Our friends at C100 and Bootup are bringing Dealmaker Media to Vancouver for a great event in August. If you don’t know Dealmaker, you should. It’s run by a Canadian, Debbie Landa. They produce 2 of the most valuable events for startups in Silicon Valley and Los Angeles – check out Under the Radar for a list of events and companies.

They are producing an event, Grow 2010, in Vancouver on August 19-21, 2010.

The event is a 3 day event with an invite-only Day 1 to connect Canadian founders with the best and brightest from Silicon Valley and across CAnada. Days 2 & 3 feature great speakers and the opportunity to build unique lasting relationships.

• Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos
• Tom Conrad, CTO, Pandora
• Lane Becker, Co-Founder and President, Get Satisfaction
• Leonard Brody, President,Clarity Digital
• Dave McClure, 500 Hats
• Dan Martell, Flowtown
• Rob Hayes, First Round Capital
• Aydin Senkut, Felicis Ventures
• Ariel Poler, TextMarks
• Bill Tai, Charles River Ventures
• Jeff Clavier, SoftTechVC
• Rick Segal, FixMo
• Dana Settle, Greycroft Partners
• Chris Albsinson, Panorama Capital
• Rob Chaplinsky, Bridgescale Partners

 If you’re an entrepreneur and you missed MeshU in Toronto (and it’s really too bad, this was one of my favourite events of the past 2 years), you should attend Grow 2010. Buy your ticket today and it’s $185, if you miss the super early bird (or as I like to call it the just getting in from a late night), you can grab an early bird ticket for only $230. This is unbelievable! Add in an approximately $700 flight it’s possible to do this for less than $1500. It’s worth the opportunity to meet the companies, build the connections, and help grow your company.

We’ll be coordinating shared hotel rooms for entrepreneurs from Toronto, Montreal, Waterloo, Ottawa, Halifax and anywhere. If you’re not local to Vancouver we’ll help you find a shared room to manage your costs. Add a comment if you are attending and we’ll try to help you find a roommate.

We kept pretty mum about the recent mess at Bootup Labs that culminated with a Techcrunch piece and a “I’m Sorry” post from Danny Robinson, one of Bootup’s founders.

I was ready to get some nails and start sealing the coffin of Bootup. The whole scenario has been a huge credibility killer for Bootup and I am sure it has been tough on the community in Vancouver.

Before I started hammering away at those nails however, I decided to reach out to Boris Wertz. Boris Wertz is a bit of a sage and I figured he would have a sense of what was going on. It was then that I found out that Boris W would be joining the board of Bootup and would be helping to back it.

Danny Robinson posted yesterday that the other Boris, one of the original founders, would be leaving Bootup. I’m not going to speculate on what caused this, but it does seem like everyone at Bootup have committed to doing whatever it takes to get this thing back on the rails.

So here is my endorsement for the new Bootup. Vancouver needs Bootup as much as Bootup needs Vancouver, and with these recent changes I hope that the Vancouver community can get behind Bootup 2.0 as well. I expect that it will take a while, and Bootup will suffer greatly for it, but time will hopefully heal all wounds.

Vancouver is truly one of the best cities in the world, and I know that the startup community there will continue to live up to that reputation. It is a unique place, with a unique startup community and set apart in Canada. Vancouver is a lynchpin of change and I hope a city that leads the charge in rebuilding the definition of what it means to be a startup in Canada.

I was reading Anil Dash’s New York City is the Future of the Web post over the weekend, and there is a great list of startups (and funders) based in NYC. The list is pretty impressive starting with the money folks including Union Square Ventures and Fred Wilson to Founders Collective and Chris Dixon. The startups Foursquare, Hunch, Etsy, Kickstarter, and 20×200. I was starting to think that the grass might be greener in NYC. But I was reminded of the great things going on in Canada when I was redirected to the 2009 Canadian New Media Awards finalists.

There is a great list of companies that are finalists for the CNMA. You can round this list out with the great list of companies announced as part of the CIX Top 20.  There are a lot of great Canadian startups that continue to execute, find customers, and raise their profiles internationally.

• ChickAdvisor
• HootSuite
• Syncapse Corp.
• CoveritLive
• Polar Mobile
• Stitch Media
• Zoompass (EnStream LP)
• VisionCritical
• Vantrix
• Streamtheworld

These companies show the breadth of solution and corporate development of the Canadian startups. The startups are spread across the country, but entrepreneurs in Canada are building great things. Feeling good about the state of startups, hoping that Canadian funding scene continues to evolve, and that these companies continue to have the opportunities to change the world.

