Prominent leaders from the private equity and venture capital community participated in record breaking attendance! It’s speaks much to the energy that the CVCA passionately commits to the industry.

Sleeves were rolled up, ideas were churning….you could literally feel the exciting energy pulsating throughout the crowd at the panel discussions and in the hallways. Lessons & opportunities were shared, valuable contacts were made, and fun was also most definitely had at the evening gala with their Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the hilarious Rick Mercer show, not to mention the Scotch tasting event and great mingling!

This year’s theme was Driving Innovation. And we were privileged to learn from impressive keynote speakers like Glenn Hutchins co-founder and co-CEO of Silver Lake and red carpet panelists including Jacques Bernier (Managing Partner of Teralys Capital), Chris Albinson (Managing Director of Panorama Capital & co-founder of the C100), Paul V. Lee (Managing General Partner of Vanedge Capital and so many more who shared their perspectives and sector possibilities to explore.  If you’d like a full line up of the presenters and their bios, please click here.  Conference Chair David Adderley of Celtic House Venture Partners and his organizing committee certainly put on an unforgettable, valuable conference for the private equity and venture capital community.

So if you’re raring to go…come check out:

• Part 1 features Day 1, Part 1 where we’ll meet brilliant, innovative thinking venture capitalist and conference Chair  David Adderley who shares a great recap of this incredible event as well as one of the CVCA’s highly valued sponsors, the eloquent Ann Bowman of RBC.

•  Part 2 features the rest of Day 1. Come here what Chris Albinson (Panorama Capital) and Ken Ken Cheveldayoff (a Ministry of Enterprise at the time of the event) have to say about what our Canadian companies do very well, what we need to fix and our  opportunities here and abroad.

• Part 3 covers Day 2 looking at innovative ways to approach new markets globally, what the future holds and breeding success with entrepreneurs. Check out our interview with Jacques Bernier (Teralys Capital) about rebooting our system to be the best, what we do right  and what we need to improve. We also had a chance to meet up with Paul V. Lee (Vanedge Capital) who spoke to us about  the closing of his exciting new fund and the exciting opportunities available.

• And for those of you who’d like access to Jacques’ reboot analogy, click here for an entertaining depiction of our industry scenario! Ah, yes, it’s never boring with Jacques!

Before we dash, a few words of thanks for the accomplishments, kindness and generosity of our colleages..so:

• Thank you to Richard Remillard (CVCA Executive Director), Lauren Linton (CVCA Marketing Director),  the CVCA team and the conference Chair David Adderley for an outstanding event. 
• A big thank you to all our featured guests for taking the time to share their rich advice and experiences. 
• A special thank you Christian Zabbal of Black Coral Capital for opening doors and encouragement ever since vc-tv was a spark in my eye!
• Un gros merci beaucoup to the energetic, brilliant Chris Arsenault of iNovia Capital  the CVCA’s 2008 Conference Chair (which was also a record breaker!) for being a relentless, passionate champion for the venture capital/start-up community and growing eco-system. We’re privileged to have you at the helm with your fellow leaders.
• Thank you to the video production start-up company FFwd Films for your talent and delivering on your promise to produce a professional product. Challenges, obstacles and extraordinary circumstances & all, we kept on going and we did it!!!
• Much gratitude to Phil Telio of Embrase and your wonderful fellow sponsors for your kind sponsorship and valuable support.

And, thank YOU for visiting VC-TV. Come back again real soon!

(*Please note that out video casts are normally posted very soon after each event or interview. This was the first time we were delayed.  We’re a start-up, and like many start-ups, we ran into some start-up challenges. But, solutions were actively sought, situations were co-operatively resolved, and we’re so pleased to share our coverage of the event with you. And this time, rather than one videocast released at a time, here’s all three! We hope you enjoy them!)

Today, we’re featuring short chats we had with a few of the exciting participants at the event, including:

•  Ben Yoskovitz of StandoutJobs
•  Chris Arsenault of iNovia Capital
•  Alex Kallos technology start-up sales & marketing advisor
•  Matthew Harrison of BDO
•  JS Cournoyer of the Montreal Startup Fund 
• and Austin Hill of Akoha.

(Thank you so much for the interviews, Ben, Chris, Alex, Mat, JS and Austin!!!!)

