Ontario Securities Commission) and Rick Whiler (Senior Accountant, Corporate Finance Branch, Ontario Securities Commission)]
  • 3:00 PM: Hosted by NexusCrowd: Crowdfunding Real Estate Primer for Accredited Investors [Hitesh Rathod (CEO, NexusCrowd Inc.)]

 

Meet & Greet with Dentons: Crowd Financing Options for Startups

Meet & Greet with Dentons: Crowd Financing Options for Startups

Meet & Greet with the Ontario Securities Commission.

Meet & Greet with the Ontario Securities Commission.

 

And last but certainly not least, highlights from the Live Pitching stream (CR3) where 12 startups pitched in front of a panel of judges and the crowd for "Front of the Line" Golden Tickets to CBC Dragon's Den auditions.

  • 1:15 PM: Live Pitching Live Pitching 1 – Session Lead: DMZ (post-revenue)
    Pitchers: Pinnguaq (Ryan Oliver), SmartHalo (Xavier Peich), Riipen (Richard Tuck)
    Judges: Bill Morrow (Angels Den), Sherif El-­Tawil (DMZ), Kathryn Wortsman (MaRS)
  • 2:00 PM: Live Pitching Live Pitching 2 – Session Lead: Founder Institute (pre-revenue)
    Pitchers: Vizwik (Simon Gauvin), Flipd (Andres Moreno), Rna Diagnostics (John Connolly)
    Judges: Kamal Hussein (IncMind), Dr. Marat Ressin (YEDInstitute), Russell Samuels (Whitecap Venture Partners)
  • 3:00 PM: Live Pitching Live Pitching 3 – Session Lead: Startup Canada (post-revenue)
    Pitchers: Stashbelt (Jonah Brotman), Comfable (Neda Ghazi), The Sharing Depot (Ryan Dyment)
    Judges: Sean Burke (Frontfundr), Jim Orlando (OMERS Ventures), Sean Wise (Ryerson University)
  • 3:45 PM: Live Pitching Live Pitching 4 – Session Lead: MaRS (3:45 PM pre-revenue)
    Pitchers: Yirego (Megan Savage), NERv (Amr Abdelgawad), Eye-LIVE (Murray McKercher and David Baker)
    Judges: Ben Zlotnick (INcubes), Mark Skapinker (Brightspark Ventures), Anthony Lipschitz (Thinking Capital)

 

CF160302-512

Richard Tuck pitching Riipen.

 

Ryan Oliver pitching Pinnguaq.

Ryan Oliver pitching Pinnguaq.

 

CF160302-518

Xavier Peich wins the first live pitching session with SmartHalo.

 

 

 

Simon Gauvin pitching Vizwik.

Simon Gauvin pitching Vizwik.

 

Andres Moreno pitching Flipd.

Andres Moreno pitching Flipd.

 

John Connolly wins the 2nd live pitching session with Rna Diagnostics.

John Connolly wins the 2nd live pitching session with Rna Diagnostics.

 

 

 

Jonah Brotman pitching Stashbelt.

Jonah Brotman pitching Stashbelt.

 

Neda Ghazi pitching QTempSmart, Comfable's flagship product.

Neda Ghazi pitching QTempSmart, Comfable's flagship product.

 

Ryan Dyment wins the 3rd live pitching session with The Sharing Depot.

Ryan Dyment wins the 3rd live pitching session with The Sharing Depot.

 

 

 

Amr Abdelgawad pitches NERv Technology.

Amr Abdelgawad pitches NERv Technology.

 

Murray McKercher and David Baker pitch Eye-LIVE Media.

Murray McKercher and David Baker pitch Eye-LIVE Media.

 

Megan Savage wins the final live pitching session with the Drumi, Yirego's flagship product.

Megan Savage wins the final live pitching session with the Drumi, Yirego's flagship product.

 

 

The crowd gathers back in the main auditorium for the closing panel, closing keynote and closing remarks for the day, including a power panel of experts discussing the future of crowdfunding and the democratization of finance moderated by Erin Bury; a look at P2P decentralized networks by Anthony Di Iorio, who raised over $18 million for his Ethereum crowdfunding campaign (the 5th largest crowdfunding campaign in the world, also partially funded by bitcoin); and finally closing remarks by Adam Nanjee, Head of Fintech at MaRS.

