Cycle Capital, Canada’s leading cleantech Venture Capital investment platform is recruiting! We are currently seeking a communications professional to join the team as Communications Project Lead. The candidate is bilingual (written and spoken French and English) with experience in development and execution of comprehensive communication strategies, event-planning and a good understanding of social medias. The Communications Project Lead will work closely with the firm’s Vice President Sustainability, Investor Relations and Public Affairs as well as Cycle Capital’s management team and the Ecofuel Accelerator team.
Description
Reporting directly to the Vice President Sustainability, Investor Relations and Public Affairs, the Communications Project Lead is responsible for the development and implementation of communications strategies to enable the realization of organizational objectives that are aligned with the mission and values of the firm and the accelerator.
Responsibilities
Develop and implement specific communications plans to support diverse internal and external activities of the firm and the accelerator;
Ensure the evolution and updates of websites and social media channels: e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter;
Design, direct, and diffuse a broad set of communications tools: e.g., annual report, presentations, press releases, etc.;
Plan, organize and manage events and activities;
Manage budgets for promotional and communications activities, as well as special events.
Coordinate communication activities and support team members with public appearances (draft notes, speeches, etc.)
Support the Vice President Sustainability, Investor Relations and Public Affairs with regards to communications with media and keep the media list updated;
Support portfolio companies and accelerated companies in terms of communications
Support the Vice President Sustainability, Investor Relations and Public Affairs with ecosystem representation
Requirements
Bachelor of communications, marketing, public relations or equivalent;
At least 3 years of experience in the field of communications;
Perfect mastery of written and spoken French and English;
Ability to adapt and manage and prioritize multiple concurrent projects;
Ability to work under pressure and deliver against tight timelines;
Understanding of the investment industry (ideal, but not required);
Experience with Microsoft Office and WordPress;
Knowledge and experience with social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Key Skills
Excellent capacity, both written and oral, to express ideas clearly and efficiently
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a diverse set of profiles, both internally and externally.
Initiative and creativity, and ability to solve complex, multi-faceted problems.
Conditions:
Salary: $50-60k, depending on experience
Montreal-based, with occasional travel
Please send your curriculum vitae by email before February 15 th to [email protected].
Please note that the applications will be kept confidential and that the ones that are best suited to the requirements will be contacted.
Montreal and Toronto, December 18, 2020 – Cycle Capital, Canada’s leading private cleantech venture capital firm, is proud to announce the addition of Export Development Canada (EDC) as new Limited Partner and the final closing of Cycle Capital IV Fund at $145 million. With EDC, Cycle Capital reaches $0.5 billion in assets under management.
Numerous financial partners
Export Development Canada joins respected institutional and strategic investors including Investissement Québec, Teralys Capital, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Fondaction, Business Development Bank of Canada, Suez, Rio Tinto, Innergex Renewable Energy, Hydro-Québec, Vancity Financial Cooperative, McConnell Foundation, Trottier Family Foundation, La Capitale Insurance and Financial Services, Concordia University, several private investors as well as Cycle Capital’s managers.
“At Cycle Capital, we support the talent of our cleantech entrepreneurs so that they can scale on and contribute to fight climate change. We are proud to welcome EDC as new LP, already a great partner of Cycle Capital, to support even more portfolio companies including a lot of female-led businesses at the commercialization stage reach international markets,” said Cycle Capital Founder and Managing Partner Andrée-Lise Méthot.
“Cycle Capital has an established track record for supporting female-led and founded businesses, and EDC’s commitment to this female-founded and co-led fund will support our Women in Trade Investments Program mandate to encourage greater representation on both sides of the investor/entrepreneur table. We have had the pleasure to work with the team at Cycle Capital on multiple co-investments and share the vision that EDC’s customer focused solutions can help further accelerate their growth” says Jennifer Cooke, Manager of Women in Trade at Export Development Canada.
In the past year, Cycle Capital has partnered with EDC on three cleantech direct investments through EDC’s matching program. EDC’s investment in the Cycle Capital IV Fund aligns with its progressive trade strategy, which outlines initiatives to support historically underrepresented groups within the trade environment, including women-led businesses.
Cycle Capital Fund IV
Cycle Capital Fund IV is investing across North America, with a primary focus on Canada, in key technology sectors such as energy storage and efficiency, green chemistry, clean transportation and smart city technologies, Green IoT, Big Data & AI and agtech. As one of the few gender-balanced women-founded VC funds, Cycle Capital is convinced that diversity and inclusion are the drivers of better performances.
Since its initial closing in 2019, Cycle Capital Fund IV has already made 4 investments in leading Canadian and US-based cleantech companies including Bus.com, Vutiliti and Rhombus.
About Cycle Capital Management
Cycle Capital is an impact investor and Canada’s leading private cleantech venture capital investment platform with AUM (assets under management) north of $0.5B. With offices in Montreal, Toronto and Qingdao – in continental China – and a presence in New York and Seattle, Cycle Capital invests in companies at the development and growth stages that commercialize clean technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimize resource use and improve process efficiency throughout North America and China. Cycle Capital is the Founder of the Ecofuel Accelerator, Canada Co-Lead of “Beyond the Billion” – a global pledge campaign aimed at mobilizing a global consortium committed to invest in women founders.