But if you missed:

• Part 2 and would like to take a look at our one-on-one interview with start-up guru Dave McClure, go ahead and click here. Watch this video and learn what Dave has to say about the Canadian entrepreneurial DNA, his Startup Visa initiatives, what drives him crazy about working with start-ups, the biggest lessons he learned and how to create a great entrepreneurial eco-system (Again, thanks bunches for our chat, Dave!)
•  Part 1 and would like to view quick snapshots of start-up presenters from the event, come on over and click here.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our three part video series of the legendary Startup Camp Montreal. Much appreciation goes out to Phil Telio of Embrase, start-up leaders par excellence Austin Hill, John Stokes & Sylvain Carle and of course a team of great sponsors, event partners, the Societe des arts technologiques and members of our start-up community!

And, thank YOU for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!

Video capsule brought to you by Productions Nantel.

Thanks to Phil Telio of Embrase,  the outstanding support of Austin Hill, John Stokes, Sylvain Carle and of course a team of great sponsors, event partners, the Societe des arts technologiques and members of our start-up community, we certainly enjoyed a night to remember…a night where maybe a future start-up star may have been conceived or presented. It sure wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened…and won’t be the last!

Today, we’re re-living the dream and posting Part 2 where we have a sweeeeeet treat for you: an interview with one of the two impressive keynote speakers that night, none other than Dave McClure. He was understandably…and as usual…very much in demand by virtually everyone there that night, so we had a very quick chat. Although I had to run through it fast (watch me speak at FastForward speed to get Dave off to his waiting fans and a much deserved beer :-)…), Dave and the wisdom he shared was pure gold!

Watch this video and learn what Dave has to say about the Canadian entrepreneurial DNA, his Startup Visa initiatives, what drives him crazy about working with start-ups, the biggest lessons he learned and how to create a great entrepreneurial eco-system (Again, thanks so much for our chat, Dave!)

Dave’s a passionate, valuable advocate of the start-up community in the Valley and everywhere. You can catch him on the ground advising names you know including Facebook, PayPal, Twilio and so many others and investing in promising teams at FF Angel. Or, you can catch him in the air as he leads a travel group called GeeksOnaPlane to promote cultural exchange & education for tech entrepreneurs around the world.  The start-up community is really fortunate to have him propel our initiatives forward.

But, if you missed Part 1 with quick snapshots of the start-ups and gurus presenting that night, you can see it by clicking here.

Come back again soon to see Part 3 where we’ll hear from members of our community including Ben Yoskovitz of StandoutJobs, Chris Arsenault of iNovia Capital, Alex Kallos technology start-up sales & marketing advisor, Matthew Harrison of BDO, JS Cournoyer of the Montreal Startup Fund and Austin Hill of Akoha.

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!

Video capsule brought to you by Productions Nantel.

This exciting event was generously organized by Phil Telio of Embrase, a team of valuable sponsors, a great group of event partners and passionate members of our start-up community. And, one of Montreal’s most terrific idea backers & start-up wrangler, John Stokes of the Montreal Startup Fund/Founder Fuel Ventures guided us through the adventure!  (Thank you for an incredible gathering, Everyone!!!!)

In Part 1, we’re sharing highlights of  Startup Camp Montreal 6 including:

• Dave McClure – Start-up Guru from the Valley, rock star keynote speaker
• Tara Hunt - Shwowp
• Elbert McLaughlin - Nirvana
• David Dufresne – Backfed
• Andy Nulman – Airborne Technology Ventures and illustrious keynote speaker
• Julian Haber – ArtAnywhere 
• Scott Lake – Swix
• Alex Eberts - Akoha

And, of course,  a one-on-one discussion with our host, Embrase’s president and Startup Camp organizer par excellence, Phil Telio…whoooooooo, by the way, also announced great news for the Montreal Startup community!!!…A group of dedicated Montreal start-up idea backers have secured the Notman House to house, stimulate and propel outstanding Montreal start-ups forward with a fertile ecosystem and an innovation nurturing environment. 

Come back again soon to see Parts 2 and 3 where the adventure continues…

In Part 2, we’ll feature our one-on-one interview with… THE Dave McClure, well renowned startup guru. Dave needs no introduction… but for those of you new to the start-up world, Dave is my Mick Jager equivalent of the start-up world!

For starters, Dave’s runs FF Angel (a seed-stage investment program for Founders Fund), the 2009 fbFund REV incubator program on behalf of Facebook, Accel Partners, & Founders Fund. He’s advised over 50 companies in the past five years including: PayPal, LinkedIn, Mint.com (acquired by Intuit), Simply Hired, SlideShare and Twilio. Dave is the co-founder of Startup2Startup & Finance4Founders. Pretty clear…he’s a brilliant, passionate, valuable advocate & coach of the start-up community. If he’s not on land, just look up, flash a big D (a la Batman B!!!) in the sky and you might catch him on Geeks on a Plane!  (Dave, thanks so much again so much for the interesting chat!)