 

 

 

Big thanks to everyone who attended this year's Summit and all the sponsors, speakers, community partners and volunteers who helped make this event possible! We hope to see you again in 2017!

 

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View the #CCS2016 event website

View the #CCS2016 photo album

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR #CCS2016 SPONSORS AND PARTNERS:

All Sponsors

All Partners

 

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1300+ 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. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

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March 9, 2016   Entrepreneurs, Start-ups, Small Businesses, Fintech and Networking Events, NCFA Blog, Stories   No comments

Congratulations to the #CCS2016 live pitch winners!

#CCS2016 Blog | March 9, 2016

SmartHalo, Rna Diagnostics, The Sharing Depot and Yirego receive "Front of the Line" Golden Tickets to CBC Dragon's Den audition

On Thursday, March 3, 12 finalists pitched their startups in front of a panel of judges and the crowd at the 2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit (#CCS2016) at MaRS Discovery District. 4 out of the 12 finalists won a “Front of the Line” Golden Ticket to the Toronto audition of CBC Dragon’s Den, guaranteeing them a chance to pitch in front of the infamous dragons! Winners will also receive a copy of Mark Evans book Storytelling for Startups, as well as one hour of free consulting with Mark himself.

The winners of each session are as follows: SmartHalo (Xavier Peich), Rna Diagnostics (John Connolly), The Sharing Depot (Ryan Dyment) and Yirego (Megan Savage).

Xavier Peich of SmartHalo

Xavier Peich of SmartHalo

John Connolly of Rna Diagnostics

John Connolly of Rna Diagnostics

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Ryan Dyment of The Sharing Depot

Megan Savage of Yirego

Megan Savage of Yirego

Each pitch session was led by a #CCS2016 startup ecosystem partner, with the following schedule and judging panel:

  1. Live Pitching Live Pitching 1 – Session Lead: DMZ (1:15 PM post-revenue)
    • Pitchers: Pinnguaq (Ryan Oliver), SmartHalo (Xavier Peich), Riipen (Richard Tuck)
    • Judges: Bill Morrow (Angels Den), Sherif El­Tawil (DMZ), Kathryn Wortsman (MaRS)
  2. Live Pitching Live Pitching 2 – Session Lead: Founder Institute (2:00 PM pre-revenue)
    • Pitchers: Vizwik (Simon Gauvin), Flipd (Andres Moreno), Rna Diagnostics (John Connolly)
    • Judges: Kamal Hussein (IncMind), Dr. Marat Ressin (YEDInstitute), Russell Samuels (Whitecap Venture Partners)
  3. Live Pitching Live Pitching 3 – Session Lead: Startup Canada (3:00 PM post-revenue)
    • Pitchers: Stashbelt (Jonah Brotman), Comfable (Neda Ghazi), The Sharing Depot (Ryan Dyment)
    • Judges: Sean Burke (Frontfundr), Jim Orlando (OMERS Ventures), Sean Wise (Ryerson University)
  4. Live Pitching Live Pitching 4 – Session Lead: MaRS (3:45 PM pre-revenue)
    • Pitchers: Yirego (Megan Savage), NERv (Amr Abdelgawad), Eye-LIVE (Murray McKercher and David Baker)
    • Judges: Ben Zlotnick (INcubes), Mark Skapinker (Brightspark Ventures), Anthony Lipschitz (Thinking Capital)

Congratulations to the winners and all the companies who pitched! We look forward to #CCS2017! Click here to view the full #CCS2016 photo album.

 

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1300+ 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. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

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February 25, 2016   Fintech and Networking Events, NCFA Blog, NCFA Press Releases   No comments

Full Speaker Lineup and Program for 2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit Announced

NCFA Canada Release | Team CCS2016 Summit | February 25, 2016

NCFA_Signage_24x36_Feb02_001

TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2016 /CNW/ - IN JUST ONE WEEK, the 2nd Annual 2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit (#CCS2016 – "The Future of Crowdfunding is NOW") will be held on March 3rd at the MaRS Discovery District in Toronto, Canada.

