Allen Lau

The venture capital and M&A landscape is showing promising signs of resurgence. With valuations adjusting favorably and the IPO market reopening, opportunities for strategic acquisitions abound. While the first quarter saw a modest increase in deal activity, there's a palpable sense of anticipation for what lies ahead. Cash-flush buyers, buoyed by robust balance sheets, are poised to drive the next wave of innovation, particularly in AI and related fields. Regulatory hurdles persist, but optimism remains high as companies explore both IPOs and strategic acquisitions.The stage is set for a dynamic period of deal-making and portfolio expansion. Here's to a promising journey ahead! Read More Here: https://bit.ly/3yqhWh2 #VentureCapital #MnA #Innovation #BusinessGrowth #hospitality Branded Hospitality Ventures Crunchbase News Today Daley Ervin Jason A. Vita Shane Larisey, PE Diane Yoo Josh Barer

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KODE Labs secures a significant $30 million Series B investment led by Maverix Private Equity, with notable contributions from TELUS Ventures and existing investor I Squared Capital. 💡 Key Highlights: 🌱 This infusion of capital empowers KODE to further its mission of aiding buildings worldwide in achieving net-zero emissions. 🌱 Founded in 2017 by the Edi Demaj, Etrit Demaj and Gentrit Gojani, KODE redefines smart buildings with its advanced enterprise platform. 🌱 The Series B funding signifies KODE’s commitment to sustainability, innovation, and creating human-centric building experiences, underscoring their position as leaders in the smart building industry. 🌱 This platform seamlessly integrates data from various building systems and IoT devices, setting KODE apart as a trailblazer in AI technology tailored for buildings. #SmartBuildings #Sustainability #Innovation #SeriesB #Investment #NetZero #AI #ClimateAction #GreenTech #BuildingTech #EnergyEfficiency #CarbonEmissions #TechInnovation #BuildingManagement

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Come join the Future of Frontier Technologies AI & blockchain event panel in Santa Monica! ✨ We are hosting an event on Friday, May 3rd during @Farcaster's FarCon weekend. Which will bring many blockchain experts & builders to LA! Emerging LA is collaborating with Lightspeed's Faction VC as a co-host, with Partner Timothy K. moderating a panel. The panel will discuss the questions that you are probably wondering about these technologies: • How can AI and blockchain work together? • How will these frontier technologies impact industries today? • What are the real-world use cases that these technologies solve? • What are the current dynamics between innovation and regulation? ​One on hand, AI offers the promise of abundance, democratizing content creation but will open the door to (deep)fakes and mistrust. On the other hand, ​Blockchain offers digital scarcity, authentication, and trust in a world inundated with digital replicas. --- The audience will be filled with founders, technical builders, investors, and industry executives in sectors that are most relevant to these trends: Gaming, media, content, finance, social. The early bird ticket sold out quickly last week and the general admission tickets expire on Wednesday, so don't miss out and grab yours soon! Partners for this event include Sunset Ventures and AI LA as well as others in town: • LA schools & clubs: Wharton Club of Southern California, Wharton Digital Assets Club, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Blockchain , and Blockchain at USC • CPG startups & Brands: Studio TBD, doorsa, Red Bull --- PROMO CODE DISCOUNTS! If you are a student or alum from Penn/Wharton, Harvard, USC, reach out and ask for code!! 😉 See you on Friday! (Link to event in comments) #ai #blockchain #farcon #web3 #LA

