Startup TNT Recognized As Western Canada’s Most Active Pre-Seed & Seed Investor
Startup TNT, a non-profit focused on capital access for entrepreneurs seeking seed-stage funding, was recognized in CVCA’s 2023 Canadian Venture Capital Market Overview as the most active pre-seed and seed stage investor in Western Canada.
In the report, released on February 22, 2024, CVCA noted that Startup TNT’s 16 pre-seed investments make it the most prolific pre-seed investor in the country. Combined with its additional 13 seed investments in 2023, Startup TNT is the second-most prolific early-stage investor – with 29 deals – across Canada out of the 15 acknowledged in the report’s Pre-Seed and Seed category breakdowns (pg 16-19).
“Against the backdrop of tech sector uncertainty, and in a year where Canadian venture capital funding dropped, we doubled-down, maintaining our belief in the power of grassroots community engagement to uncover promising investment opportunities,” said Tim Lynn, co-founder of Startup TNT.
“Startup TNT was born out of a desire to help entrepreneurs build from their own regions, and to unlock access to a community of angel investors who want to back the next generation of great Canadian companies,” added Zack Storms, co-founder of TNT. “To that end, we’re proud of the nearly 30 new companies we added to our portfolio last year, and thankful to the investors, partners, and funders who serve as the foundation of our work today, and that will power us as we expand our network and impact.”
Startup TNT’s tri-annual Investment Summits are a platform for entrepreneurs and innovators seeking seed-stage funding. The Summit provides an opportunity to receive seed funding for founders and to build relationships with investors and other participants in the startup community. For investors, the Summit offers a team-based diligence process, which provides a more efficient, distributed model for experienced angels to make seed-stage investments, and a collaborative training model for those exploring angel investing for the first-time. At the end of the process, selected startups typically take home upwards of $100,000 from angel investors, while Startup TNT’s own venture capital fund, TNT Capital, invests another $50,000 into the winners.
Every year, Startup TNT facilitates between $400k and $1 million of investment into its communities. “Our belief from day one has been that great entrepreneurs exist everywhere – and their own local communities are best equipped to identify them,” noted Lynn. “Our results to date validate this thesis.”
Over the past five years, Startup TNT has hosted 30 summits, engaged 375 angel investors, and facilitated $12.5 million of investments into 90+ startups. Companies that Startup TNT has helped to raise capital include Drugbank, Omnee, Nimble, PulseMedica, WaitWell, and Illumia Labs. Building on this track record, Startup TNT plans to launch operations in additional provinces over the next 12-24 months. “The long-term goal is to take our community-focused brand of entrepreneurial empowerment and investor education to every underserved ecosystem, starting with key Canadian regions,” Storms said. “While today’s news is exciting, it’s only the beginning.”
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About Startup TNT
Startup TNT is the most active pre-seed and seed stage investor in Western Canada (CVCA, 2023). We are a community of entrepreneurs, scientists, investors, innovators, and startup supporters that gather every week to have fun, share stories, and build great companies. With 90+ investments into companies that are 40% women-led and 25% BIPOC-led, we have one of the most diverse portfolios in the country. Co-investors on TNT deals include Panache Ventures, Hustle Fund, BDC Capital, Y Combinator and Thin Air Labs. TNT Capital, our $5M fund, invests in companies across Western Canada. Learn more at StartupTNT.com.
Media contact:
William Johnson, Startup TNT
Cell: 604.619.4163
Email: will@startuptnt.com