With the newly released equity crowdfunding regulations across Canada and the emergence of marketplace lending and investment bank 2.0 platforms, 2016 is anticipated to be a year of exponential growth.  #CCS2016 is a not to be missed event with over 70+ speakers confirmed, the foremost destination for leaders in the crowdfunding economy where industry 'movers and shakers', companies and investors accelerate partnerships, foster industry growth and bring crowdfunding, fintech and alternative finance markets to life.
CCS2016 is for industry, companies and investors

1. Learn current and relevant content on all models 70+ expert speakers and over 30 sessions 
2. Unrivaled premier market access - networking, partnerships and transactional opportunities
3. Opportunity to vote on 12 companies vying to win Dragon's Den auditions tickets (view)

DON'T MISS IT (>90% SOLD)

Register NOW GET 15% promo code = NCFA_NETWORK

 

Freshly announced full list of 75 MC, keynote and program speakers at #CCS2016:

Adam Nanjee, MaRS, Head of Financial Technology and Innovation
Adam Spence, The SVX, MaRS Centre for Impact Investing, Founder & Director
Alan Lio, PwC, Senior Tax Associate
Alixe Cormick, Venture Law Corp, President
Amar Nijjar, R2CROWD, President & CEO
Amy Cortese, Locavesting, Founder & Editor
Angela Wang, UnionPay Smart, Associate Director, Big Data - North America
Ann Kaplan, Brix RCR, CEO
Anthony Di Iorio, TSX and Ethereum, CDO Toronto Stock Exchange, Ethereum Co-founder, CEO & Founder Decentral & Kryptokit
Arti Modi, Lending Arch, CEO
Asier Ania, HiveWire, Co-Founder
Behrouz Hariri, Smart Nora, Co-Founder
Bernd Petak, Finstripe, Co-Founder and COO
Bill Morrow, Angels Den, Founder & CEO
Bret Conkin, Crowdfund Suite, Founder & CEO
Brooks Barnett, Real Property Association of Canada, Manager, Government Relations & Policy
Carlos Pinto Lobo, Chief Compliance Officer,
Cato Pastoll, Lending Loop, Co-Founder and CEO
Chantal Cipriano, BMO Private Banking, Lawyer / Manager, Compliance
Christopher Charlesworth, HiveWire, Co-Founder and CEO
Colin Kilgour, First Marketplace Group, Co-founder
Corey Herscu, Herscu & Goldsilver, President
Craig Asano, National Crowdfunding Association of Canada, Founding CEO
Craig O'Neill, Versapay, CEO & Director
Daniel Blumer, Revol Technologies Inc., Co-Founder and CEO
Darryl Irwin, PwC, Tax Partner
Daryl Hatton, FundRazr + Sponsifi, Founder and CEO
David Shore, OurCrowd, Director of Investor Relations
Douglas Cumming, Schulich School of Business, Venture Capital Professor
Dr. Sean Geobey, University of Waterloo, Assistant Professor, School of Environment, Enterprise and Development
Erin Bury, 88 Creative, Managing Director
Gareth Everard, Rockwell Razors, Co-founder
Hitesh Rathod, NexusCrowd Inc., CEO
Hon Charles Sousa, Ontario Ministry of Finance, Minister of Finance
Jaimy Warner, Raindance Canada, Executive Director
Janet Bannister, Real Ventures, General Partner
Jason Saltzman, Dentons Canada LLP, Partner
Jeff Brown, Meridian, Vice President, Community Banking
Jeff Mitelman, Thinking Capital, Co-Founder and CEO
Jeff Musson, Dynamite Network, President
Jennifer Bryan, SolarShare, Community Investment and Marketing Manager
Jim Orlando, OMERS Ventures, Managing Director
Judeh Siwady, Spacefy, Founder & CEO
Karen Grant, Angel One Investor Network, Executive Director
Kevin Clark, Lendified, President
Kevin Sandhu, Grow, Co-Founder and CEO
Khierstyn Ross, Entrepreneur Uncut, Founder and Podcaster
Kris Miks, Dentons, Senior Associate
Maria Carelli, Ontario Securities Commission, Senior Accountant, Compliance and Registrant Regulation Branch
Mario Dubuc, Dubuc Motors, Co-Founder and CEO
Mark Evans, ME Consulting, Principal
Marty Gunderson, Quidni Estate Winery, Owner and CEO
Marvin Huberman, Marvin J. Huberman, Barrister, Mediator, Arbitrator
Megan Cornell, Momentum Law, Founder and CEO
Michael Bancroft, Bloomberg TV Canada, Executive Producer
Michael Katchen, Wealthsimple, CEO
Mike Kakogiannakis, Dubuc Motors, Co-Founder and COO
Monica Kowal, Ontario Securities Commission, Vice Chair
Monica Tigleanu, AIG, Financial Institutions Underwriter
Peter-Paul Van Hoeken, Frontfundr, CEO
Rick Whiler, Ontario Securities Commission, Senior Accountant, Corporate Finance Branch
Rubsun Ho, Crowdmatrix Inc., Chief Crowdpleaser
Ryan Laidlaw, Lending Arch, FinTexpert and Millennial Insider
Sandi K. Gilbert, SeedUps Canada, Founder & CEO
Sarah Efron, The Globe and Mail, Small Business Editor
Sophie Nicolaou, Lending Arch, Head of Marketing and PR
Steven Dryall, Incipient Technologies, Principal
Sunil Sharma, Extreme Venture Partners, Managing Partner
Sunny Shao, National Crowdfunding Association of Canada, Advisor, Consultant
Tabitha Creighton, InvestNextDoor, Co-Founder and CEO
Ted Graham, PwC, Innovation Leader
Teri Kirk, Funding Portal, Founder & CEO
Tim Jackson, MaRS Discovery District, EVP Corporate and Community Development
Trish Nixon, CoPower, Director of Investments
Viktor Grabovskyy, Forever Spin, Co-Founder