Cycle Capital brings together seasoned investment professionals, strategic advisors and industrial partners with in-depth knowledge of the sector. The firm has many industrial partners such as Suez, Rio Tinto, Hydro-Québec, Brookfield, Innergex Renewable Energy, Énergir, Cascades, Lonza, Aluminerie Alouette, Qingdao City Construction Investment Group and impact investors including Vancity Credit Union, McConnell Foundation, Trottier Family Foundation and few family offices. For more information on Cycle Capital, visit: www.cyclecapital.com .
About EDC
Export Development Canada (EDC) is a financial Crown corporation dedicated to helping Canadian companies of all sizes succeed on the world stage. As international risk experts, we equip Canadian companies with the tools they need – the trade knowledge, financing solutions, equity, insurance, and connections – to grow their business with confidence. Underlying all our support is a commitment to sustainable and responsible business. To help Canadian businesses facing extreme financial challenges brought on by the global response to COVID-19, the Government of Canada has expanded EDC’s domestic capabilities until December 31, 2021. This broader mandate will enable EDC to expand its support to companies focused domestically. For more information and to learn how we can help your company, call us at 1-800-229-0575 or visit edc.ca.
For more information:
Catherine Bérubé
Vice President, Sustainable Development, Investor Relations and Public Affairs
Cycle Capital [email protected]
+1 514 629-1022
Montreal, November 30, 2020 – Cycle Capital, Canada’s most important private cleantech venture capital investment firm, announces the launch of a new water tech impact fund, the BleuImpact Fund, and the appointment of Simon Olivier as Senior Partner to spearhead the initiative on the platform. Focused on innovative water technology companies, the BleuImpact Fund is a seed/early-stage venture capital fund with a target size of $15-20M.
“Water is a finite natural resource unlike any other, which is critical for life itself and for almost every natural and industrial process on the planet. Increasing water pollution, exploitation and waste present evolving risks for our society, our health and our economy. The good news is that an increasing number of startups are developing technologies to solve water-related problems, yet they lack access to venture capital to fund their growth. With BleuImpact we intend to accelerate innovation in the water industry to develop, implement and scale solutions to water problems. Simon’s unique set of expertise in clean technology and innovation is very valuable for our team,” says Cycle Capital’s Founder and Managing Partner Andrée-Lise Méthot.
“Water has absolutely no economic substitute, whatever its price. Yet, paradoxically, water remains undervalued, wasted and polluted. Deploying venture capital to fund innovation in the water sector is the biggest opportunity for Quebec and Canada to create sustainable wealth, for the benefit of its citizens, its environment, and its economy,” says Simon Olivier, Senior Partner & Head of the BleuImpact Fund at Cycle Capital.
Simon Olivier is an executive Leader with an international track record in innovation, strategy, entrepreneurship and financial services. Simon worked with Fortune 500, medium-sized businesses, coop and startups across various industries; all related to social development such as Energy, Water, Healthcare, Finance and Food. Career highlights include; largest asset-based financial deal for GE Capital in Canada (2000), pioneer of GE’s renewable business (wind ,solar, biomass) by building a multi-billion-dollar franchise (2003-2012), head of GE’s business development (M&A, GE Ventures) in Canada (2012-2016) and launched a $40M co-investment partnership between Agropur Coopérative and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec to invest in innovative dairy startups (2018).
Simon holds an engineering degree from Polytechnique Montreal and an MBA in finance from McGill University where he is a member of the McGill Global Leadership Council. In 2009, he was named Quebec’s young international leader (Arista).
About Cycle Capital
Cycle Capital Management (CCM) is an impact investor and Canada’s largest cleantech venture capital investment platform with AUM (assets under management) close to $0.5B. With offices in Montreal, Toronto and Qingdao – in continental China – and a presence in New York and Seattle, CCM invests in companies at the development and growth stages that commercialize clean technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimize resource use and improve process efficiency throughout North America and China. CCM is the Founder of the Ecofuel Accelerator and the Co-Founder of the Ecofuel Fund.
Cycle Capital brings together seasoned investment professionals, strategic advisors and industrial partners with in-depth knowledge of the sector. The firm has many industrial partners such as Suez, Rio Tinto, Hydro-Québec, Brookfield, Innergex Renewable Energy, Énergir, Cascades, Lonza, Aluminerie Alouette, Qingdao City Construction Investment Group and impact investors including Vancity Credit Union, McConnell Foundation, Trottier Family Foundation and few family offices. For more information on Cycle Capital, visit: www.cyclecapital.com .