Backbone Magazine announced their “PICK 20 round of Canada’s leading Web 2.0 pioneers” that includes 4 companies form our list of web startups to watch, it’s a great list of Canadian technology companies and startups.

The List

1. FreshBooks, Toronto
2. Myca Health, Quebec City
3. CoveritLive, Toronto
4. Viigo, Toronto
5. Radian6, Fredericton
6. Filemobile, Toronto
7. BoardSuite, Toronto
8. NowPublic, Vancouver
9. Tungle, Montreal
10. HootSuite, Vancouver
11. ThoughtFarmer, Vancouver
12. AfterCAD Online, Vancouver
13. TeamPages, Vancouver
14. The Manufacturing Innovation Network, Kitchener
15. Well.ca, Guelph
16. Clarity Accounting, Vancouver
17. Voices.com, London
18. Taglocity, Vancouver
19. PollStream, Toronto
20. Pixton, Vancouver

The majority of the startups on the PICK20 list are in Vancouver (8) and Toronto (5). It’s a great list of Canadian startups.

New Ventures BC is a competition for BC startups that has been running since 2003. The competition is open to new companies that have “not yet secured significant financing from “outside investors” (ie. investors other than friends, family, and company founders)”. The competition costs $100 to enter and is open to B.C.-based privately held companies (full eligibility requirements).

Registration for the 2009 New Ventures BC Competition is now open! Competition deadline is April 20th, 11:59pm.

REGISTER NOW

The new 2009 prize structure includes:

• $120,000 British Columbia Innovation Council First-prize package
• $63,000 British Columbia Innovation Council Second-prize package
• $37,000 British Columbia Innovation Council Third-prize package
• BC Hydro Sustainability $40,000 prize
• BC Bioenergy Network $20,000 prize
• British Columbia Innovation Council Economic Impact $20,000 prize

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur with a new technology business idea, join us!

For details and to register for the competition, visit http://www.newventuresbc.com or call 604-725-5740.

Competition deadline is April 20th.

The questions and evaluation criteria are very interesting set of metrics for any startup looking to raise money. The questions are not all encompassing, but they are an extremely complete list of the types of discussion that is required during the initial fund raising. Check out Round 2: Feasability Test and Round 3: Venture Plan of the Contest Rules for details about what your business plan should cover.

1. Product/Service: Describe your product or service and the nature of the technology.
2. Technology Development: Describe the development stage of your product/service.
3. Team: Describe your company’s strengths and weaknesses. List the credentials of your technical and management teams, and if applicable, advisors and board of directors. If you don’t have a team, describe the key positions and critical skill sets that you need to add.
4. Business Plan Status: What research has been conducted, what remains to be done, and how and when you anticipate doing so. What key sources are included to document and support your plan?

It might be the end of the world as we know it for venture capitalists. But Vancouver VC, Yaletown Venture Partners, announced their $100M Second Fund with $65M closing today. The fund is focused on early-stage investing in clean tech and IT in Western Canada.

"The support that Yaletown has earned for its first two funds in extremely challenging market conditions, from institutional and technology industry insiders alike, is a strong endorsement of this team and its investment strategy," said Haig Farris, retired co-founder of Ventures West and one of Canada’s most respected angel investors.

This quote by the retired cofounder of Ventures West says it all. A strong investment team with a strong thesis can raise money in down times. This is true of entrepreneurs and startups. Good ideas, good businesses and great execution make it easier for startups to raise money even in tough times.

Yaletown has done a number of IT investments including:

• Mixpo
• Galeforce
• Zeugma
• Indicee

I will be speaking at the Canadian Venture Capital Association’s upcoming professional development day on October 15th. I will be on a panel with Rob Lane, from Overlay.TV and Maggie Fox from Social Media Group.

Our session description is

?Going global” is no longer an option for many companies. It is a necessity. This session will examine issues and strategies in building international networks that will lead to business opportunities and enhanced returns. Learn how to link into international networks of customers, partners, acquirers and investors to better position your companies for global success. The role that social technologies can play in fostering these global networks will also be discussed.