12 Pre and Post-revenue companies pitching live at #CCS2016:

Amr Abdelgawad, CTO, NERv Technology Inc.
Andres Moreno, Co-founder/CTO, Flipd
John Connolly, Founder, Director, VP Corporate Development, Rna Diagnostics Inc.
Jonah Brotman, COO, StashBelt
Murray McKercher, COO, Eye-LIVE Media Inc.
Neda Ghazi, Co-founder, CEO, Comfable Inc.
Richard Tuck, CEO, Riipen Networks Inc
Ryan Dyment, Executive Director, The Sharing Depot
Ryan Oliver, Owner/CEO, Pinnguaq Technology Inc
Simon Gauvin, Co-Founder & CEO, Vizwik
Xavier Peich, President, CycleLabs Solutions inc. / SmartHalo
Yi Jiang, CEO & Founder, Yirego Corp

Pitching Judges

Anthony Lipschitz, Thinking Capital, Chief Strategy Officer
Ben Zlotnick, INcubes, Founder
Bill Morrow, Angels Den, Founder & CEO
Edwin Frondozo, Slingshot VoIP, Chief Marketing Officer
Jim Orlando, OMERS Ventures, Managing Director
Kamal Hassan, IncMind, CEO
Kathryn Wortsman, MaRS Center For Impact Investing, Investment Director
Kevin Taylor, MaRS Center For Impact Investing, Senior Associate
Marat Ressin, YEDInstitute, President
Mark Skapinker, Brightspark Ventures, Managing Partner
Russell Samuels, Whitecap Venture Partners, Principal
Sean Burke, Frontfundr, COO
Sean Wise, Ryerson University, Professor of Entrepreneurship
Sherif El-Tawil, The DMZ, Operations Manager
Stefan Palios, Ziversity, Founder & CEO
Tarun George, The DMZ, Business Development Officer

For a complete list of conference participants including bios visit the 2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit speaking roster and pitchers and judges.

Media Pass and links:

There are a limited number of media passes available.  Please contact sunny@ncfacanada.org if you would like to request a media pass.  More info click here.