Info Catherine Bérubé Vice President, Sustainability, Investor Relations and Public Affairs [email protected] +1 514 629-1022
Together with Beyond the Billion, Cycle Capital and Loyal VC are joining forces to mobilize LPs and GPs across Canada and advance efforts to close the gender funding imbalance
Investissement Québec becomes the first institutional fund to join the initiative and confirm its commitment to women entrepreneurs and business leaders
November 16, 2020 (Toronto, Montreal) — Driven by the rapid success achieved in its first eight months in mobilizing capital to reach its global goal of US$1bn of venture fund pledges towards women-founded companies, Beyond the Billion, along with its Canadian partners, Cycle Capital Management and Loyal VC, join hands to extend efforts driven by The Billion Dollar Fund for Women (TBDFW). The launch of the Beyond the Billion (BTB) initiative is the next phase to build on TBDFW’s initial momentum for tackling the gender funding gap.
Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder and Managing Partner, Cycle Capital Management highlighted, “According to Pitchbook, in 2019, less than 3% of global venture funding went to all-women teams, and only 12% to gender-diverse teams[1]. Throughout the growth of Cycle Capital, we have always striven to further the cause of female entrepreneurs; we are aware it is not a deal flow issue and we leverage our diversity around the investment table[2]. Now with Beyond the Billion and Loyal VC, we have an opportunity to find other like-minded partners and harness support across Canada to make a pledge and join the consortium. We are mobilizing existing venture funds and limited partner investors to work together towards a common global goal — catalyze capital to scale women-founded companies in a sustainable manner.”
“Many investors aren’t aware that the standard pitch process is biased against women founders”[3] stated Kamal Hassan, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Loyal VC. “This is a factor as to why so few female entrepreneurs receive funding though they represent 28% of all founders in Canada. This is true despite the fact that women who do get funded tend to achieve better financial returns[4]. BTB is not just about gender fairness, it is also an opportunity for venture funds that invest in women, as well as the limited partner investors into these funds, to achieve improved results.”
Beginning in 2020, Beyond the Billion expanded its outreach to target both General Partners (GPs) and Limited Partners (LPs). BTB will facilitate connections for GPs seeking to gender-diversify their portfolios to LPs committed to mobilizing their funds behind such GPs who invest in women-founded companies. These connections will assist LPs to achieve their goal of driving more capital to women founders. As they fulfill their pledges, and the combined group purpose, they will deliver larger pools of capital for venture investments.
Investissement Quebec and Teralys, first LPs to join Beyond the Billion
Investissement Québec and Teralys become the first Canadian investors to directly support BTB to propel impact towards conquering the gender funding imbalance.
Investissement Québec, a government corporation that plays an active role in Québec’s economic development providing creative solutions for businesses, is the first Canadian institutional investor to join the initiative.
Consistent with its Strategic Plan 2020-2023, it commits to further support and fund even more women-led or owned businesses. The intent is to raise the number of women-led businesses as a proportion of all client businesses currently receiving financing to 18% of the total.
“Investissement Québec is proud to partner with the initiative Beyond the Billion to contribute to the development of women-led or women-owned businesses. We know that only 16% of Quebec SMEs are predominantly owned by women and that these female entrepreneurs are often facing more barriers then men when seeking funding. We are determined to help talented female leaders achieve their ambitions by collaborating with others ecosystem partners that want to facilitate access to capital to women entrepreneurs,” said Guy LeBlanc, President and CEO of Investissement Québec.
“Teralys Capital, Canada’s largest innovation-focused investor, is committed to supporting and scaling the number of women-led companies and venture capital funds in Canada. As limited partner and investor, we have an integral role to play in fostering greater female representation in our industry, within funds and portfolio companies. As such, Teralys has made gender diversity an equally weighted pillar when assessing new opportunities, along with integrating gender-related reporting requirements from our fund managers. We are proud to partner with Beyond the Billion and ecosystem partners to propel this goal forward.” said Cédric Bisson, Partner, Teralys.
“The leadership of our Canadian fund partners in both pledging and now deploying capital to women innovators is a testament to the fact that they know that investing in women is good business. Since we launched TBDFW in 2018, 18 Canadian-based venture funds pledged significantly toward our achieving our $1bn goal and we are confident that they will fulfill their pledges as we round out the year.” said Shelly Porges, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Beyond the Billion and The Billion Dollar Fund for Women.
“With Cycle Capital and Loyal VC now taking on the role of Canadian co-leads in support of this global initiative, we would like to also offer a heartfelt thank you to Lally Rementilla, in her role as CEO of Quantius (now Managing Partner, IP-Backed Financing at BDC) for her energy and leadership in helping us successfully launch TBDFW in Canada. We are grateful for the leadership provided by both Cycle Capital and Loyal VC and for their on-going dedication to supporting women founders; opening access to capital will be instrumental to our success in closing the venture funding gender gap.”
Gaining commitment from venture partners and investors will be a solid step forward in supporting great women founders. Studies have shown that businesses founded by women deliver more than twice as much revenue per dollar invested[5]. With Canada’s goal of doubling the number of women entrepreneurs by 2025[6], the investments made by Canadian partner funds will be more important than ever to ensure the success of these early-stage ventures and showcase Canadian diversity best-practices globally.
Individuals, family offices, institutions, and venture funds can learn more about Beyond the Billion from the Founders of The Billion Dollar Fund for Women, seek information regarding how to participate, and view the global list of current VC participants committed to catalyzing capital at www.beyondthebillion.com.