Then perk up your ears in Part 3 where we’ll share  interviews with participants, including none other than Ben Yoskovitz of StandoutJobs (congrats again on being acquired!!!), Chris Arsenault of iNovia Capital, Alex Kallos (Sales & Marketing advisor to tech start-ups), one of the much appreciated financial sponsors Matthew Harrison of BDO,  JS Cournoyer of  the Montreal Startup Fund and Austin Hill of Akoha.

Legend…actually FACT has it that a short couple of years ago…at an event just like this one…a start-up presented a concept…came to life…and was recently successfully acquired. I wonder what exciting future unravels ahead for the gems participating tonight?! Stay tuned!!!

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!

Video capsule brought to you by Productions Nantel.

Recession, shmee-cession!

These emerging companies and idea backers are not standing still, bandaging, licking or even noticing their wounds. Like the relentless Schwarzenegger in Terminator (ok, the sci-fi geek-ess in me rises again!), they keep getting up, continue to make deals and are on the go.

Welcome to Part 2 of our interview with Brahm Elkin, Founder & Chair of the Montreal M&A Forum coming around the corner on March 11th, 2010 at the Hotel Le Crystal. As always, Montreal is indeed a great gem of a city to find great emerging companies.

A quick refresher: In Part 1, Brahm shared why the upcoming forum is THE current  go-to place for both small & mid sized companies that are ready to go to their next level of growth as well as for idea backers hunting these treasures. We also chatted about his renowned keynote speakers - leaders from start-ups turned success stories, Lori Collins of SmartHippo (a smart herd in the world of  finance) and Vincent Guyaux of Metafoam (just one of  iNovia Capital’s exciting must-know portfolio companies). But, if you missed it or want to take another look, you can catch it by clicking here.

Today, we’re giving you a sneak peak about the deals that’ll be  at the event.  Brahm and his team have carefully selected a group of interesting low and high tech emerging companies that will be presenting that day. About a 100 people are already registered to get to know them. And, there’ll be a “marketplace” section where emerging companies and idea backers can meet one-on-one to kick-start their futures together.

For you start-ups, despite the recession, the team’s found bankers, vcs and angels that are looking for places to park their money.  So, if you have an emerging firm with serious potential, you just might want to offer them a valuable parking spot!

Brahm and his team have also gathered the support of some excellent sponsors including the CNSX (an innovative new stock exchange for trading the equity securities of emerging companies), Heenan Blaikie, the Royal Bank of Canada, MF Global, IJW Management, the John Molson School of Business, Accelerated Ventures and others, too!

We’re also sharing what makes Brahm want to tear his hair out and we’re seeking his seasoned expertise on how the industry could improve. So start-up companies on the “grow” take note

If you’re ready to mix and mingle with some great emerging companies and those who finance them, this is an interesting opportunity to check out.

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!

Welcome to VC-TV. Today am here with Brahm Elkin, Chair of the Montreal Mergers & Acquisitions Forum set for this March 11th at Le Crystal Hotel in Montreal, Canada. It’s definitely a go-to place for small and mid sized companies that are emerging & ready to go to their next level of growth and for those seeking out these valuable gems. In Part 1 of our interview series with Brahm, he gives us a sneak peek at who’ll be there and why.

Just one of many reasons to attend, they’ve confirmed keynote speakers  Lori Collins (CEO of the very successful start-up SmartHippo, originally founded by the energy powerhouse George Favvas  (who we also had the privilege to interview a couple of years ago)) and Vincent Guyaux (President & CEO of Metafoam). Vincent’s also known as the co-founder & former President of Embrase.  Both Lori and Vincent have well earned rock star status in the start-up community and beyond.

Lori’s captured the attention of crowds and leads the herd of smart hippos to great new heights. Vincent’s Metafoam story is a must-hear. Metafoam patented an innovative technology that you probably don’t know you have but are thankful for every day. Their unique invention dissipates heat from our laptops along with a host of other useful qualities. It’s opened a world market for Vincent and his team.

So if you’re looking for a fresh forum to meet start-ups on the rise, active angel investors, private equity executives, investment bankers, M&A professionals and advisors, check out the event by clicking here.