Website:  www.crowdfundingsummit.ca
March 3 at MaRS:  Full day program | Speakers | Partners
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About the National Crowdfunding Association of Canada

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1300+ 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. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.For more information please visit: www.crowdfundingsummit.ca or ncfacanada.org.

SOURCE National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada)

Image with caption: "2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit (CNW Group/National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada))". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160225_C8879_PHOTO_EN_629706.jpg

For further information: Media Inquiries: Craig Asano, 416-618-0254, casano@ncfancanada.org; Sponsorship Inquiries: Lauren Linton, 416-569-4349, lauren@ncfacanada.org

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February 16, 2016   Entrepreneurs, Start-ups, Small Businesses, NCFA Blog, NCFA Press Releases, Press Releases   No comments

Finalists Announced for the 2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit Live Pitch

CCS2016 Blog | February 16, 2016

Pitching company logos

TORONTO, ON — February 16, 2016

12 Canadian startups have been selected from across the country to pitch to investors like OMERS, Whitecap Venture Partners, YEDI, Extreme Venture Partners, DMZ at Ryerson University at the 2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit. The finalists are:

  1. Comfable
  2. Eye-LIVE Media
  3. Flipd
  4. NERv Technology
  5. Pinnguaq
  6. Riipen
  7. Rna Diagnostics
  8. Smart Halo
  9. Stashbelt
  10. The Sharing Depot
  11. Vizwik
  12. Yirego Technology

Each of the finalists will also have a chance to win one of four sponsored prize packages.

The Summit, to be held on March 3, 2016, attracts investors, service providers and alternative finance leaders from Canada and around the world. This year’s summit already has over 60 speakers lined up including keynote Bill Morrow, founder and CEO of Angels Den, the UK’s largest angel-led crowdfunding platform.

To learn more about the 2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit, visit www.crowdfundingsummit.ca.

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Comfable_114Comfable Inc. is a tech start-up whose mission is to create comfortable and sustainable environments. Their latest product is called QTemp, a smart wearable weather station that measures UV index and temperature. Based on the measured UV and users’ skin type, QTemp calculates the safe sun time and notifies them when they need to seek sun protection. The company recently completed a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter which raised over $43,000.

 

EYE-LIVE SPORTS REVISIONED_FINALEye-LIVE is the Athlete’s Media Network for “athlete perspective” sports broadcasting. Like IMAX for documentaries, Eye-LIVE sports content is an immersive, 360° viewing experience that fully engages audiences in the entire spectrum of the athlete experience using GoPro-like camera and sensor technology that is custom configured to each sport. Eye-LIVE empowers all athletes to become their own broadcasters by creating their own network channels.

 

flipd_logoFlipd is an innovative mobile app that helps people become less distracted by their phones. It aims to disconnect people from their phones, and reconnect them to reality. If you find yourself easily distracted by games, social media, and other apps, Flipd creates a lock screen that removes distractions, but keeps you connected. With Flipd, you can even remotely lock other people’s phones to keep those around you in check. Flipd has grown 15% month over month since launching.

 

NERv logoNERv aims to reduce the risks that are associated with surgeries by monitoring a patient’s health after a surgical intervention. As a Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology start-up, NERv is developing an implantable biochip designed to detect post-operative complications. The NERv platform consists of implantable biosensors that operate from within the human body to collect data and send feedback to the doctor, allowing medical care facilities to assess critical post-operative changes.

 

Pinnguaq- Primary Logo copyPinnguaq provides high quality technology experiences in a variety of formats that focus on the culture and social growth of Indigenous communities. Pinnguaq was created as a Pangnirtung-based technology startup in 2012 with the goal of providing play experiences in Indigenous languages. Since then, the organization has begun to embrace ways of incorporating play and gaming into wide reaching applications that can benefit tourism, education and economic development.

 

Riipen High Def-02Riipen is an experiential learning platform that connects organizations to top faculty-supervised industry projects completed by university and college students. Students gain real world experience while organizations generate strong brand awareness and leverage millennial insights to grow their business. Riipen’s mission is to eliminate graduate underemployment, thus reducing youth unemployment. Riipen currently has an active equity crowdfunding campaign on Frontfundr.