Current Canadian Pledgors: The Billion Dollar Fund for Women (TBDFW) & Beyond the Billion (BTB)
Alate Partners
Amplify Capital (MaRS Canada)
BCF Ventures
Cross Border Impact Ventures
Cycle Capital
Disruption Ventures
Dream Maker Ventures
Ecofuel Fund
Grand Challenges Canada
Investissement Québec
Loyal VC
Marigold Capital
MEDTEQ
Quantius
Raiven Capital
Redd’s Capital
StandUp Ventures
Teralys Capital
Valhalla Capital
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ABOUT BEYOND THE BILLION
Beyond the Billion™(BTB), from the Founders of The Billion Dollar Fund for Women™ was founded to address the venture investment gap where women-founded teams receive less than 3% of total VC funding. After mobilizing a global consortium of venture funds committed to investing $1Bn in women-founded companies in less than a year from over 80 funds globally, BTB’s mission is now to catalyze the larger landscape of capital. BTB is committed to ensuring the continued capacity to invest in women-founded companies by bridging venture funds and limited partner investors. These include institutional investors such as endowments, foundations, international financial institutions and development financial institutions; as well as strategic corporates, family offices, wealth managers and high net worth individuals to drive the agenda and capital, collectively. www.beyondthebillion.com
ABOUT CYCLE CAPITAL
Cycle Capital Management is an impact investor and Canada’s largest cleantech venture capital investment platform with AUM (assets under management) close to $0.5B. With offices in Montreal, Toronto and Qingdao – in continental China – and a presence in New York and Seattle, Cycle Capital invests in companies at the development and growth stages that commercialize clean technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimize resource use and improve process efficiency throughout North America and China. Cycle Capital is also the Founder of the Ecofuel Accelerator and the Co-Founder of the Ecofuel Fund.
Cycle Capital brings together seasoned investment professionals, strategic advisors and industrial partners with in-depth knowledge of the sector. The firm has many industrial partners such as Suez, Rio Tinto, Hydro-Québec, Brookfield, Innergex Renewable Energy, Énergir, Cascades, Lonza, Aluminerie Alouette, Qingdao City Construction Investment Group and impact investors including Vancity Credit Union, McConnell Foundation, Trottier Family Foundation and few family offices. For more information on Cycle Capital, visit: www.www.cyclecapital.com
ABOUT LOYAL VC
Loyal VC operates a global startup index fund with over 125 investments across more than 30 countries. The fund is designed to minimize systemic bias inherent in the investment process, unlocking greater returns. With its collaborative, staged investment process, its network of over 300 global advisors, and its global relationships with the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator, Founder Institute, and the #1 non-US business school for unicorn founders rated by Pitchbook, INSEAD, the Loyal Startup Index Fund has delivered strong returns since its launch in 2018. The fund’s portfolio is diverse across a number of dimensions: more than 30% of portfolio company CEOs are female, nearly 30% are from emerging markets, and 80% are leveraging technology to address one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Learn more at: www.loyal.vc
Investissement Québec’s mission is to play an active role in Québec’s economic development by spurring business innovation, entrepreneurship and business acquisitions, as well as growth in investment and exports. Operating in all the province’s administrative regions, the Corporation supports the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes with investments and customized financial solutions. It also assists businesses by providing consulting services and other support measures, including technological assistance available from its CRIQ business unit. In addition, through Investissement Québec International, the Corporation also prospects for foreign investment and assists businesses with export activities.
Emerald, Cycle Capital, İnci, Nabtesco, Greenhouse invest in Advanced Power Conversion Innovator
Rhombus Energy Solutions, Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of high-efficiency power conversion systems for electric vehicle fleet charging, energy storage and microgrid applications, announced today that it has closed a Series C financing round from a global syndicate of advanced energy investors lead by Emerald Technology Ventures. The syndicate also included Cycle Capital Management, İnci Holding, Nabtesco Technology Ventures, Greenhouse Capital Partners and existing shareholders. Emerald Technology Ventures Partner Markus Moor and Cycle Capital Management Founder and Managing Partner Andrée-Lise Méthot will join Rhombus’ Board of Directors.
Rhombus develops and manufactures a line of UL 1741-SA certified bi-directional chargers for Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) applications that are utilized by electric vehicle (EV) fleets and charging network operators. Similarly, Rhombus UL 1741-SA certified smart inverters are preferred equipment in commercial and industrial building solar energy and energy storage solutions, where they enable behind-the-meter peak shaving and building-to-grid power transfer.
“Emerald sees high-power EV charging, and particularly Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) EV charging, as promising means to both reduce energy costs for EV fleets and to provide energy to the utility grid during peak demand hours,” said Markus Moor, Partner at Emerald Technology Ventures. “The Rhombus team has the expertise and technology to provide industry-leading solutions in this fast-growing and important market. The Company has demonstrated this leadership through the success of its products in a variety of demanding EV fleet deployments.”