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🚀 Calling All Aspiring Female Entrepreneurs! 🚀 Our mission is to empower women of all backgrounds to have a meaningful and flexible career, so please share this with anyone who might benefit from it! 🙏 We're thrilled to announce our 🌟 La Visionnaire Business Idea Competition 🌟 where creativity meets opportunity! 💫 Are you a woman with a visionary idea and the drive to turn it into reality? If so, you’re in the right place. This competition is your gateway to not only advancing your entrepreneurial journey but also gaining invaluable resources that will propel your business forward. 📅 Competition Deadline: June 3, 2024 @23:59 🙌 Winner Announced: June 7, 2024 📍Link to Participate: https://lnkd.in/eDCkFyxa 🏆 Prize: Tailored Support Package for you to start your business including: - a FREE ticket to the upcoming La Visionnaire Conference in London on June 28 to get inspired by successful female entrepreneurs and gain practical insights on mindset, marketing & personal brand, pitching & fundraising — an event dedicated to empowering women and fostering diversity in the business world. - а private coaching session with an executive coach - a private fundraising & strategy session with a venture capital investor - 12-month membership at La Visionnaire Women’s Club to connect with like-minded women and access networking opportunities with industry experts and investors 💥Why You Should Enter: Empowerment: Elevate your business idea with tailored support and advice from industry experts. Visibility: Opportunity to present your idea in front of our audience and gain feedback from successful entrepreneurs. Networking: Connect with like-minded women who are reshaping the business landscape. 🎯 How to Participate: Fill in the form https://lnkd.in/eDCkFyxa ☑️ Judging Criteria: Innovation: How does your idea stand out from the rest? Impact: What potential does your idea have to make a difference? Feasibility: How well can you execute this idea with the resources available? Don't miss this chance to turn your vision into reality and join a vibrant community of women making waves in entrepreneurship. Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand, we want to hear from you! ✅ To enter, submit your idea by June 3, 2024 23:59 at https://lnkd.in/eDCkFyxa Let’s make change happen together. We can’t wait to see your brilliant ideas! #BusinessCompetition #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #DiversityInBusiness #WomenEntrepreneurs #WomenSupportingWomen #FemaleEntrepreneurs #WomenLeaders #WomenFounders #BecomeAnEntrepreneur #FlexibleCareer #CareerWithPurpose #WomenManagers

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The size of Canada combined with the geographic distribution of health conditions make the country ideal for multi-channel healthcare (e.g., Telehealth). Despite the significant demand for healthcare broadly, those business models haven't been able to achieve exponential growth or ideal unit economics just yet -- they've certainly grown and many are profitable, but millions of Canadians still lack primary care. It's a problem that's on the cusp of being solved (e.g., AI, integrated care) and could unlock significantly more access to care for Canadians. 

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James Carey, currently a partner at Next Sparc Growth Partners, provides insights into how family offices excel in strategic acquisitions within the competitive realm of mergers and acquisitions. Family offices distinguish themselves through their flexibility, personal touch, and creativity in deal-making, leveraging their own capital to structure deals with agility. Carey emphasizes that relationships with founders and entrepreneurs are pivotal in deal sourcing, underscoring the importance of trust and value creation in successful transactions. Key strategies include proactive deal sourcing through extensive networks and collaboration with top-tier firms, swift decision-making guided by experience and intuition, and rigorous due diligence based on strong rapport with sellers. Success stories range from explosive growth in minority investments to strategic exits that define success, highlighting the integral role of industry experts and operating executives throughout the M&A process. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/gFfbGZwD Branded Hospitality Ventures Matthew Lerner #hospitality #innovation #venturecapital #MandA Noah Stern Miles Molyneaux Nathan Carmon Len Pagon

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As a founder, have you ever been curious about this whole angel investing thing? This week's findfunding.vc spotlight is on an investor who's an expert in it you simply have to know: Matt Wilson, MBA from Allied Venture Partners. He: 🇨🇦 Is Calgary based 😇 Manages one of Canada's largest angle investor syndicates (now at 1,800+ members!) 🏒 Worked as a professional ice hockey referee, which he says shares remarkable similarities with investing Amongst founders, Matt Wilson, is known for bringing empathy and perspective as a former founder himself. Aside from financial support, his goal is to be the 'right' investor - one that aligns with a founder's vision, shares his network, and provides strategic insights when asked. ✉️ Make sure to pitch him, invest, scout, advise and more at https://linktr.ee/alliedvc For more, check out our funder spotlight card below along with Allied Venture Partners' profile on findfunding.vc (link in comments).

