Real Ventures

ActiveVenture Capital

Updated: Dec 5, 2025 ·

Financial History

Total Raised

N/A

Valuation

N/A

Investments Made

Date	Company	Round	Lead Investor(s)	Co-Investor(s)
Feb 1, 2023	Shoelace Learning	$4.0M Seed	—	BDC Venture Capital, Next47, White Star Capital, Xfund, Anil Dharni, Jennifer Lum, Patrick S. Chung
Feb 1, 2023	Goose Insurance Services	$4.0M Series A	—	—
Mar 1, 2022	Legal.io	$12.0M Series A	—	Boon Fund, Sozo Ventures, Tiger Global Management
Jan 1, 2022	RenoRun	$140.0M Series B	—	Andreessen Horowitz, Boon Fund, Greylock, Lobby Capital, Scott Sandell, Robot Ventures, Sozo Ventures, Tiger Global Management, Greg Brockman, Jim Pitkow, Matt Mazzeo, Scott Belsky, Stacy Brown-Philpot
Nov 1, 2021	Uvaro	$12.0M Series A	—	BDC Venture Capital, Flint Capital, Innospark Ventures, Next47, Threshold Ventures, White Star Capital, Xfund, Amar Varma, Anil Dharni, Jennifer Lum, Michelle McBane, Patrick S. Chung
Sep 1, 2021	Gallea	$1.0M Seed	—	—
Mar 1, 2021	ixlayer	$75.0M Series A	—	Andreessen Horowitz, AYANA Capital LLC, BDC Venture Capital, Bennu, Cota Capital, CRV, EQT Ventures, Flucas Ventures, Flybridge Capital Partners, Founder Collective, Franklin Templeton Investments, General Catalyst, Interlace Ventures, MBX Capital, Next47, Pear VC, PivotNorth Capital, Sonder Capital, White Star Capital, Xfund, Anil Dharni, Gokul Rajaram, Jim Pallotta, Patrick S. Chung, Robert Ciardi, Scott Belsky, Warren Jenson
Dec 1, 2020	Bizzabo	$140.0M Series E	—	83North, Bain Capital, BDC Venture Capital, Blumberg Capital, Citi Ventures, Company Capital, Insight Partners, MS&AD Ventures, Next47, OurCrowd, Viola Ventures, White Star Capital, Xfund, Anil Dharni, Jennifer Lum, Noah Pickholtz, Patrick S. Chung
Aug 1, 2020	Uvaro	$2.0M Seed	—	01 Advisors, 1Flourish Capital, 20VC, A Capital, Accomplice VC, Activant Capital, Adverb Ventures, Advisors Fund LLC, Chloe Sladden, Jana Messerschmidt, Bam Ventures, B Capital Group, BDC Venture Capital, Benchmark, Bessemer Venture Partners, Boston Seed Capital, C2 Investment, Caffeinated Capital, CRV, Zachary Bogue, Fika Ventures, Flint Capital, FPV Fund, Future Shape, G2VP, Goat Capital, IDG Ventures, Innospark Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Moxxie Ventures, Next47, NextGen Venture Partners, Polaris Partners, Practical Venture Capital, Alexander Rosen, Streamlined Ventures, Techstars, Threshold Ventures, Uncork Capital, Upside Partnership, Village Global, VitalStage Ventures, White Star Capital, Xfund, Y Combinator, Aaron Levie, Adrian Aoun, Akash Garg, Amar Varma, Anil Dharni, Anthony Soohoo, David Cancel, David Chang, Dharmesh Shah, Elad Gil, Eric Ries, Eric Wu, Gokul Rajaram, James Hong, Jason Robins, Jennifer Lum, Jonathan Boutelle, Joshua Reeves, Kevin Nazemi, Kevin Weil, Marc Benioff, Matt Cutts, Matt Mazzeo, Merlin Kauffman, Michelle McBane, Narendra Rocherolle, Othman Laraki, Patrick S. Chung, Philip Kaplan, Ric Fulop, Ronny Conway, Russell Fradin, Russ Fradin, Ryan Spoon, Wayne Chang
Jan 1, 2020	Haus	$5.0M Seed	—	01 Advisors, 20VC, Kevin Hartz, Accomplice VC, Adverb Ventures, Alumni Ventures, Angel investor, AngelList, Chloe Sladden, Jana Messerschmidt, Bam Ventures, B Capital Group, BDC Venture Capital, Benchmark, Bessemer Venture Partners, BlueRun Ventures, Boston Seed Capital, C2 Investment, CITG Capital, Climate Capital, Color Capital, Connectivity Capital Partners, Craft Ventures, CRV, Divergent Capital, Double Down, DST Global, Founders Fund, Goat Capital, GreaterGoodSociety, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Ground Up Ventures, Insight Partners, IrishAngels, Kearny Jackson, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Listen, Long Journey Ventures, Ludlow Ventures, M12, Menlo Ventures, Motivate Ventures, Moxxie Ventures, NextGen Venture Partners, Outcast Ventures, Paradigm, Partners Resolute, Polaris Partners, Scribble