“Cycle Capital invests in companies that will have a meaningful impact on climate change. We believe that Rhombus is well positioned to enable this transition as a leader in the electric vehicle charging space for commercial fleets. Not only does the Company offer one of the most robust charging solutions with vehicle-to-grid capability for high power applications, the management team has extensive experience and they are widely recognized as leaders and innovators in the power sector,” said Andrée-Lise, Founder and Managing Partner of Cycle Capital.
“We are very pleased with the integrity of the firms and the shared commitment of the syndicate,” said Rick Sander, President and CEO of Rhombus. “With the new investment, Rhombus will continue to scale its team and operations to accelerate product development, expand sales and marketing reach and fulfil the needs of its fast-growing customer base. The EV market is expected to grow exponentially over the next several years as commercial fleets take advantage of its value proposition to reduce energy costs. The expertise of the Rhombus team in the field of high-power smart inverters and V2G-capable EV chargers has enabled the company to ship over 800 systems worldwide into the most demanding environments.”
About Rhombus Energy Solutions
Rhombus develops and manufactures next-generation bi-directional electric vehicle charging infrastructure, high-efficiency power conversion systems and energy management system (EMS) software for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capable electric vehicle fleet charging, energy storage and microgrid applications. The high reliability of our solutions is the result of decades of experience developing high-power systems for a variety of applications and deployment scenarios, including UL-1741-SA system-to-grid solutions.
With foundations laid by Cevdet İnci 68 years ago, İnci Holding today employs 3,000 people in nine companies, mainly in the automotive sector. As well as manufacturing batteries and wheels for the automotive supplier industry, İnci Holding also produces minibars for the hotel equipment sector, and is active in logistics and the venture capital ecosystem. The group’s social responsibility activities are undertaken by the Cevdet İnci Education Foundation. The İnci Group supplies global giants, exporting 70% of its output to over 100 countries. A family business run on corporate governance principles, İnci Holding’s continued development contributes to the Turkish economy. http://www.inciholding.com/en
About Cycle Capital Management
Cycle Capital Management is an impact investor and Canada’s largest cleantech venture capital investment platform with AUM (assets under management) close to CAD 0.5 billion. With offices in Montreal, Toronto and Qingdao – in continental China – and a presence in New York and Seattle, CCM invests in companies at the development and growth stages that commercialize clean technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimize resource use and improve process efficiency throughout North America and China. Cycle Capital is also the Founder of the Ecofuel Accelerator and the Co-Founder of the Ecofuel Fund.
Nabtesco Technology Ventures (NTV) is a corporate venture fund launched in 2018 by Japan’s Nabtesco Corporation. NTV’s goal is to explore new technologies, applications and business models in areas of strategic interest to Nabtesco Corporation, such as Rhombus’ advanced power electronics products for electrical energy conversion and control. The EUR 75 million fund invests primarily, but not exclusively, in mobility, robotics, motors, sensors, additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things technologies. NTV evaluates and manages equity investments and joint development projects with start-up companies around the world. Investment activities are managed under strategic partnership with Emerald Technology Ventures, a global leader in technology venture capital.
About Greenhouse Capital Partners
Greenhouse Capital Partners is a growth capital firm investing in companies with established business models promoting health and sustainability within the areas of Food, Agriculture, Industrials and the Environment. The firm believes that an economic revolution is underway, powered by technology and simultaneously shaped by evolving system needs, that is rapidly changing the way we produce, move, consume and preserve goods and natural resources. Greenhouse is at the forefront of investing in this wave of change and partners with values driven teams building solutions to help make the world more resourceful and resilient.
Emerald is a globally recognized investment firm and strategic innovation partner, with offices in Zurich, Toronto and Singapore. Founded in 2000, it has raised five venture capital funds, completed over 400 venture investments in 67 emerging industrial technology leaders and managed five third-party investment mandates, including for the governments of Switzerland and Singapore. Emerald is a trusted open innovation partner for numerous multi-national corporations, leveraging deep industry expertise and rich global deal flow in the areas of energy, water, industrial IT, advanced materials, mobility, robotics, and agriculture.
Cycle Capital, Canada’s largest clean technology venture capital investment platform, is proud to announce new closings of Capital Fund IV, drawing in commitments from La Capitale Insurance and Financial Services, Concordia University, few family offices and private investors. They are joining LPs from the initial closing including Teralys Capital, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Fondaction, Suez, Hydro-Québec, Innergex Renewable Energy, McConnell Foundation, Rio Tinto, Vancity Credit Union and Trottier Family Foundation. The Fund IV also received a $20M participation from the federal government’s Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative (VCCI), announced in 2019.
“I’m thrilled that, with the help of our government, Cycle Capital will be investing in clean tech start-ups from coast to coast to coast. This will allow these businesses to grow into innovative global champions for combatting climate change and will lead to new jobs and opportunities for Canadians. Through our Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative, we will continue to support diverse industries and entrepreneurs doing excellent work in the clean tech sector.”
– The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
“La Capitale is proud to join the Cycle Capital Fund IV and to invest in the development of clean technologies in Quebec and in Canada. We are convinced that a greener future will be made possible through innovative clean solutions, and we are honored to take part in achieving this goal.”