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Yesterday I joined the AI Powering the New Energy Era summit, which was dedicated to exploring the impact of artificial intelligence on the energy sector. It was a true honor to share the stage with industry veterans Edwina Kelly of CPP Investments | Investissements RPC, Raymond Wood of Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Emily Sanford Fisher of Edison Electric Institute, on a panel hosted by Brian Boland of BrightNight. How is AI impacting the energy space? There are two major trends emerging: 1. The use of AI is very energy intensive, creating an unexpected surge in power demand, just at the time when we need to decrease emissions from electric power, and when power demand is also growing from sources like electric vehicles. 2. Technology enabled by AI can also help make the electric power system far more efficient, and help manage the transition to a grid dominated by renewables and other zero-emissions sources. The first trend represents a big challenge, and the second represents a big opportunity. As the panel went on, it became clear that large institutions in the energy sector have a real interest in the new innovation that we support at MUUS Climate Partners. If that innovation can scale, it could provide solutions to some of the greatest challenges in energy today, such as growing power demand from data centers, and the expanding share of intermittent renewable generation. We talked about companies such as Harvest, 3E Nano Inc, and BrightNight. The talk can be viewed here: https://lnkd.in/eEa8ERxa

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What a great Day 3 @ #LondonTechWeek! 🚀 Absolutely inspiring discussions and presentations! Some highlights among them… 💡 Fireside Chat: The Power of Innovation to Drive Economic and Societal Growth Charlotte Hogg, #VisaEurope CEO, showed how innovative new technologies are enabling change at scale. An open data economy has limitless possibilities to unlock richer, hyper-personalised experiences and greater value for people, businesses and economies. 💡 Fireside Chat: The Future of Beauty: Transforming an Industry with Innovation, Responsibility & Inclusivity Guive Balooch, Global MD: Augmented Beauty & Open Innovation - #LOreal Lizzy Burden, UK Correspondent - #BloombergTV Very interesting concepts of digital innovation in world of cosmetics and beauty. 💡 Panel Discussion: The Gen Z Future Leader Alexa Curtis, Bridget Lea, UK GM – Snapchat; Meagan Loyst, Jillian Wolf The generation born between the late 1990s and early 2010s is bringing fresh perspectives to the workplace. They are digital natives with strong tech fluency and distinct values shaped by technology, so how will they lead and what can we learn from them? We heard many insights from Gen Z leaders on purpose-driven leadership, authenticity and inclusivity and the power of confidence. 💡 Keynote: Are we Living in a Virtual Reality? Deepak Chopra MD (official), Longevity Guru - Author Deepak Chopra, a renowned longevity guru and author, delivered an amazing keynote speech titled "Are we Living in a Virtual Reality?" He explored the concept of a borderless, timeless, and causeless world, discussing SFIT (sensation, feeling, images, thoughts). Additionally, he traced the human story from the era of Homo sapiens to the current age of selfies. 💡 Pitch Stage: UK-Ukraine TechBridge Viktor Gurskyi, Partner - 1991 Ventures and Denis Gursky, Partner - 1991 Ventures #UKUkraine TechBridge - a strategic partnership between the UK Government, Ukraine Ministry of Digital Transformation and Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs to forge connections between our tech eco-systems. After 3 months of mentorship and deep dive into UK's ecosystem the Investment Accelerator implemented by 1991 Ventures will showcase 20 seed stage startups from Ukraine. Many thanks to all the organizers and sponsors for making it possible, gratitude to the British Embassy Vienna and Department for Business and Trade for their support. 🤝 InnovaticGroup. Create the Future Now innovaticgroup.com #LTW24 #TechChange #Innovation #Technology #Entrepreneurship #Investment #InnovaticGroup #BusinessGrowth #SustainableInnovation #GlobalImpact #Investors #BusinessAngels #VentureCapital #LPs #GPs #DigitalTransformation #Digitalization #Startup #Scaleup

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Going to #DiscoveryX tomorrow? Here are the things that I’m mostly looking forward to: ✅ Further developing relationships with the members of the Toronto investment community. No, we are not raising at Mavuus, but it's never too early to start building connections. ✅ Meeting the founders of the latest and greatest tech innovations. I love hearing about other people’s ideas and their success - it’s definitely a source of inspiration. ✅ Lastly, watching the Pitch Competition from early-stage startups. Honestly, they are my absolute favorite thing to do when at conferences. Want to learn the pitching Do’s and Don’ts? This is your place to start. Want to exchange notes on Top Things at #DisoveryX? Let’s connect.     

