Craig Leonard

🧬 Big news in Canadian healthtech! Edmonton-based NiaHealth has raised $5.75M in seed funding to scale its Longevity-as-a-Service platform—bringing its total funding to $8.25M. The round was led by Golden Ventures with backing from notable names including Kyle Braatz, Arati Sharma, Satish Kanwar, Jason Smith, and The51. 💸🇨🇦 Since emerging from stealth, NiaHealth has: 🔬 Conducted over 100,000 biomarker tests 📈 Grown users 30% month-over-month 📋 Built a 12,000+ person waitlist 🤝 Formed partnerships with University of Alberta and Ada What makes NiaHealth different? It combines clinical-grade testing, wearable integrations, and licensed clinicians to shift Canada from reactive check-ups to proactive, personalized care. With over 90% of users uncovering unknown health risks, the startup is making a real impact. Co-founder & CEO Sameer Dhar says it best: “People plan their careers and finances, but when it comes to long-term health, we’re flying blind. We want to change that.” 🚀 Read how NiaHealth is leading the healthspan revolution in Canada. #HealthTech #Longevity #CanadianStartups #DigitalHealth #PrecisionMedicine #EdmontonTech #NiaHealth #ProactiveCare #VentureCapital #StartupFunding Matt Golden https://lnkd.in/gbhqC_q2

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Stellifi Portfolio Spotlight (Series #6): ResiDesk Next in our Stellifi Ventures portfolio spotlight series is ResiDesk, an AI-native communications platform built to transform resident engagement and operational intelligence in the real estate industry. Who They Are ResiDesk helps property management teams and owners harness resident communication data — through a human in the loop SMS interface — and turn it into actionable insights. Instead of treating communication as a cost center, ResiDesk surfaces trends, behaviors, and patterns that help teams improve resident satisfaction, anticipate needs, sign more leases and drive smarter operational decisions. Who They Serve ResiDesk is designed for: - Property managers and leasing teams seeking faster and more meaningful engagement. - Asset and portfolio managers wanting real-time visibility into resident sentiment and property level issues. - Teams looking to integrate communication intelligence with existing systems What They Offer - ResiDesk provides a modern messaging and insights platform that: - Enables real-time resident and prospect communication that feels personal and immediate. - Turns conversation data into operational signals — helping teams identify churn risk, service issues, and sentiment trends. - Integrates seamlessly with property management systems, simplifying workflow and adoption. - Delivers proactive insights that elevate decision-making across leasing, service, and community management. Rather than relying on traditional portals or slow email threads, ResiDesk brings conversations front and center — helping teams act with clarity and speed. Customer Perspective “ResiDesk Insights highlighted response times, satisfaction trends, and risk scores that helped our leadership answer critical questions — moving our team forward on community management and improving renewals.” — Shant’a Johnson, Director of Family and Community Vitality, Maiker Housing Partners If you’re interested in ResiDesk and would like to learn more or get connected, please reach out to me directly. Stellifi VC ResiDesk https://lnkd.in/gdCrT294

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2025 was the worst year for Canadian VC fundraising since 2016, and founders should treat that as a planning signal, not just a headline. If you are building in Canada right now, the funding environment is telling you something very clear: fewer funds are being raised, and the capital that does exist is concentrating at the top. According to RBCx, only about $2.1B was raised across 21 Canadian VC funds in 2025, with the fewest new funds launched since 2018. As BetaKit put it: “This drop in Canadian VC fundraising means there is less investment capital available today for domestic tech startups from fewer local firms.” Capital is still moving, but mostly through a small number of large funds. Emerging managers are raising far less, which means fewer doors are open for early stage founders. At the same time, fewer exits mean less capital is flowing back to investors. Without liquidity from IPOs and acquisitions, funds move more cautiously. That slows decisions and stretches fundraising timelines. This is why more founders are now: • Planning runway around longer fundraising cycles • Treating capital timing as part of their strategy • Using non dilutive funding to extend runway without giving up equity • Combining equity, government incentives, and SR&ED into a smarter funding stack At Bonsai Growth Solutions, we help Canadian founders turn SR&ED credits and government reimbursements into upfront capital so they can keep building even when traditional funding takes longer. In a market where money moves slower, the founders who win will be the ones who plan for timing, not hope for it. #CanadianStartups #VC #Funding #NonDilutiveFunding #SRED #Runway #StartupStrategy #BonsaiGrowthSolutions

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Assent’s growth from $5 million to more than $100 million in ARR was powered by a clear thesis, strong execution, and support from early believers like First Ascent Ventures. First Ascent has won CVCA’s 2025 VC Regional Impact Award for Central Canada for its investment in Assent. The company raised a US$350M Series D, reached over 900 employees, and was acquired in a deal valued at over $1B. The investment generated a 6.2x MOIC and returned 45 percent of First Ascent’s first fund. This win highlights the firm’s long-term commitment to Canadian enterprise software success stories and its impact on the broader tech ecosystem. Read the full story on CVCA Central:

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We’re pleased to share Pender Ventures’ recent feature in Canadian Family Offices on why healthcare IT continues to stand out as a compelling area for long-duration venture capital 🩺 The article looks at how healthcare systems are under growing pressure, from ageing populations to stretched workforces, and how that’s driving stronger demand for digital tools that actually make day-to-day care delivery easier. Pender Venture’s Managing Partner, Maria Pacella, highlights the structural tailwinds shaping the sector and why solutions that deliver clear productivity gains and better clinical workflows are increasingly driving faster adoption and stronger ROI. Against that backdrop, Maria pointed to the importance of staying disciplined in venture investing: “As an investor, you have to find those unique opportunities. Once you find them, you have to be patient. If it’s a product that delights the customer and earns their trust, that will pay off over the long term.” Thank you to Canadian Family Offices and Anna Sharratt for the thoughtful feature! 🔗 Read the full article here: https://bit.ly/48PbjnQ

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A thoughtful perspective from Maria Pacella on where venture still makes sense, and why healthcare IT continues to stand out for long-duration capital. Read more on Canadian Family Offices.

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We’re excited to reshare this episode of NADF's The Prosperity Podcast, hosted by Brian Davey, featuring our Executive Director, Ian Lane. The conversation offers a practical look at how angel investing works in Northern Ontario, including what it means to be an accredited investor, common investment structures, and what investors look for at the early stage, along with insights into the region’s growing deal flow. If you’re preparing to raise capital or looking to better understand the angel investment landscape, this is a worthwhile listen!

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ClinicIQ is live. We’re building a vendor-neutral healthcare technology marketplace designed specifically for Canadian clinics 🇨🇦 ClinicIQ helps clinics: - Discover and compare EMRs, digital health tools, and clinical platforms - Navigate digital transformation with clarity and confidence - Make informed decisions without vendor bias Our goal is simple: 👉 Give clinics a single, trusted place to explore healthcare technology — on their terms. This is just the beginning. More solutions, resources, and partnerships coming soon. 🔗 www.cliniciq.ca 📩 info@cliniciq.com #ClinicIQ #DigitalHealth #HealthcareTechnology #CanadianHealthcare #HealthTech #VendorNeutral #Marketplace

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Many Canadian digital health founders we talk to believe they have a go-to-market problem. They don't. They have a sequence problem. There are four commercial foundations every healthcare B2B company needs to build before their sales motion will hold: ➡️ 1. Regulatory classification. In Canada, this comes first. Health Canada's classification of your software determines your market access pathway. Class I through IV is not just a regulatory category. It's a commercial positioning decision. ➡️ 2. Payer identification. Before you build a sales process, you need to know who actually writes the cheque. In Canadian healthcare, that question is harder than it sounds. Fourteen jurisdictions. Provincial procurement rules that differ by territory. Hospital buying groups with multi-year contract cycles. ➡️ 3. Evidence calibration. Provincial payers, health authorities, and self-insured employers have different evidence thresholds. Your clinical validation strategy should be built to clear the specific bar of your first institutional buyer, not a generic clinical standard. ➡️ 4. Compliance-forward positioning. In a regulated market, your compliance framework is not a legal footnote. It's a trust signal. Procurement committees evaluate risk before they evaluate features. Here's the part most frameworks miss: these four aren't separate options to choose between. They're a sequence. And the sequence is also a framework. Companies that skip step one and start at step two build their commercial strategy on an unresolved regulatory question. Companies that skip step two and go straight to step three are calibrating their evidence to the wrong buyer. Companies that skip straight to step four are polishing the surface while the foundation is still wet. Think of it like building a structure. You don't install the windows before the walls are up. The order isn't a preference. It's load-bearing. According to OpenView's 2024 SaaS Benchmarks, 68% of B2B start-ups hit a growth ceiling after initial founder-led traction, with growth becoming increasingly dependent on the founder's personal relationships rather than documented, repeatable processes. [1] In healthcare B2B, where procurement cycles run 12 to 24 months and buying committees span clinical, operational, and financial stakeholders, that ceiling arrives faster and is harder to break through. The founders who stall at early sales, not for lack of product quality but because each new deal requires the founder in every room, are almost always missing at least one stage in this sequence. Revenue proves the product works. Repeatable revenue requires the architecture to be complete. What stage in the sequence is your company working on right now? Reference: [1] OpenView Partners. (2024). "SaaS Benchmarks Report." Cited in RCKT. (January 2026). "How to Transition from Founder-Led Growth." https://lnkd.in/gZMfHC-G *Additional references in comments.