– Jean St-Gelais, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at La Capitale Insurance and Financial Services
“We are proud to be investing in this clean technology fund. For the Concordia Foundation, this is part of our larger strategy to increase responsible and sustainable investments, in line with Concordia University’s values and policies.”
– Marc Gauthier, Concordia University Treasurer & Investment Officer.
“Our approach to curate the best cleantech ideas and help them scale into innovative global leaders while at the same time providing high returns, drew commitments from both long-standing and new Limited Partners. The combination of these forward-thinking investors will enable us to drive growth in some of the top innovative cleantech companies.”
– Andrée-Lise Méthot, Cycle Capital’s Founder and Managing Partner.
Cycle Capital Fund IV is investing across North America, with a primary focus on Canada, in key technology sectors such as energy storage and efficiency, green chemistry, clean transportation and smart city technologies, Green IoT, Big Data & AI and agtech. As one of the few gender-balanced women-founded VC funds, Cycle Capital is convinced that diversity and inclusion are the drivers of better performances.
Cycle Capital Management
Cycle Capital Management (CCM) is an impact investor and Canada’s largest cleantech venture capital investment platform with AUM (assets under management) close to $0.5B. With offices in Montreal, Toronto and Qingdao – in continental China – and a presence in New York and Seattle, CCM invests in companies at the development and growth stages that commercialize clean technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimize resource use and improve process efficiency throughout North America and China. CCM is also the Founder of the Ecofuel Accelerator and the Co-Founder of the Ecofuel Fund.
Cycle Capital brings together seasoned investment professionals, strategic advisors and industrial partners with in-depth knowledge of the sector. The firm has many industrial partners such as Suez, Rio Tinto, Hydro-Québec, Brookfield, Innergex Renewable Energy, Énergir, Cascades, Lonza, Aluminerie Alouette, Qingdao City Construction Investment Group and impact investors including Vancity Credit Union, McConnell Foundation, Trottier Family Foundation and few family offices. For more information on Cycle Capital, visit: www.cyclecapital.com .
About Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative
Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative (VCCI) is a $450 million Federal government program backed by the Government of Canada to strengthen the local venture capital ecosystem, and help Canadian companies scale. VCCI Stream 1 invested in large funds-of-funds that will support Canadian VC fund managers, while VCCI Stream 2 invested in emerging and diverse managers, underserved regions and sectors, and alternative fund structures. VCCI Stream 3 invested in VC funds investing primarily in clean technology firms. Read more: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/061.nsf/eng/h_03052.html
About La Capitale
La Capitale Insurance and Financial Services, created in 1940, has a strong presence across Quebec and throughout Canada. With over 2,686 employees and guided by the values of mutualism on which it was founded, La Capitale works with clients to build, protect and value what they feel counts for their financial security. It offers insurance products and financial services to the general public as well as to Quebec public service employees. With assets of $7.4 billion, La Capitale occupies a choice position among leading insurers in Canada.
About Concordia University
Concordia University, located in Montreal, was ranked first in Canada among universities founded or established in the last 50 years according to the 2019 Quacquarelli Symonds “Top 50 Under 50” Rankings. www.concordia.ca
Info
Catherine Bérubé
Vice President, Sustainability, Investor Relations and Public Affairs [email protected]
+1 514 629-1022
Montreal, July 8, 2019 – Cycle Capital, Canada’s most important cleantech venture capital firm, announces the appointment of Ariane Cloutier as Director of Finance and Gary Berdowski as an analyst.
« We are very happy to have Ariane and Gary join us at Cycle Capital. Already well integrated, Ariane is drawing from her knowledge of VC and Gary from his experience in industrial manufacturing. They’re a great addition to our growing and diverse team », adds Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder and Managing Partner
Ariane spent 7 years at KMPG as an auditor, where she worked with clients in asset management, private investment and renewable energies. During her time there, she took on many other roles including university recruiter and instructor. Ariane moved on to be Director of Finance for a growth capital venture capital fund. At Cycle, she prepares financial statements and assists with administrative and accounting procedures.
A certified accountant (CPA, CA) since 2013, Ariane has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a specialized graduate diploma (DESS) from HEC Montréal.
Gary has worked in the industrial manufacturing field for over 7 years at Velan, as part of their Engineering and Strategic Planning departments. Most recently, as a Strategic Analyst, he was responsible for building and maintaining the company’s five-year plan for senior management and the board of directors. In the last year, Gary helped develop a company-wide product line profitability model to help with critical business investment decisions. With his experience at Velan, he will provide an expertise in industrial activities, process & design optimization and Industrial IoT (IIoT).
Having successfully completed all three CFA exams, he is currently in the process of obtaining the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University and an MBA from Concordia University.
Vancouver, Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – Cycle Capital, Canada’s largest clean technology venture capital investment platform, is proud to be one of the recipients of Stream 3 Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative (“VCCI”), announced today by the Honourable Mary Ng, federal Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion in Vancouver.
The Government of Canada, through the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), has committed to support funds with a primary focus on clean technology firms under Stream 3 of VCCI. This initiative also focuses on enhancing diversity and increasing women’s participation across the venture capital ecosystem.
