MaRS develops new angel investor program: Quarterly breakfast meetings designed to match emerging companies with qualified investors

Toronto, June 9, 2009 MaRS, a Toronto-based not-for-profit innovation centre, is launching a new angel program today, created to help its startup clients connect with new sources of funding. The funds raised from angels are often the first substantial source of financing for early stage science and technology companies.

The MaRS angel breakfast events will be held four times per year at the MaRS Centre. Clients from three practice areas – ICE (Information technology, Communications & Entertainment), Cleantech and Life Sciences are invited to pitch to a group of accredited investors. Co-Chairs Jim Meenan (MaRS Advisor), Ron Close (MaRS Advisor) and Jim Rae (prominent Life Sciences executive) will facilitate the company selection process and host the angel breakfast events.

Invited angel investors, who are often recognized leaders in their respective industries, are usually the result of personal referrals from MaRS advisors, staff, and community stakeholders. As part of the angel program process, company CEOs are provided with extensive coaching and mentoring to refine their presentations and ensure they are investor-ready.

“With the state of early-stage capital funding in Canada, we need to do everything we can as a community to connect our emerging companies to qualified sources of capital,” says Don Duval, MaRS VP of Business Services. “Based on our discussions with qualified investors, we determined the two essential components of an angel program were the quality of deals and efficiency of investor meetings. We’ve put together an angel program that combines investment grade companies that have been brought through our MaRS Advisory Group process plus we’ve designed a meeting format that showcases the companies and allows for some important networking to take place.”

For further information on the MaRS angel program, please contact Don Duval at 416-673-8100

About MaRS
MaRS Discovery District (www.marsdd.com) is a large scale, mission driven innovation centre located in Toronto and networked across Ontario, focused on building Canada’s next generation of technology companies. MaRS works closely with entrepreneurs to grow and scale their ventures into global market leaders in life sciences and health care, information, communications and digital media technologies, cleantech, advanced materials and engineering, as well as innovative social purpose business.

For more information about MaRS, please contact:
Linda Quattrin
T. 416-673-8104
E. lquattrin@marsdd.com