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For the past two weeks, I've been on the road, traveling across Canada and the US, giving talks on the intersection of AI and biotech. On a philosophical level, I feel fortunate to work in a field that is transforming biology from a specialized craft into a standardized engineering discipline. This shift is incredibly exciting. Just as mathematics revolutionized physics by uncovering nature's rules, AI and machine learning are now deconstructing biology into an engineering science. On a professional level, computational techniques are becoming central to biotech and healthcare startups, enabling close collaboration with domain experts. This transformation compels us to rethink resources, cloud infrastructure, access models, business models, and care paradigms. It's an exhilarating time for innovation and change. On a personal level, I’ve been overwhelmed by the large, diverse crowds of professionals attending my talks. They range from recent graduates from top-tier universities to mid-career and senior professionals from various technical and social backgrounds, all seriously considering careers in this space. Yes, there is hype. It takes effort to discern which companies are genuinely substantive. However, we have made significant progress, often led by quieter yet impactful startups. Yes, data silos are a problem. However, we are seeing leaders from government, academia, industry, and the private sector work together to unlock that access in an ethical and safe way to support advances. Stay tuned for some exciting news I'll be sharing soon :) #synbio #bioengineering #compbio #startups #biotech #venturecapital #artificalintelligence #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #AICommunity #StartupEcosystem

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If you are a #Canadian #startup frustrated by the lack of #investment opportunities and wondering if #SiliconValley is worth the trip ... I wanted to share a few notable comments from #startups that recently participated in our CELS - Canadian Entrepreneurs in Life Science Showcase. To the companies that participated, I won't drop the F bomb and risk being banned from LinkedIn 😆 but feel free to chime in and share, in your own words, why you think your peers need to take a leap ✈️ and visit #SiliconValley. It's really close to 🇨🇦 but in so many ways, a 🌏 apart. ✍️ "A lot of the people we met with will be relevant in the future. CELS made the introduction. We now have to build the relationship." 💰 "Everyone we met with had a friend or a contact that is relevant to us, even if they were not in our space, so basically everyone we met with was relevant!!" 🚀 "The biggest take away was the different mentality. Risk taking is seen positively here! Innovation is seen as a value driver. Investors want to see the BIG idea!" 🎙 "The Showcase format allowed us to have meaningful conversations. There was lots of time for real networking. Everyone asked, 'what is your ask?'. That was so refreshing!" ⏰ "It's just more sophisticated here. Time to market is faster in the US. We didn't have to spend our time explaining the tech and it felt like conversations got progressively better". So the next opportunity to leverage Connection Silicon Valley to build your network here is May 14th to 16th - open to #FemaleFounders. Don't let fear stop you. If you are looking for global capital, #SiliconValley is where you need to be to build the right connections. Register here - https://bit.ly/48SDuzF Or DM me to chat!

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What do you do when a radical new technology puts your main product right in the crosshairs of disruption? Listen to David Okuniev — co-founder of Typeform | Ask awesomely — discuss the challenges of innovation within existing structures. David shared a game-changing insight: Radical innovation is really, really difficult to do inside your own product. He emphasized the need to break free from the constraints of familiarity and embrace change from outside the box. Henrik Werdelin and I have both seen our fair share of this in our respective careers. What struck us most was how David leveraged structure to overcome the innovator’s dilemma. By creating a culture of experimentation and providing space for bold ideas, he propelled Typeform beyond incremental improvements. What other hacks have you seen or employed to help your organization overcome the innovator’s dilemma? Share your stories below! 👇 And if you want to dive deeper into our conversation, click the link in the comments to catch the full podcast episode!