“Through VCCI, our government is partnering with talented venture capital fund managers to increase their support of Canada’s clean technology companies,” said the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion. “We are proud to invest in Cycle Capital as it supports promising entrepreneurs in this sector, allowing them to create jobs in Canada and compete on a global scale.”
“We are pleased to welcome the VCCI program as a new Limited Partner”, said Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder and Managing Partner of Cycle Capital. “Cycle Capital shares the federal government’s belief that venture capital can help build and grow competitive innovative cleantech companies that will disrupt their industries, create large scale market value, drive solid financial returns while helping Canada attains its goals in terms of GHG emissions reductions. Claude Vachet, Managing Partner and I look forward to collaborating in the growth of Canadian cleantech flagships.”
As one of the few gender-balanced women-founded VC funds, Cycle Capital is convinced that diversity and inclusion drive better performance and believes that its strategy focused on yielding successful investments while supporting diverse and inclusive management teams contributed to its selection in the VCCI process.
The Canadian Government’s contribution through VCCI to Cycle Capital Fund IV, L.P. will enable Cycle Capital to deploy more capital in innovative cleantech companies, in key technology sectors such as energy storage and efficiency, green chemistry, clean transportation and smart city technologies, Green IoT, Big Data & AI and agtech.
Cycle Capital announced the first closing of Cycle Capital Fund IV at $109M last February and has already carried out a first investment.
Cycle Capital’s platform regroups several institutional and industrial investors as well as impact investors, family offices and high net worth individuals as limited partners.
Cycle Capital Management
Cycle Capital Management (CCM) is an impact investor and Canada’s largest cleantech venture capital investment platform with AUM (assets under management) close to $0.5B. With offices in Montreal, Toronto and Qingdao – in continental China – and a presence in New York and Seattle, CCM invests in companies at the development and growth stages that commercialize clean technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, optimize resource use and improve process efficiency throughout North America and China. CCM is also the Founder of the Ecofuel Accelerator and the Co-Founder of the Ecofuel Fund.
Cycle Capital brings together seasoned investment professionals,
strategic advisors and industrial partners with in-depth knowledge of the
sector. The firm has a number of industrials including Suez, Rio Tinto,
Hydro-Québec, Brookfield, Innergex Renewable Energy, Énergir, Cascades, Lonza,
Aluminerie Alouette, Qingdao City Construction Investment Group and impact
investors such as Vancity Credit Union, McConnell Foundation and Trottier
Family Foundation, as strategic partners. For more information on Cycle
Capital, visit: www.cyclecapital.com .
Info
Catherine Bérubé
Vice President, Sustainability, Investor Relations and Public Affairs [email protected]
+1 514 629-1022
Six Canadian venture funds have already pledged as part of the global campaign to mobilize $1B
Wednesday, February 20th, 2019 (Toronto and Montreal) – Cycle Capital, Canada’s largest clean technology venture capital investment platform, announced the first close of its new Fund, Cycle Capital Fund IV, LP. The announcement was made by Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder and Managing Partner of Cycle Capital, alongside Pierre Fitzgibbon, Quebec’s Minister of Economy and Innovation and the fund’s sponsors.
The Billion Dollar Fund For Women launches
its Canadian campaign to mobilize a consortium of Canadian venture funds to
pledge to increase their investment in women-founded companies. While the
gender pay gap is well documented in Canada, what is not is the gender funding
gap of venture capital in companies. To address this, The Billion Dollar Fund
for Women (“TBDF”) was established to tackle the gender funding gap. A founding
group of Canadian venture capital funds are proud to bring the TBDF to the
country and to receive an initial set of pledges from Canadian venture capital
firms as part of a global $650M pledged toward a $1B goal.
“The Billion Dollar Fund for Women is a simple and elegant way for venture capital firms to show their support for female-founded companies. If you say that you support female entrepreneurs, you make a pledge and join the consortium. We are mobilizing existing funds to work together towards a common global goal, to empower female entrepreneurs. We are thrilled with the support and commitment given by the first set of Canadian funds and we look forward to continuing the conversation with other funds to support this initiative and meet our $1B global goal,” said Lally Rementilla, Canada Lead of TBDF and President of Qantius Inc.
The
fund was inspired by a desire to mobilize and connect these venture funds with institutional
and other investors to create larger pools of capital for venture investments
into women founded companies. TBDF’s
Co-Founders are eager to expand their global reach of venture funds. As
importantly, they hope to inspire larger investors to see these funds as a key
opportunity to gender diversify their portfolios and to meet the growing push
for ESG (environment/social/governance) requirements.
“We are thrilled to welcome our Canadian
partners pledged to increasing their investments in women. Nothing has
excited us more than our partnership with some of Canada’s leading venture
funds. And no country has shown more commitment to its female founders than
Canada. It is clear that Canada is on the threshold of major breakthroughs in
innovation led by some of its great women entrepreneurs. With Canada’s
goal of doubling the number of women entrepreneurs by 2025, the investments
made by our partner funds will be more important than ever to ensure the
success of these early-stage ventures,” said Shelly Porges, Co-Founder and
Managing Partner of TBDF.