If we’ve captured your interest, return shortly for Part 2 to learn more about the conference and what Brahm’s seasoned experience tells us is coming up on the horizon. Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!

Venture Cap TV (VC-TV) had a one on one chat with Richard (Rick) White of the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) at the Biofuels International Conference in Montreal, Canada. With a market potential of 2 million tons by 2015, the CCGA and the 52,000 Canadian canola farmers they represent are lobbying the government, building alliances and seeking investors who truly understand canola’s offerings as a promising future biodiesel/biofuel in our global hunt to seek greenhouse gas solutions.

Come watch our video and learn more about this exciting and delicious multi-purpose oil.  Let it accelerate your taste buds and energy solutions!  

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!

Venture Cap TV recently had the pleasure of interviewing the American Jianye GreenTech Holdings company’s well respected and innovative thinking vice-president , Wen J. Zhu and the very inspiring Ying Wang from their international initiatives. We met up with them at the Biofuels International Conference in Montreal, Canada and had a chance to learn more about their current and future greentech focused projects and how they are actively seeking strategic alliances and investors in North America and abroad.

The team members are forerunners and long standing leaders in industry offering revolutionary energy solutions that promise to run in all types of engines and a host of other ingenious innovations. Wen and Ying share how the Chinese government is proactively encouraging strategic international partnerships with start-ups, investors and larger players. 

So, do click on the video above and let’s get a taste for where they’re heading. And, if you’re ready to explore further, get your passports ready, China’s biofuel leader awaits you!

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon.

So, if you’re eager to hear more from our enviro gurus, do click on our videocast and learn more about promising algae opportunities in the multi trillion dollar fuel market worldwide and where venture caps should focus their attention (and funds!)

But, if you missed Part 1, you can click here.  Just remember to come back!

And if you’ve developed an exquisite taste for the algae and biofuels market, you can find out more by going to Emerging Markets Online and accessing William’s Biodiesel 2020 and Algae 2020 global market surveys.

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!

 Welcome to Part 3 of our three part video-cast series of the Canadian Venture Capital Association’s (CVCA) 2008 Annual Conference: Face of Change. For all you start-ups, VCs, Angels, and Private Equity players alike, we’re featuring highlights from the unforgettable presentation made by the conference’s keynote speaker, Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners. Roger’s wake up call and no nonsense, no holds barred style captivated the audience and had them salivating to hear more. Listen in…he dares you to try it his way. Just which way is that, you say?

To find out, fasten your seat belts, and click on the PLAY button on today’s video cast.

And, for those of you who missed or would like to revisit:

• Part 1 featuring a recap of this sold-out, premiere networking and professional development conference as well as discussions with the CVCA’s president, Rick Nathan  and conference participants Jevon MacDonald (Startup North and Firestoker), John McIntyre(Birch Hill Equity Partners) and William Woods (CNQ, Canada’s NEW stock exchange), you can catch it all by clicking here.
• Part 2 featuring this year’s organizing committee’s chair,  hris Arsenault of iNovia Capital, and a chat with conference participant, Grant Kookof Golden Opportunities, you can see it by clicking here.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our three part video cast presentation of the 2008 CVCA Annual Conference, “The Face of Change”. Don’t forget to visit their website for details on next year’s event.

Many thanks to the CVCA for inviting vc-tv to cover your conference. And, thank you all for visiting vc-tv. Come back again real soon!

You can click on the PLAY button on today’s video cast to see highlights from Day 2’s panelists’ discussions, an interview with this year’s organizing committee’s chairman, Chris Arsenault of iNovia Capital, and a chat with conference participant, Grant Kook of Golden Opportunities.

But, if you missed Part 1 featuring a recap of this captivating conference as well as discussions with the CVCA’s president, Rick Nathan  and conference participants Jevon MacDonald (Startup North and Firestoker), John McIntyre (Birch Hill Equity Partners) and William Woods (CNQ, Canada’s NEW stock exchange), you can catch it all by clicking here.

Come back later this week for Part 3. You’ll see why you could literally hear a pin drop when keynote speaker, Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners had the stage!

This year’s conference left many participants revved up and looking forward to next year’s event. Look out for more details to come about it at the CVCA site. It’s slated for Spring 2009 in booming Calgary, Canada. Hoping to see you there!

Thank you for visiting vc-tv and come back again real soon.