Other sessions include “THE BIG PICTURE ? KEY STRATEGIES FOR CREATING ESSENTIAL INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS” with Jennifer Brooy,Vice President, EDC Equity and Rajiv Pancholy, Chairman and CEO, TenXC Wireless as well as “RELATIONSHIPS WITH GLOBAL SYNDICATE PARTNERS AND ACQUIRERS ? THE VIEW FROM HOME AND ABROAD”

It looks like a good day and if it is typical of CVCA events, the biggest value will be in having a chance to hang out with some of the other attendees who tend to be other startups (the smart ones go to CVCA events when they can afford them) and funders.

The half-day event is $299 for non-CVCA members if you attend in-person in Toronto, and $70 if you watch it from one of the simulcast locations in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Fredricton or Halifax.

Founders and Funders Toronto took place this week and we had another sellout. We had just over 100 people who came out to hang out, pitch their startups and find fundable companies.

A lot of food went cold however, as people could barely stay in their seats. The room was buzzing and so far the reviews have been great.

Ali Asaria, from Well.ca, sent us a note that I think summed it up:

“This was the first time we as a company were approached by investors, instead of us having to approach them. The atmosphere was relaxed, but at the same time there were always four simultaneous, deep discussions happening at our table on the subjects of investment, entrepreneurial stories, and industry trends.

In one single night I was able to talk directly with five different VCs, and we had the time to talk about details of our business, without the “what’s your pitch?” awkwardness. I had the chance to sit next to some of Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs from whom I learned so many lessons. What a great event — it’s the next day now and I return to my desk energized!”

A big thank you to our sponsors

• Microsoft Canada
• Atlas Venture
• General Catalyst Partners

Founders and Funders Vancouver

Boris has announced Founders and Funders Vancouver for June 17th. If you would like to attend the dinner, please fill out the following form and let us know who you are.

As with the Montreal and Toronto dinners, Microsoft was gracious enough to sponsor Vancouver as well. These dinners really would not have been possible without them taking the lead and having a vision to help Canadian early-stage companies.

Shanghai (by way of Victoria) based startup, Indochino.com, who we first profiled in September, and who I finally got around to ordering from a few weeks ago, has announced that they have taken a new round of financing from Burda Digital Ventures, a German Venture Capital group who have been very active in Western Canada, getting a lot of deals that Canadian VCs are missing including TeamPages, Suite101.com and Nexopia

Indochino.com is a unique online retailer that specializes in custom-tailored suits, shirts and other apparel based on measurements done by the customer. I ordered a jacket and shirt from them a few weeks ago and I think I got a taste of both ends of the spectrum of ordering online.

The shirt came and right out of the package it was hands down the nicest shirt I have ever bought. The fit was perfect and it looked and felt great. The jacket looked great as well, but a few of the measurements are off. So I printed off their claim form and will take the jacket to a tailor tomorrow. For the price however, the jacket is great.

This round of financing is focused on building the operations back-end as well as scaling up to meet growing demand.

This is a long way from where they were when I first profiled them just 8 months ago and things are looking up. I am looking forward to seeing what they do in the next 8 months with new financing and some more experience behind them.

While the rest of us are sitting around moaning about the state of canadian venture capital, it appears that Vancouver is so over it, the Vancouver Enterprise Forum is at least.

This Tuesday, November 27th, they are hosting “Beyond B.C. VCs – tips for Sourcing Tech Funding from American Venture Capitalists”

In the November VEF event, we?ll hear from experienced American venture capitalists as they explain the fundamentals they look for when investing in B.C. and Canadian companies. How do you approach American VCs? What kind of information and potential do they want to see? What approach is best? These questions and more will be answered by Geoff Entress from Madrona of Seattle, which made an investment in Victoria based PixPo in 2006, and by Alex Gove of Walden Venture Capital of San Francisco.

This is not a small matter for Vancouver, which has seen its share of startups heading south for funding.

The catch? How long will startups stick around beautiful Vancouver, or anywhere in Canada, when their Venture Capitalist investors are beckoning them to come south. It starts with “let’s move the sales office”, and soon enough everyone but the developers are gone.

This is a subject that we will be diving in to more here. Would you rather take funding outside of Canada, or would you consider it a secondary option? Considering how tightly connected Canada and the US are, does it even matter? Do we need to be doing more to make it easier for american funds to invest here?