 

RNA-weblogoRna Diagnostics Inc. is a cancer diagnostics company that has developed the first “real time” chemotherapy response guidance tool, the RNA Disruption Assay™ (RDA™), to address the urgent problem of over-treatment with ineffective chemotherapy and to assist oncologists in the management of cancer treatment. RDA provides an effective solution to one of the most serious problems in cancer treatment: how to evaluate response to chemotherapy early so that patients’ treatment can be tailored to their individual responses.

 

smarthalo_logoSmartHalo is a wearable device that turns your bike into a smart bike. SmartHalo not just another bike accessory; its minimalist design is installed permanently and is built to resist the harshest cities. SmartHalo pairs with your smartphone to bring your biking experience to a new level: it finds the quickest and safest routes and bikepaths for you, reminds you where you’re parked and allows you to set fitness goals. SmartHalo recently raised over $538,000 on Kickstarter in just 30 days.

 

Stash belt coat of armsStashbelt is an ethical fashion company that creates a wearable insurance policy mixing fashionable peace of mind with a socially conscious twist. Handmade in Kenya from genuine graze-fed and organic leather, the Stashbelt is the world’s premiere travel moneybelt with an 18-inch hidden zipper and built-in USB data storage. Boasted by their appearance on Dragon’s Den in February 2015, StashBelt’s sales have increased by 1000% in 2015.

 


PrintThe Sharing Depot is a new venture by the founders of the Toronto Tool Library, a tool-sharing program with 4 locations in Toronto that launched in Spring 2013. Beyond loaning tools, the Sharing Depot will expand its loaning program to include camping and sports equipment, house party supplies, board games and toys as well as monthly swapping events. The Sharing Depot’s crowdfunding campaign will launch in Spring 2016.

 

vizwik-logoVizwik’s technology fundamentally changes who creates software, revolutionizing both the teaching of programming in the education sector and mobile development in enterprise industries. Vizwik makes coding available for everyone and enables computing to be a common literacy. Its coding tool is designed for teachers to bring coding technology into classrooms and engage students to develop computational thinking skills.

 

yirego_logo

Yirego Technology Inc. is a Toronto-based product design company geared toward providing sustainable solutions through unconventional design. The company’s flagship product is the Drumi, a foot-powered washing machine with low environmental impact that saves time, energy, and money. It is not only more hygienic than public laundromats, but also a fraction of the time. Yirego has raised over $250,000 on Indiegogo for the Drumi recently.

 

About the National Crowdfunding Association of Canada

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1300+ members and create a strong and vibrant crowdfunding industry in Canada.

For more information, please contact:

Media Inquiries:

Craig Asano

416-618-0254

casano@ncfancanada.org

 

Register today for the 2016 Canadian Crowdfunding Summit | Innovation | Investors | Entrepreneurship

CCS2016 - March 3 2nd Annual Canadian Crowdfunding Summit

 

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1300+ 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. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

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January 19, 2016   NCFA Blog, NCFA Press Releases, Press Releases   No comments

Mai Anh Doan Joins National Crowdfunding Association of Canada’s Ambassadors Program

NCFA Canada | Craig Asano | January 19, 2016


MaiAnhTORONTO, ON Jan 19, 2016 – The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) today announced that Mai Anh Doan has joined the Association’s Crowdfunding Ambassadors Program.

NCFA Canada Crowdfunding Ambassadors

Crowdfunding Ambassadors (CFAs) are leaders, educators, supporters and advocates of an inclusive and broad-based crowdfunding industry in communities across Canada. They are circles of influence and ‘go to resources’ for small businesses and investors to connect with, share and learn about crowdfunding via locally hosted events and initiatives. CFAs are specialists and plugged into an international network of shared resources, thought leadership, and industry professionals striving to cultivate and shape the future of crowdfunding in Canada and beyond.

"Mai Anh Doan brings great insight and an international perspective into her crowdfunding research.  Her work will continue to appropriately inform crowdfunding investors and other stakeholders about risks and rewards in crowdfunding", stated Craig Asano, Founder and Executive Director of the National Crowdfunding Association of Canada.