The unstoppable Chris Arsenault of iNovia Capital was the chair of this year’s CVCA Annual Conference held this past May 28th-30th at the prestigious Fairmount Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada. Chris and his team have certainly outdone themselves. They’ve thrown down the gauntlet and challenged the venture capital and private equity communities to come up with ideas and solutions for how they can be an effective face of change.

This record-breaking, sold-out, premiere networking and professional development conference was like being at the Canadian venture capital and private equity communities’ version of Woodstock with the who’s who and what’s what’s attending and being covered during these three very eventful days. This year’s theme, Face of Change, featured many well renowned speakers and panelists from North America and beyond including the ever edgy, no nonsense Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners, the “tell it like it is”, brilliant Andrew Waitman of Celtic House Venture Partners, and many more. 

The CVCA stirred the pot, launched lively debates (not only just on stage but in the corridors as well!) and ignited some interesting discussions between attendees. We were also treated to the release of a special report (the first of its kind!) on the private equity industry and buyout investors (click here for a copy).

In a nutshell, the private equity scene is faring well, especially in terms of buy-out returns and benefits for the economy, investors and the invested. For VCs, the fire is burning a bit low and needs to be re-ignited. And although many of the VC stats were grim, speakers and panelists rattled the cages, shared valuable advice and got people thinking about how they can be the face of change and improve the future.

And, it wasn’t about all work and no play either as the CVCA offered participants a day of golf, a fun gala evening including the announcement of their Entrepreneur of the Year Award (we’ll tell you who won in Part 2 of our video cast…), a Scoth-Tasting event and a rock concert featuring Moonalice. 

It was an action-packed programme. And you can click on the PLAY button above to get a taste of the first half of the conference featuring: Rick Nathan (CVCA President), Jevon MacDonald (Startup North and Firestoker….Listen up VCs, angels: check out his interview to hear how he says you can get a first pass at the right deal-flow before the competition does), John McIntyre (Birch Hill Equity Partners) and William Woods (CNQ, Canada’s NEW stock exchange…For you start-ups seeking to raise funds:  their site is worth an exploration!)  

Come back next week to see Part 2 covering the rest of the conference and Part 3 featuring the dynamic keynote speaker, Roger McNamee of Elevation Partners. That video will have you taking notes and running to the drawing board!

For more coverage, check out Heri’s Montreal Techwatch  (am a big fan of Heri’s) and Karen Mazurkewich’s columns at the Financial Post  on May 29th and May 30th as well as at CanadaIT.com

Thank you for visiting VC-TV and come back again real soon!

It’s always interesting to peek in and see what our former featured guests are up to and that’s what we’re doing today. Venture Cap TV first covered Gary Wilson and his ingenious Pimp my Ride forklift start-up last year.  You can check out the first of our three part interview series with Gary by clicking here . We also did a quick update on them earlier this year.

Zooooom into Spring 2008 and MasterLift continues to lift their forklift business to new heights and are adamant about standing out of the crowd. They’ve now created a new reality TV show showcasing what they do in a fast-paced, no-holds-barred style with the potential to grow their brand recognition exponentially. They certainly know how to differentiate their company in what many consider a very commodity type business.

This creative forklift start-up’s made-for-reality TV show is called Forked Up. The show’s pilot is complete  and the team is scheduled to attend the World Television Festival in Banff from June 8-11. They even caught the attention of a world-wide media company that’s approached them to distribute the show globally! Is there anything MasterLift’s leader Gary and his team can’t do?!

Forklift, schmorklift, you might say, but did you know that the USA spends roughly $20 Billion annually for forklifts and related materials, and that the handling and logistics industry is one of America’s fastest growing sectors? You may not know it, but you probably know a forklift related professional. Applying the “six degrees of separation” concept, Gary tells me that most people have only two degrees of separation from someone who’s lived the forklift life either as a summer job or on a more long term basis.

If you want to know who’s going to be watching the show, keep in mind that 51% of the working public in Canada and 43% in the USA work with or around forklifts (e.g. in factories and warehouses) and that shows in the same realm enjoy millions of viewers (Overhaulin’ with 3.5 million viewers as just one example). Never mind all the other viewers who just simply enjoy reality TV, appreciate innovative design shows, want to learn how start-ups push the boundaries, or are just plain curious by how things work!

There’s no stopping Gary and his team. It will be interesting to see what other crazy, fun, ingenious ideas will come from them in the future to keep this start-up ahead of the pack. Am sure that they are far from done. And, maybe they’ve inspired our other start-up viewers to create their own shows, too?!

Thank you for visiting vc-tv and enjoy their trailer below!