According to Pitchbook, women-founded
companies have received just 2% of the total of venture capital investment last
year[1]. Beyond this, venture
funds committed to investing in women founded companies often struggle to
expand their capital base and to increase their capacity to invest. Yet,
research shows that companies with women founders bring in 20% more revenue
with 50% less invested. [2]
For venture funds that make a pledge,
TBDF provides greater exposure to institutional funders, sovereign funds,
wealth managers, family offices and high net worth investors. While more city
leads will be announced soon, the current city Leads of TBDF Canada are Cycle
Capital (Montreal) and Marigold Capital (Toronto).
Interested individuals who would like to learn more about The Billion Dollar Fund for Women are welcome to head to http://thebilliondollarfund.org/ for participation opportunities.
The
Billion Dollar Fund For Women™/Canada
Canada Lead: Lally Rementilla, President, Quantius Inc.
The Fund will focus on growth stage innovative cleantech companies
Montreal and Toronto, Monday, February 11, 2019 – Cycle Capital, Canada’s largest clean technology venture capital investment platform, announced the first close of its new Fund, Cycle Capital Fund IV, LP. The announcement was made by Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder and Managing Partner of Cycle Capital, alongside Pierre Fitzgibbon, Quebec’s Minister of Economy and Innovation and the fund’s sponsors.
The Government of Quebec is contributing $50 million
through its authorized representative, Investissement Québec. The other
investors are Teralys Capital, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Fondaction, Suez,
Hydro-Québec, Innergex Renewable Energy, McConnell Foundation, Rio Tinto, Vancity
credit union, Trottier Family Foundation, several individuals and Cycle Capital
managers.
Cycle Capital Fund IV will target innovative cleantech companies. The fund will invest across North America, with a primarily focus on Canada, in key technology sectors such as energy storage and efficiency, green chemistry, clean transportation and smart city technologies, Green IoT, Big Data & AI and agtech.
“The
environment and clean technologies industry play a significant role in the
Québec economy. By participating in the capitalization of the Cycle Capital
Fund IV, the government is confirming its commitment to an approach aimed at
making Québec more efficient, more innovative and greener. Such participation
will foster business growth in Québec and the marketing of our innovations in a
healthy environment,” Minister of Economy and Innovation Pierre Fitzgibbon
noted.
“As a long-standing strategic
partner for Cycle Capital, Rio Tinto is pleased to renew its
support through this latest fund. This is one of the many ways
Rio Tinto is promoting the development of clean technology
and innovation to encourage a circular economy. Elysis,
our joint venture with Alcoa that aims to commercialize a carbon-free
aluminium smelting process, is an example of the type of step
change technology we hope to see this fund foster,” declared Gervais Jacques, Managing Director Rio Tinto Aluminium Atlantic
Operations.
“The ecological health of our planet
requires bold solutions and innovative technologies. The Cycle Capital Fund IV
is bringing clean energy technologies to market – advancing the Canadian
economy and enabling us to transition to a low-carbon future. We appreciate
Cycle Capital’s leadership in this sector, and are pleased to be investing in
this fund,” said Stephen Huddart, President and CEO of the McConnell
Foundation.
“Increasing our AUM close to half a billion will allow Cycle Capital to bring innovative clean solutions to market, connect talented entrepreneurs with an extensive network of leading industrial companies and drive solid financial returns,” said Andrée-Lise Méthot, Founder and Managing Partner of Cycle Capital. “Cycle’s team is thankful for the strong support from the investor community. These leading industrial, corporate, financial institution, family office/impact investors and individual investors, bring a great deal of value and a wide variety of expertise and best practices.
The Fund will benefit from Cycle Capital’s seasoned venture capital
investment team and active presence in the Canadian and global cleantech
ecosystems, as well as from the synergies, deal flow and investment insights
produced by Cycle’s years of experience and leading position in the Canadian
cleantech investment ecosystem. To date, Cycle Capital has invested $200M and
leveraged $1.2B in equity in its portfolio companies.
Cycle Capital Management
Cycle Capital Management (CCM) is an impact investor and Canada’s largest
cleantech venture capital investment platform with AUM (assets under
management) close to $0.5B. With offices
in Montreal, Toronto and Qingdao – in continental China – and a presence in New
York and Seattle, CCM invests in companies at the development and growth stages
that commercialize clean technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
optimize resource use and improve process efficiency throughout North America
and China. CCM is also the Founder of the Ecofuel Accelerator and the Co-Founder
of the Ecofuel Fund.
CCM brings together seasoned investment professionals, strategic advisors and industrial partners with in-depth knowledge of the sector. The firm has a number of industrials including Suez, Rio Tinto, Hydro-Québec, Brookfield, Innergex Renewable Energy, Énergir, Cascades, Lonza, Aluminerie Alouette, Qingdao City Construction Investment Group and impact investors such as Vancity credit union, McConnell Foundation and Trottier Family Foundation as strategic partners. For more information on Cycle Capital, visit: www.cyclecapital.com .
Info
Catherine Bérubé
Vice President, Sustainability, Investor Relations and Public Affairs [email protected]
+1 514 629-1022