Mai Anh Doan - Research Ambassador

Mai Anh started her career as a journalist and worked as Public Relations Manager for multi-nationals before moving to corporate training and communication education. She is currently doing her PhD in investor relations, specialized in equity crowdfunding. She received her Masters of Arts in Communication Management from University of Technology Sydney, and Master of Business (Marketing) from University of Western Sydney (Australia) and is an active communication consultant and researcher in public relations and higher education. Her specialties include issue and crisis management, PR and media training, and financial communication.

"I am honoured to join the NCFA's Ambassadors program in a research capacity, and look forward to accessing the vast knowledge network that NCFA Canada provides. My particular area of research is investor relations, where the ultimate goal is to further boost investor engagement and make equity crowdfunding as inclusive as possible. Hopefully my research will help bring entrepreneurs, investors, platforms, regulators and the media together so that equity crowdfunding continues on a sustainable and innovative path."

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1300+ 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. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

Source: NCFA Canada

For more information please contact:

Media Contact
Craig Asano
NCFA Canada
Executive Director
p. (416) 618-0254
e. casano@ncfacanada.org

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January 15, 2016   Equity Crowdfunding, Alternative Funding, FinTech and Alternative Finance, Fintech Opinions, Legal Issues, Regulation, Consultation, NCFA Blog, Voices   No comments

NCFA Canada Response to Russell’s Call to Dispense with Equity Crowdfunding

NCFA Canada About Us | January 15, 2016

Image: SeedUps.ca

The equity crowdfunding exemption is coming into force January 25, 2016 in MB, ON, QU, NB, and NS, and the start-up crowdfunding exemption came into force May 14, 2015 in BC, SK, MB, QU, NB, and NS. Image: SeedUps.ca

With the proliferation of equity crowdfunding exemptions around the world, such as Ontario's crowdfunding regime that will become live later this month on Jan 25, it is unfortunate Mr. Ian Russell views equity crowdfunding as competition to the TSX Venture Exchange when in fact it is a complement. In his Letter from the President Mr. Russell, chief executive of the IIAC (Investment Industry Association of Canada), calls on regulators to dispense with equity crowdfunding in favour of the TSX Venture Exchange. The Financial Post in an article yesterday (Scrap crowdfunding to help TSX Venture Exchange, IIAC CEO urges - January 14) repeated his view that equity crowdfunding was hurting the TSX Venture Exchange. He expanded on his dislike of equity crowdfunding again in his BNN interview today.

Equity crowdfunding addresses the capital needs of Canadian companies at the seed and early stages of their business development, and the capital needs of Canadian companies at later stages that are unsuited to be public companies but are highly valued in their communities. These companies currently struggle to find the capital they need in Canada. The TSX Venture Exchange may indeed be an “effective vehicle for raising capital” but not for companies such as these who cannot afford the cost of being a public company.

The equity crowdfunding exemption coming into force January 25, 2016 in MB, ON, QU, NB, and NS, and the start-up crowdfunding exemption, which came into force May 14, 2015 in BC, SK, MB, QU, NB, and NS, both operate to fill a serious void in our capital market system today. We believe critics like Mr. Russell will be boosters of equity crowdfunding once it has a chance to take hold and evolve in Canada as it has in several international jurisdictions. Ironically, the same critics may ultimately become avid supporters of equity crowdfunding over time as the market grows and incubates more Canadian early stage ventures to market.

Related: Crowdfunding: enabling global entrepreneurship, the future of Canada’s innovation economy

Seed and early stage companies who have successfully raised capital through crowdfunding will need and look for additional capital as they ramp up and move into other development stages. Companies with a large shareholder base from equity crowdfunding are more likely to look for expansion capital through public markets like the TSX Venture Exchange when it makes sense for the company, its shareholders, and new investors.

Equity crowdfunding therefore has the potential to attract new investors and a diversified range of companies to the TSX Venture Exchange as these seed and early stage companies professionalize and grow. Albeit, not all companies who raise equity through crowdfunding will become public companies. Some companies may instead look to raise follow-on capital on accredited investor equity platforms run by investment dealers and exempt market dealers. It does not make sense to drive all companies who need capital to the public markets.

