Brightspark Ventures

06/07/2022

“During the height of pandemic lockdowns, some people ordered a lot of takeout. Others became fitness buffs. And nearly everyone knows someone who decided a once-in-a-century pandemic was the best time to buy a pet.”

Cerys Goodall, COO of Vetster one of Brightspark's portfolio companies, spoke with the Toronto Star about the benefits of connecting with vets online during a global vet shortage. Read the article here:
https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/06/04/vetster-coo-cerys-goodall-on-telehealth-for-pets-the-global-vet-shortage-and-a-black-cat-named-orange.html?utm_source=share-bar&utm_medium=user&utm_campaign=user-share

06/02/2022

Brightspark portfolio company, Potential Motors is defining the future of the electric off-road experience. The P0 is their latest off-road EV test platform, designed and built in under 1 year. The technology they will be testing on this platform will greatly contribute to the creation and performance of future vehicles. If you’re also building next-gen technology, reach out to our team at [email protected].

05/31/2022

"We're miles ahead” says Amin Jadavji, CEO of Martian Farms, one of Brightspark’s portfolio companies based in Toronto, Canada.

We recently paid a visit to one of their production facilities to learn more about how they’re building the future of farming. In short, their unique automated system allows them to grow leafy greens using 80% less labour and 99% less water, all while occupying 99% less land than other vertical farms. If you are an accredited investor, learn more about investing in early-stage tech companies like Martian Farms: www.brightspark.com/invest

05/27/2022

Brightspark was at the CVCA Invest Canada 22- it was so great to reconnect with LPs, co-investors and partners. Big thank you to Kim Furlong and the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA) team for organizing such an inspiring event!

05/26/2022

Brightspark Ventures has announced that it promoted Éléonore Jarry-Ferron to partner, as Pablo Srugo published his promotion to partner at Mistral via LinkedIn.

05/24/2022

It’s official - we are thrilled to share that Éléonore Jarry-Ferron has been promoted to Partner! She has been an integral part of the team over the last 6 years, and this new title solidifies Brightspark’s mission to create value for the long run by empowering the next gen of exceptional VCs.
https://brightspark.com/blog/building-for-the-long-run-announcing-eleonores-promotion-as-partner

05/18/2022

"If everybody were using apps to buy travel, which is what young millennials and Gen Z do, there would be one dominant app. Now, the question is, what else does that app have to do for you to use it for other things?" Our portfolio company CEO, Frederic Lalonde of Hopper discusses his unique approach to modern-day travel buying on Future. Read more about it here:

https://future.a16z.com/hoppers-big-bet-all-travelers-worry-but-not-about-the-same-thing/?utm_campaign=future&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

05/12/2022

Brightspark Spotlight: We recently sat down with AdHawk Microsystems CEO, Neil Sarkar, to discuss the impact of their advanced eye-tracking technology and its effects on research, extended reality (XR), gaming and healthcare. AdHawk is on the cusp of several major breakthroughs in systems performance with the goal of making their tech more effortless and frictionless to use.
https://vimeo.com/709157266

AdHawk Microsystems CEO, Neil Sarkar giving us a glimpse at the company's advanced eye-tracking technology.

04/26/2022

A little behind-the-scenes action as the Brightspark team gears up for our 2022 AGM this morning. We are very excited to share updates from our incredible portfolio companies with all of our investors! See you online!💻✨
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12/22/2020

For the final episode in our Big Tech podcast series, Mark Skapinker and Jacques Perreault discuss problematic implications of the business models of tech giants on a societal level, and what kind of regulations we can expect in the future.

Listen to the episode here:
Apple | https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/spark-chats/id1528984639
Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/2LQtHhPkvAjHUaJ8h1nsuy
Web Browser | https://brightspark.com/blog/big-tech-regulations-and-control-part-3

In case you missed it, listen to Part 1 and Part 2 here: https://anchor.fm/brightspark-ventures

11/19/2020

What positive impact can Big Tech have on the Canadian startup ecosystem?

In Part 2 of our Big Tech podcast series, Mark Skapinker and Jacques Perreault take a closer look at their influence and potential to feed Canadian growth.

Listen to the 5 min chat here:
Apple | https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/spark-chats/id1528984639
Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/2LQtHhPkvAjHUaJ8h1nsuy
Web Browser | https://brightspark.com/blog/big-tech-and-the-canadian-startup-ecosystem-part-2

10/30/2020

Big Tech companies have a massive impact on the industry and our daily lives - do we break them up to make room for smaller players or let them grow?

Listen to Big Tech: Part 1, where Mark Skapinker and Jacques Perreault discuss what Big Tech’s massive valuations could mean for our portfolio companies and their impact on the marketplace.

Apple | https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/spark-chats/id1528984639
Spotify | https://open.spotify.com/show/2LQtHhPkvAjHUaJ8h1nsuy
Web Browser | https://brightspark.com/blog/big-tech-break-them-up-or-let-them-grow-part-1