Ventures, Shrug Capital, Spring Capital, Stellar Capital, Web Smith, TCG (The Chernin Group), Techstars, The Hit Forge, The House Fund, Todd and Rahul's Angel Fund, Village Global, VitalStage Ventures, Y Combinator, Aaron Levie, Adrian Aoun, Alex Pattis, Andrew Gluck, Balaji Srinivasan, Casey Neistat, David Cancel, David Chang, Elad Gil, Eric Wu, Gokul Rajaram, Ian McNish, Jaime Schmidt, Jason Robins, Jay Baer, Jennifer Lum, Jen Rubio Butterfield, Joe Fernandez, Joshua Reeves, Julia DeWahl, Julia Hartz, Kevin Weil, Ligaya Tichy, Mark Chou, Merlin Kauffman, Moshe Lifschitz, Neil Parikh, Peter Hunn, Ric Fulop, Ron Pragides, Sahin Boydas, Sanket Parekh, Scott Banister, Steph Korey, Tim Ferriss, Tony Xu, Trevor Folsom, Wayne Chang, Zach Segal
Nov 1, 2019	ProGuides	$6.0M Seed	—	N49P Ventures, Stellar Capital
Oct 1, 2019	RenoRun	$17.0M Series A	—	N49P Ventures, Stellar Capital, Gautam Gupta
Apr 1, 2019	Bizzabo	$27.0M Series D	—	83North, BDC Venture Capital, Next47, Viola Ventures, White Star Capital, Xfund, Anil Dharni, Jennifer Lum, Patrick S. Chung
Jan 1, 2019	RenoRun	$3.0M Seed	—	N49P Ventures, Stellar Capital, Gautam Gupta
Nov 1, 2018	Looka	$5.0M Series A	—	—
Aug 1, 2018	Root AI	$2.0M Seed	—	040 Capital, Abstract Ventures, Accomplice VC, Andreessen Horowitz, Angel investor, Jana Messerschmidt, Banana Capital, BDC Venture Capital, BoxGroup, Correlation Ventures, Craft Ventures, First Round Capital, Greenfield Partners, High Alpha, Ignition Partners, Inspired Capital, IrishAngels, Motivate Ventures, Moving Capital, MZ, Pioneer Fund, Polychain Capital, QueensBridge Venture Partners, Republic Records, Schematic Ventures, Stellar Capital, The Hit Forge, Todd and Rahul's Angel Fund, WestWave Capital, YLEM, Zeev Capital, Aaron Harris, Demetrios Christofidis Jr, Ian McNish, Josh Mohrer, Kristian Segerstrale, Mathew Johnson, Nick Jonas, Rashaun Williams, Steve Aoki, Steve Chen
Jun 1, 2018	Celo	$7.0M Venture Round	—	2xN, Accomplice VC, Andreessen Horowitz, Angel investor, Archetype, BDC Venture Capital, Broadway Angels, Catalio Capital, Digital Currency Group, Electric Capital, Formation 8, Greylock, Joe Kraus, Hack VC, Haun Ventures, Highbury Group, IrishAngels, Klossy, Lakestar, Motivate Ventures, NFX, Olima Ventures, One Planet Group, Paradigm, Polychain Capital, Presence Capital, Scalar Capital, Sequoia Capital, Seven Seven Six, Stellar Capital, The Hit Forge, Todd and Rahul's Angel Fund, Ulu Ventures, What If Ventures, WndrCo LLC, Andrew Keys, Erik Voorhees, Greg Kidd, Ian McNish, Larry Braitman, Lawrence Braitman, Michael Moritz, Mike Krieger
Oct 1, 2017	RADAR	$2.0M Seed	—	Accel, AIX Ventures, Amadeus Capital Partners, Atomico, Battery Ventures, Decibel Partners, Dell Technologies Capital, Greylock, Hitachi Ventures, IVP, Lightspeed Venture Partners, mParticle, N49P Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Sequoia Capital China, Stellar Capital, Sutter Hill Ventures, Third Point Ventures, Unusual Ventures, Wing Venture Capital, Gautam Gupta, Paul Holland, Shane Neman, Shlomo Kramer
Apr 1, 2014	Rigetti Computing	$3.0M Seed	—	Accomplice VC, Acequia Capital, Alumni Ventures, Amplify Partners, BDC Venture Capital, Bodega Partners, Craft Ventures, Drummond Road Capital, Electric Capital, Jinlin Wang, Founders Fund, Fusion Fund, G20 Ventures, Helpful Capital, Humba Ventures, IrishAngels, Matrix, Montage Ventures, Motivate Ventures, Scott Sandell, NextView Ventures, Owl Ventures, Plug & Play Ventures, Seven Seven Six, Sound Ventures, Spero Ventures, Stellar Capital, Streamlined Ventures, Susa Ventures, The Hit Forge, TNT Venture, Todd and Rahul's Angel Fund, Trucks Venture Capital, UpHonest Capital, Webb Investment Network, XG Ventures, Y Combinator, Adrian Aoun, Charlie Cheever, Charlie Songhurst, Daniel Shi, Eric Ries, Farzad Nazem, Greg Kidd, Louis Beryl, Noosheen Hashemi, Osama Bedier, Sam Altman