Related: Let’s cheer – not fear – the rise of ‘fintech’ alternative lenders

Mr. Russell in his letter suggests that regulators and the Federal Government look to the U.K. for policies that would stimulate the small business private and public markets in Canada. We agree, and wish to point out equity crowdfunding has played a big part in stimulating the U.K. economy. Since being adopted by the U.K. Government in 2011, over 1,000 companies have raised over £240 million through equity crowdfunding platforms. They have had zero fraud. In 2014, 30% of equity funding for seed stage private companies in the U.K. came from equity crowdfunding raises. In the third quarter of 2015, that number was well on its way to being around 50%. The U.K. Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), which provide tax relief covering from 30% to over 75% of an investment into an eligible private company has contributed to the success of equity crowdfunding and in stimulating the U.K. economy.

A few provinces in Canada have similar tax programs to EIS and SEIS (e.g., BC’s Small Business Venture Capital Act and NB’s Business Investor Tax Credit Act). These existing provincial tax programs lack uniformity and there are no similar national tax programs like EIS and SEIS in Canada. A national tax program would go a long way in stimulating investment in private companies in Canada and would work well with equity crowdfunding. We would recommend the Federal Government design any such tax program with additional tax incentives to encourage investment in companies located in provinces and territories traditionally ignored by angel investors, venture capital funds, and investment bankers.

Related: The Real Data on Equity Crowdfunding Performance

Dispensing with the “crowd funding” initiative as suggested by Mr. Russell would be a huge mistake and contrary to what is happening around the world today. According to a Goldman Sachs report released in 2015, the global equity crowdfunding market has grown from $400 million in 2013, to $1.1 billion in 2014, and $2.6 billion in 2015 (estimated).

As mentioned above, the U.K. has had an equity crowdfunding exemption since 2011.

In the U.S., as of this month, 29 states plus the District of Columbia have adopted or are finalizing rulemaking implementing crowdfunding exemptions, and 12 additional states are actively considering crowdfunding exemptions. Significant capital is being raised on intrastate equity crowdfunding platforms and accredited investor platforms in the U.S. According to Crowdnetic Corporation, between October 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015, there were 6,063 distinct accredited investor equity crowdfunding offerings in the U.S. raising U.S. $870 million. During the same period between 2013 and 2014, there were 4,712 offerings which raised U.S. $385.8 million. A federal equity crowdfunding exemption will be effective in the U.S. on May 16, 2016 which should further expand the use of equity crowdfunding in that country.

Equity crowdfunding is growing with a 115% average year after year growth rate over the last three years in Europe.

Equity crowdfunding rules have also been adopted and platforms operational in Australia, Asia, and a number of developing countries around the world.

Mr. Russell and the members of the Investment Industry Association of Canada may wish to save and protect the existing investment banking model in Canada but equity crowdfunding is not one of the nails in its coffin. It could indeed be one of the keys to its turnaround and salvation.

 

Sincerely,

On behalf of National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada)

 

Links:

Moving Mainstream: The European Alternative Finance Benchmarking Report, Wardrop, Robert; Zhang, Bryan; Rau, Raghavendra; and Gray, Mia, February 2015.

Crowdfunding: Strategies & Impacts for Technology Markets 2016-2020, Juniper, January 11, 2016.

Equity Crowdfunding in the UK: Evidence from the Equity Tracker, Beauhurst and British Business Bank, March 2015.

“Crowdfunded companies are doing better than average – but why don’t Equity Crowdfunding Platforms tell us this?” Griffith, Sam, AltFi Data, July 15, 2015.

“Britain has become a business-creating powerhouse” Speech by Danny Alexander, (former) U.K. Chief Secretary to the Treasury, presented at the Saïd Business School on February 23, 2015.

Developing World Crowdfunding: Prosperity Through Crowdfunding, Annual Report, Allied Crowds, January 2106.

 

The National Crowdfunding Association of Canada (NCFA Canada) is a cross-Canada non-profit actively engaged with both social and investment crowdfunding stakeholders across the country. NCFA Canada provides education, research, leadership, support and networking opportunities to over 1300+ 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. Learn more About Us or visit ncfacanada.org.

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