Event category: Fundraising & Exits

Events

November 18, 2021

10:25 AM - 10:55 AM EDT

Room 214 2021-11-18 30 MINS

How Fellow App Prepared for its $24 Million Series A Fundraise

Canadian companies are raising growth rounds left and right, and it’s so exciting to see Fellow’s $24 million Series A round added to that list. While COVID-19 tailwinds helped the company close a round in just two weeks, Aydin, CEO and co-founder (and 6x SAAS NORTH emcee) credits the company’s intense 30-day preparation process as a huge factor in their success. Take a look inside how Fellow prepared for its Series A fundraise and learn the steps that you can follow too. 

Moderator

SEAN SILCOFF

Business Reporter

Globe & Mail

AYDIN MIRZAEE

CEO + Co-Founder

Fellow.app

November 17, 2021

02:40 PM - 03:20 PM EDT

Room 210 2021-11-17 40 MINS

Navigating the Capital Conundrum: A Discussion on When, How and Why to Raise Capital to Grow your Business

It is a challenge for bootstrapped entrepreneurs to know WHEN the best time is to raise capital and to evaluate the different capital options available to determine what is best to drive growth.  The Canadian tech ecosystem is flush with liquidity at present and lenders, VCs and other investors alike are competing for the best businesses. Hear from lenders and entrepreneurs about their practical experiences navigating these challenging waters and exploring different sources of debt and equity financing opportunities.

Moderator

IRFAN DAYA

Managing Director, Central & Wester Canada, Technology & Innovation Banking

National Bank

JANICE DINER

CEO & Founder

Horizn

PATRICK DESROCHERS

President & Co-Founder

Ubiweb

TREVOR SIMPSON

Associate Partner, Private Debt

FirePower Capital

01:45 PM - 02:25 PM EDT

Room 213/215 2021-11-17 40 MINS

SEED Fundraising Strategy Redux: How Early SEED Opportunities Have Exploded for Startups in 2020-2021

Finding the best way to fund your SaaS company is not easy, and there are more options to consider than ever as fundraising continues to change with the post-COVID19 economic rebound.   

Our panel will provide tips on how to navigate the world of virtual fundraising, prospecting, referrals, pitching and due diligence when you can’t meet investors face-to-face. They will share new investment processes and alternative fundraising opportunities such as the deregulation of angel capital, crowdfunding, friends and family rounds, , new funds for underrepresented groups and other seed money opportunities. 

Moderator

DANIELLE GRAHAM

Founder & Investment Principal

Archangel Network of Funds

ANNA HU

Co-Founder & CEO

Brizi & Zoolife.tv

LANCE LAKING

Managing Director & General Partner

Graphite Ventures

SARAH SEDGMAN

CEO

LearnExperts

07:30 AM - 08:30 AM EDT

Room 213/215 2021-11-17 60 MINS

Silicon Valley Bank Investor Breakfast

Global VC has hit an all-time high! Join Silicon Valley Bank at SAAS NORTH's exclusive Investor Breakfast where Shez Samji, Head of Business Development, will lead a 20-minute fireside chat together with Ajay Gopal from Framework Ventures.

This session will break down the explosive trends in VC investment in the Canadian tech ecosystem. They look forward to discussing the strength of the Canadian innovation economy and their perspective on why we are attracting record levels of investment from both sides of the border. 

AJAY GOPAL

Partner

Framework Venture Partners

SHEZ SAMJI

Managing Director & Head of Business Development

Silicon Valley Bank

November 16, 2022

04:35 PM - 04:55 PM EDT

Canada Hall 1 2022-11-16 20 MINS

The Evolution of a Company & CEO Through Chapters of Growth

Over the last eight years, Toronto-based B2B software startup Loopio has grown from 3 Co-founders to a 280-person strong company boasting over 1,400 customers. From 3+ years of bootstrapping, to being VC-backed for another 3+ years, and most recently, their Private Equity investment ($252 million CAD), Co-founder & CEO Zak Hemraj has had to constantly evolve himself and the company. In this session, you’ll learn about Zak's key takeaways from each distinct chapter of growth, how he's had to evolve as a CEO, and some challenges & failures along the way.

Moderator

APRIL FONG 

Executive Editor

The Logic

ZAK HEMRAJ

CEO

Loopio

November 17, 2022

02:55 PM - 03:30 PM EDT

Room 213/215 2022-11-17 35 MINS

The Things They Don’t Tell You When Buying & Selling Your SaaS

Hear from two CEOs + Founders who have recently exited and one Founder & CEO that bought a Saas. These Founder/CEOs will reflect on the process in the rear-view mirror. Let them help you build and broaden your frame of reference by sharing their own tales from the trenches.

You’ll hear, what goes into selling and buying a company, how and why founders decided to do it, what they wish they had known, their key learnings and what they would change, if you join another team, what it’s like to go from being in charge to being an employee? The emotional side of selling and what it’s like to walk away from something you put so much time and energy into building and what each founder learned from that experience of selling the company, how it helped them grow, and what you can learn looking at your own company’s journey.

Moderator

SAMI KABIR

Vice President, Investment Banking

IJW & Co.

LINDSEY GOODCHILD

Co-Founder & CEO

Nudge

DR. LINDY LEDOHOWSKI

COO

Wizeprep

MICHAEL LEVINE

Co-CEO

Cardata

12:30 PM - 01:20 PM EDT

Level 2 2022-11-17 50 MINS

Food for Thought

A 30-minute deep conversation with someone at a conference will set you up for years to come!

Food for Thought is designed around connections and discussions. Meet cool, highly relevant people, learn from your peers who have already solved the issues you’re working on and share your learnings with others!

11:05 AM - 11:40 AM EDT

Room 213/215 2022-11-17 35 MINS

The Rise of Private Equity in SaaS

Hear and learn from the very active, global PE players that write the big checks. What’s happening, the dry powder, the deals and more.

Moderator

SEAN SILCOFF

Business Reporter

Globe & Mail

STEPHEN JONES

Principal

JMI

LYNDSAY KERWIN

Vice President

Silversmith Capital Partners

09:30 AM - 10:05 AM EDT

Canada Hall 1 2022-11-17 35 MINS

Raising Your Seed Round & Beyond

In August of 2021, Kathleen Chan, CEO & Co-Founder at Calico raised a CAD $2.6 million seed round which included Serena Williams. Shortly after, in November 2021, Shawn Hewat, CEO & Co-Founder of Wavy, raised a CAD $2.5 million seed round. In this SaaS North session, Shawn & Kathleen alongside early-stage investor Eva Lau will sit down with Betakit’s Douglas Soltys to talk about raising capital. In this candid session, you will learn what investors look for, how to navigate the process of raising your first round and how to manage your investors afterward.

Moderator

DOUGLAS SOLTYS

Editor-in-Chief

BetaKit

SHAWN HEWAT

CEO & Co-founder

Wavy

KATHLEEN CHAN

Founder & CEO

Calico

EVA LAU

Early Stage Investor

Two Small Fish