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Qualitate is stepping into the spotlight with a $7M Seed round to transform how primary research is conducted, led by IA Ventures and Crew Capital, with backing from angel investors including Tony Berkman, Travis May, Matt Levin, alongside advisors Alex Zukin and Brian Lichtenberger. Led by founder and CEO Sagar Kadakia, Qualitate is building an #AI-native intelligence platform designed to streamline and enhance primary research workflows for investment and strategy teams. At the core of its offering is an AI moderator that manages the full research lifecycle—from study design and expert sourcing to live interview moderation and automated insight generation—delivering real-time, high-quality intelligence. With fresh capital, Qualitate plans to expand operations and accelerate product development, positioning itself to redefine how organizations gather and act on expert insights in an increasingly data-driven world. Jeff Capobianco CTO & Head of Applied AI Sam Parl VP, Engineering Erroll Davis VP, Product Rahul Loney Director, Applied AI & Data Engineering Tyler Fein Director, Research & TMT Intelligence Natalie Lamorena Director, Data & Information Strategy Michael Ganian, CFA Director, Fintech Intelligence @Mark Langan Director, GTM Engineering & Enablement @Luis Frey Director, Enterprise Sales Jocelyn Buckley Lead, Product Designer Isabelle Lowe Director, Insights #AI #MarketResearch #PrimaryResearch #GenerativeAI #StartupFunding #SeedFunding #VentureCapital #Innovation

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From Toronto to Tech Disruption Kendell Victor Johnson, co‑founder of Subskryb, hails from Toronto and entered Canada’s startup scene with a disruptive idea. Subskryb—launched alongside partners including Giovanni Smith and Preston Martelly—is a subscription-based “car‑as‑a‑service” platform, enabling flexible car-sharing memberships and seamless access to vehicles through digital access models. Kendell has quickly built one of the most stellar reputations in all of software across Canada, recognized not only for his entrepreneurial drive but also for his ethical leadership and deep commitment to using technology for good. Beyond Mobility: Tech for Impact Under Kendell’s leadership, Subskryb’s technology was also instrumental in the recovery of stolen assets, showcasing the platform's potential for real-world, high-stakes applications far beyond vehicle access. This incident highlighted Kendell's vision for building secure, accountable tech platforms—tools that not only serve consumers but actively enhance safety and transparency. Subskryb Rebrands to Ambassaitir AI In 2025, following a successful buyout by Kendell Victor Johnson, Subskryb Corporation entered a bold new chapter through a comprehensive rebranding initiative. The company was relaunched as Ambassaitir AI, signaling a broader focus beyond mobility—into the rapidly expanding world of artificial intelligence infrastructure and brokering. Scaling Into AI Hardware & Strategy Today, Ambassaitir AI is positioning itself as a key broker and strategic partner for some of the top AI firms globally. The company specializes in: Brokerage of advanced AI hardware components Facilitating enterprise‑level collaborations on frontier AI projects Building bridges between Canadian R&D and international innovation hubs Ambassaitir AI now plays a critical role in helping AI ventures acquire, deploy, and scale the tools and talent needed to lead the next wave of intelligent systems. On Track Toward Canada’s Tech Elite With solid early traction, a remarkable pivot into AI, and a reputation for delivering high‑impact results, Kendell Victor Johnson is widely regarded as a next‑generation founder in Canada’s tech ecosystem. From his roots in Toronto’s mobility sector to becoming a trusted force in AI strategy, his career is a model of resilience, innovation, and leadership. Why this journey matters Kendell’s story is emblematic of entrepreneurial resilience: during one of the most disruptive crises in recent history, he and his team leaned into agility, ethical tech, and mission-driven pivots—and came out ahead. By focusing on digital trust, mobility, and now AI infrastructure, Kendell Victor Johnson is forging a path that places him firmly among Canada’s most promising tech leaders.

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💡 Harley Finkelstein's recent article on SR&ED reform raises critical questions about making Canada's R&D support more accessible. We're genuinely excited about this conversation; any time successful #entrepreneurs push for better #innovation policy, that's a win for the entire ecosystem. We absolutely agree that SR&ED should be improved and made more accessible, but with guardrails that empower legitimate innovators. Read our take on why effective reform needs the right balance of accessibility and quality standards: https://lnkd.in/ercRH6fS #CanadianInnovation #SRED #RnD #Innovation #Shopify

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🌱 Emerging managers are facing a tougher fundraising environment as mega-funds continue to dominate venture capital. In Canada, Inovia Capital and Northleaf Capital Partners are launching a new platform designed to help pre-seed and seed-focused managers sharpen institutional fundraising, portfolio construction and LP engagement. The initiative reflects a broader shift in venture: emerging GPs increasingly need more than performance to stand out with institutional LPs. 🔗 Read the full story: https://okt.to/4OVm90 #VentureCapital #EmergingManagers

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Maple Bridge Ventures, an Ottawa VC firm founded by ex-EDC manager Eric Agyemang, has raised over $10 million for its inaugural fund, aimed at supporting early-stage tech startups led by Canadian immigrants. The company, more than halfway to its $20-million goal, plans to back ventures in agriculture, food, health, and enterprise tech, with first investments ranging from $250,000 to $1 million and a 40% reserve for follow-on support. https://lnkd.in/g_TCdBAn #MapleBridgeVentures #immigrantentrepreneurs #fundraising #funding #fundraise

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Canada's startup ecosystem lost $66 billion in value over a 5-year period. Our startups aren't getting as much early-stage seed funding as their counterparts in similar US cities. That cascades through later stages, leading to slower growth, fewer exits, and billions in lost value. The National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) and Startup Genome lay it all out in a new report that analyzed roughly 65,000 exits. We've got the breakdown at BetaKit: #CDNTech

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