Financial History

Total Raised

N/A

Valuation

N/A

Leadership Team

Key people at Real Ventures.

Principal, Investment Professional

Leadership Team

Key people at Real Ventures.

Principal, Investment Professional

Deep Dive

Real Ventures is Canada’s leading early-stage venture capital firm, founded in 2007 and headquartered in Montreal. Its mission is to support daring entrepreneurs from the very beginning of their journey, helping them build successful, global technology companies. The firm focuses on early-stage investments, typically from pre-seed to Series A rounds, primarily in Canadian startups but with a global growth perspective. Real Ventures invests across diverse sectors including AI, healthtech, software, e-commerce, biotech, and hardware, emphasizing technology-driven innovation. Beyond capital, it provides hands-on mentorship, resources, and community-building initiatives such as the FounderFuel accelerator and Montreal’s Notman House, fostering ecosystems where startups can thrive and founders can develop conscious leadership[1][2][5].

Real Ventures was founded by experienced entrepreneurs and investors including John Stokes, Alan MacIntosh, and JS Cournoyer, who remain key partners. The firm has evolved to become deeply embedded in Canada’s startup ecosystem, managing over $325 million across five funds and supporting more than 200 startups with a combined valuation exceeding $10 billion. Its investment philosophy centers on the belief that people, not just money, build transformative companies. Real Ventures nurtures founders’ personal and business growth, encouraging a commitment to positive societal impact alongside commercial success[1][2][3][4].

Core Differentiators

Unique Investment Model: Focuses on early-stage, founder-first investments with a strong emphasis on mentorship and ecosystem building rather than just capital deployment.
Network Strength: Co-founder of Montreal’s Notman House and operator of the FounderFuel accelerator, providing startups with access to a vibrant community and resources.
Track Record: Over 200 investments with notable portfolio companies like Clearco, Mejuri, and BenchSci, demonstrating success in scaling disruptive innovations.
Operating Support: Deep involvement in founders’ growth, offering stage-specific guidance, leadership development, and access to extensive networks.

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Real Ventures rides the wave of increasing Canadian tech innovation and global startup growth. Its timing aligns with a growing recognition of Canada as a fertile ground for technology entrepreneurship, supported by government initiatives and a maturing ecosystem. By fostering early-stage companies and building supportive communities, Real Ventures helps accelerate innovation, economic development, and societal benefits in Canada and beyond. The firm’s approach to conscious leadership and ecosystem development positions it as a key influencer in shaping a sustainable and inclusive startup environment[1][2][4].

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Looking ahead, Real Ventures is poised to continue expanding its influence by backing bold entrepreneurs who aim to solve global challenges through technology. Trends such as AI, healthtech, and deep tech will likely shape its investment focus. The firm’s commitment to founder development and ecosystem support suggests it will maintain a leadership role in nurturing Canada’s startup scene while scaling its portfolio companies internationally. Real Ventures’ blend of capital, mentorship, and community-building will remain critical as startups face increasingly complex market dynamics and opportunities for impact[1][2][3].

Sources

Core Differentiators

Unique Investment Model: Focuses on early-stage, founder-first investments with a strong emphasis on mentorship and ecosystem building rather than just capital deployment.
Network Strength: Co-founder of Montreal’s Notman House and operator of the FounderFuel accelerator, providing startups with access to a vibrant community and resources.
Track Record: Over 200 investments with notable portfolio companies like Clearco, Mejuri, and BenchSci, demonstrating success in scaling disruptive innovations.
Operating Support: Deep involvement in founders’ growth, offering stage-specific guidance, leadership development, and access to extensive networks.