Photo by ecstaticist
OMERS and ABP announced the launch of INKEF Capital, a € 200 million venture fund that is focused on deploying € 100 million in Canada in 5 years.
“In the first five years, € 100 million is anticipated to be invested in start-ups in each of the territories, the Netherlands and Canada. The initial portfolio will naturally be weighted towards early stage companies which will mature over the fifteen year term. Deal flow will come from various sources, including technology transfer offices of universities, informal investors, regional funds and from spin-offs of new technologies by existing companies.”
This is great. It’s nice to see new capital getting ready to be deployed to Canadian entrepreneurs. What’s interesting is the reason that INKEF believes it is differentiated than other capital:
“INKEF Capital distinguishes itself from other investors by its long term investment horizon and active mentoring of the start-ups.”
Makes me wonder what the other firms have been doing? Passive mentoring? It will be interesting to gather more details as content becomes available (Currently http://inkefcapital.com/ is not active and the WHOIS record returns a registrar and intellectual property firm in the Netherlands). This looks it is a direct investment vehicle for OMERS & ABP, “programs for direct investment as a promising new strategic option”. I can’t wait to hear Mark McQueen’s take on this, but given we’re in Day 9 of his hunger strike I suspect that you’re stuck with my limited insight.
Do some of you have the right contact to help an inventor to get in touch with this fundholders?
Do some of you have the right contact to help an inventor to get in touch with this fundholders?
100m euro is a lot to spend on early stage… How much will each ticket be? It will be interesting to see who they have on the ground. Holland is a small country so you could happily have a team in Amsterdam or Lieden and cover the whole country. The same can't be said for Canada. You can't have a team in Toronto and offer the proactive mentoring they are promising across the county. And how any investments will they make with the 100m euro? Will they have enough people to manage them all? 100m euro will go a long way in early stage start-up land.
100m euro is a lot to spend on early stage… How much will each ticket be? It will be interesting to see who they have on the ground. Holland is a small country so you could happily have a team in Amsterdam or Lieden and cover the whole country. The same can’t be said for Canada. You can’t have a team in Toronto and offer the proactive mentoring they are promising across the county. And how any investments will they make with the 100m euro? Will they have enough people to manage them all? 100m euro will go a long way in early stage start-up land.
The interesting thing is, is Imkef Capital an invention or just an idea?
As idea it´s quite simple: Invest in good inventions on the long run.
That must give money when you find the right projects. Then it is itself the best.
For example: it is 1954: Some visionary guy has the idea to make a personal computer system that can be wired with other such computers to exchange all kinds of information and therefore also in collaboration with eachother in a grid they could immense calculations. It would speed up the possibilities of science, technology and mankind as a whole and for every individual. Interlinked systems he sees are search engines, statistical forecasting engines, positioning and traffic regulating systems, etc.
Will this idea be seen, that it is the PC with internet, Google, Gps etc?
When Imkef Capital is just an idea of some bright capital funders: Gee, what if we had the idea of the PC, internet and Google foreseen, then we would have made trillions.
A lot of dreaming and being wise by knowing the past.
As an invention one has to make a concrete situation: a dummy. A pilot project.
But which project do you choose?
Is that open?
The dummy much be something nobody had thought about yet.
It must be so farfetched, that the guy with the vision must be a lunatic.
And who listens to a fool?
The premises to make this fund successfully are the answers on questions like:
1 Am I able to recognize a workable vision?
2 Am I prepared to overcome all the startup and development problems?
3 Do I understand I have to make a new kind of world to get the vision successful?
In the example:
Do I recognize I have to invent silicon based microchips, satellites, glass fiber, etc.?
So the real question on Imkef Capital is:
Are they a bunch of opportunists? Or are they Visionairs?
If the latter, they can call me up or write an email.
I have a vision.
Best regards,
Jos
The interesting thing is, is Imkef Capital an invention or just an idea?
As idea it´s quite simple: Invest in good inventions on the long run.
That must give money when you find the right projects. Then it is itself the best.
For example: it is 1954: Some visionary guy has the idea to make a personal computer system that can be wired with other such computers to exchange all kinds of information and therefore also in collaboration with eachother in a grid they could immense calculations. It would speed up the possibilities of science, technology and mankind as a whole and for every individual. Interlinked systems he sees are search engines, statistical forecasting engines, positioning and traffic regulating systems, etc.
Will this idea be seen, that it is the PC with internet, Google, Gps etc?
When Imkef Capital is just an idea of some bright capital funders: Gee, what if we had the idea of the PC, internet and Google foreseen, then we would have made trillions.
A lot of dreaming and being wise by knowing the past.
As an invention one has to make a concrete situation: a dummy. A pilot project.
But which project do you choose?
Is that open?
The dummy much be something nobody had thought about yet.
It must be so farfetched, that the guy with the vision must be a lunatic.
And who listens to a fool?
The premises to make this fund successfully are the answers on questions like:
1 Am I able to recognize a workable vision?
2 Am I prepared to overcome all the startup and development problems?
3 Do I understand I have to make a new kind of world to get the vision successful?
In the example:
Do I recognize I have to invent silicon based microchips, satellites, glass fiber, etc.?
So the real question on Imkef Capital is:
Are they a bunch of opportunists? Or are they Visionairs?
If the latter, they can call me up or write an email.
I have a vision.
Best regards,
Jos
Good news. Might this be a result of the Feds recent changes to filing requirements for foreign investors? Could we see more foreign investors getting involved over the next few years?
It's good to see new capital but to see that we are celebrating it is a symbol of just how weak our vc markets are. It represents about 0.2% of omers assets under management. Lean startups and smart angels are our most promising future, digging in and just proving how good us Canadian entrepreneurs are. Let's just get it done.
Good news. Might this be a result of the Feds recent changes to filing requirements for foreign investors? Could we see more foreign investors getting involved over the next few years?
Good news. Might this be a result of the Feds recent changes to filing requirements for foreign investors? Could we see more foreign investors getting involved over the next few years?
It’s good to see new capital but to see that we are celebrating it is a symbol of just how weak our vc markets are. It represents about 0.2% of omers assets under management. Lean startups and smart angels are our most promising future, digging in and just proving how good us Canadian entrepreneurs are. Let’s just get it done.
It’s good to see new capital but to see that we are celebrating it is a symbol of just how weak our vc markets are. It represents about 0.2% of omers assets under management. Lean startups and smart angels are our most promising future, digging in and just proving how good us Canadian entrepreneurs are. Let’s just get it done.