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Want a front-row seat to the frontier of tech? We’ve got the role (or two) for you! We’re expanding our frontier-tech team at Blackbird by hiring a Frontier Tech Investments Associate and Foundry Fellows! Got questions? We've got answers... 1️⃣ What are the roles? 🧪 Associate = a full-time VC investment gig in our Blackbird Investments team, working directly with me. We’re looking for someone with a science and/or engineering background and more curiosity than they can handle. You’ll grow your own investment brand and practice, support our portfolio founders, and will help build Foundry, our early-stage frontier-tech accelerator. ✨ Foundry Fellow = a casual/contract gig in our Blackbird Investments team, ~15h per week for 3 months. The Fellowship is ideal for PhD students and ECRs who want to learn more about startups and VC. You’ll go deep on emerging areas relevant to your expertise (or curiosity!), get a front-row seat to groundbreaking companies in those areas, build out your non-academic network, and develop a solid writing practice. 2️⃣ Why are you hiring? We love frontier tech, and we’re ready to grow our team. 3️⃣ Wow, it’s so great that you’re starting to look at deep tech! Look, we get it: we don’t make a lot of noise about our frontier tech investing. Buuuut we’ve been deep-tech investors since we backed Tim Kentley-Klay to found Zoox back in 2014—we’ve been on incredible journeys with PsiQuantum (building the world's first utility-scale quantum computer right here in Australia!), Inventia Life Science (transforming drug discovery with high-fidelity cell models), Remedy Robotics (surgical robots for remote endovascular procedures), Opto Biosystems (minimally-invasive neural implants to treat cancer), and more. We believe that frontier technologies, and great frontier-tech investing, will be part of the solutions to the greatest problems humanity faces today. 4️⃣ When do applications close? May 31st at 11:59pm AEST. 5️⃣ I have more questions! I’m sure you do! Clare Birch and I are hosting an AMA to answer any and all questions about these roles. Want to know what a week in the life of our team looks like? What’s keeping us up at night? What our ideal candidate looks like? Come along and find out - registration link in the comments 👇 Apply for these roles: Associate - https://lnkd.in/gCfj4EUJ Foundry Fellowships - https://lnkd.in/gj6ATZVZ If you know anyone that we should meet, send me their details! Cameron Elise Ben Andrew Robin Joseph Adelaide James Olivia Lucinda Raghav Jesse Christie Mohamed Tom Amee Pablo Haya Loong Hon Joshua Benjamin Megan Harry Denzil Matthew Diana Daniel Tom Deanna Justin Amar Lilly Stone Thomas

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🚨 Special News Rundown 🚨 Federal Budget Review now live with John Ruffolo and myself discussing how the new capital gains taxes are sending a clear message to entrepreneurs and investors: “We Don’t Want You!” Check out the full episode below ⬇️

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If you're a Canadian entrepreneur, investor, or founder then this past week has made it painfully clear that when it comes to innovation and economic recovery the calvary won't be coming and is in fact running in the opposite direction. The federal government and associated regional innovation support agencies (ie Invest Ottawa) are failing to look at solutions aimed at effectively addressing an overall decrease in entrepreneurship and economic activity across the nation and it is now on us, as resilient Canadian entrepreneurs, to empower those who can bring the most value to the table if we are to strive for the quickest path forward towards economic recovery and helping the average Canadian family better their quality of life. I am proud to announce that RHA Ventures Inc. has answered that call 👏 In the face of rising costs for domestic businesses in Canada and competition from abroad, RHA Ventures, an Ontario-based venture capital firm specializing in cutting-edge technologies, announced today its investment in Real Life Robotics, a Waterloo-based company designing real robots for real businesses. This investment marks a significant milestone in the development of Real Life Robotics and underscores RHA Ventures' commitment to supporting true, tried, and tested founders and Ontario’s growing startup ecosystem despite an overall decrease in entrepreneurship across the rest of Canada. “Real robots, real people, and real-world challenges are what differentiate RLR as a technology company. We could not be more thrilled to have RHA Ventures, a group of experienced founders and problem solvers, on board as strategic advisors and investors as we help elevate Ontario globally as a home for first-in-class robotics and automation technology - empowering businesses with transformative robotics solutions that unlock new levels of efficiency, reliability, and scalability,” - Cameron Waite, CEO of Real Life Robotics. The numbers clearly show that the cost of getting involved in a business or launching a new product is too high for the average inexperienced Canadian and our economy has slowed in growth accordingly. On a macro level, we are placing too high an importance on new founders in a down market when we should be rewarding and doubling down on our true, tried and tested investors, founders and legacy businesses who have shown they are willing to take the risk. Thank you, Brian Foster and the rest of the team at RHA Ventures Inc. for taking this first step of the journey with us 🙏 https://lnkd.in/gSr5TP48

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M&A should be transformational not transactional. This compelling article delves into how forward-thinking organizations are shifting from transactional to transformative approaches, unleashing new avenues for growth. Learn why mindset matters and how embracing agility can turn uncertainty into opportunity. Packed with practical insights and real-world examples, this article is a must-read for leaders ready to navigate the dynamic landscape of M&A with confidence and innovation. Read Here: https://lnkd.in/g2kjKGKY Branded Hospitality Ventures #business #technology #venturecapital #MandA #networking #innovation Noah Stern Matthew Lerner Steven M. Elinson Lisa M. Negele Harvard Business Review Robin Elledge, PCC, SPHR Soren Kaplan Clifton Carmody, PCC

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An exploding market that demands more attention: Women’s Health & FemTech. Women’s healthcare products and services are tracking to become a $1 Trillion global market by 2027. The menopause sector has grown by 74% in just the last 5 years. Historically, this hasn’t been the case. As of 2018, only 4% of R&D funding went to FemTech. According to McKinsey and Pitchbook, 0.1% of all Femtech funding went to menopause management and only 7% of Femtech companies address menopause care. Lack of awareness and education have long been barriers to funding and innovation: • Most OBGYN residents receive less than 4 hours of menopause instruction. • Women experiencing menopausal symptoms either don’t realize it or are dismissed when they express them. • HRT (Hormonal Replacement Therapy) is an effective treatment, but its risks have been misrepresented, stifling its popularity. It’s an injustice. And a missed opportunity: • Women control 80% of healthcare spending in the US • Women spend 25% more of their life in poorer health than men. Now? With transparency on social media and increased self-advocacy, the trend is changing. Influencers and celebrities opening up about their menopause journeys on social media have helped demystify what women experience, and what can support them through it. Real symptoms – hot flashes, insomnia, vertigo, fatigue, arthralgia or myalgia, headaches, palpitations, and more – are being validated and treated. Innovators in this space have an edge: While customer acquisition is relatively harder, customers tend to be stickier. For example, Otsuka’s acquisition of Bonafide in Nov 2023 was a strategic move to acquire a smaller company with great IP and a trusted brand. These are a few more interesting players in the menopause sector: • Embr and Moona, focusing on sleep management • Mina Health and MBody, for self-testing and wellness • Gennev, for virtual care Brands like these will play a role in transforming how we address pivotal care for women. My takeaways: The conversation around menopause and women's health is changing. It's time for innovators to step up and meet the growing demand.

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🚀 The technology gold rush is over, and a new era of leaner startups has begun. LLMs are disrupting how startups leverage the capital markets, allowing founders to do more with less. DK Burnaby, HCS, GPHR and I are watching this happen in real time and have some thoughts about how this impacts back office organizations. ✨ Key highlights include: * How AI is dropping the costs of starting and running a business * The end of endless VC rounds and the rise of revenue-driven scaling * The evolving role of mid-stage financing and its implications for startups and VCs * The impact this is all having on the lean startup's strategy on Ops and Finance * Strategies like outsourcing, near/off-shore hiring, and fractional senior level talent to maximize efficiency and minimize costs Read the first article in a new series from myself & DK, and learn how you can apply these strategies to your own company. Check it out --> https://lnkd.in/gCurY_ui #fractionalCFO #FractionalExecutives #LeanStartups #Outsourcing

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