Service Offerings

What you get

  • 1:1 expert advisory on topics including:
    • Fundraising strategy
    • Investment material support
    • Introductions to investors
    • Board governance management
  • Data-driven diagnostic and insight tools
  • Access to a curated peer community
  • PR and media opportunities

What you get

Recruitment criteria and application process

Who you are:

  • Company is incorporated in Canada
  • Keen to engage with expert advisors and peers
  • In the process of raising or planning a Seed or Series A raise in the next 6-12 months
To see if you qualify for MaRS, apply now.

Recruitment criteria and application process

FAQs

What commitment is expected of me and my team?

Based on your company’s level of commitment, MaRS will develop a service delivery plan tailored to your priorities.

Is there a cost associated with the program?

There is no fee.

What is the timeline of the program?

This is not a cohort-based program, we work with you based on your priorities and timeline.

Who is eligible?
  • Your company is incorporated in Canada.
  • Your company has developed an innovative technology.
  • Your company is in one of the four sectors MaRS supports: cleantech, health, fintech or enterprise software.
  • Currently raising or planning your Seed or Series A.
  • You have evidence of traction beyond early customers.
Why participate?
  • Access expert advisory support.
  • Join a community of like-minded peers and connect with innovative business leaders, investors and more.
  • Access peer-to-peer learning experiences, workshops and roundtable discussions with others in the MaRS ecosystem.
  • Elevate your company’s brand through media opportunities.

FAQs

Want to learn more about the Capital Funding Program?

Get in touch
Program Team
Krista Jones

Krista Jones

Interim CEO and Chief Delivery Officer

Krista Jones

Krista Jones is interim CEO and the Chief Delivery Officer at MaRS Discovery District, North America’s largest innovation hub and Canada’s leading science and technology innovation ecosystem. MaRS builds communities of innovators and provides direct support for startups at every stage of growth. MaRS-supported companies currently employ over 33,000 workers, and have contributed over $29.6B to GDP since its inception. Since joining MaRS in 2008, Krista has focused extensive entrepreneurial and leadership experience to advise executives, motivate teams and develop programs aimed at scaling Canada’s most innovative companies. With a unique combination of technical expertise and a deep understanding of innovation ecosystems, Krista serves as a catalyst for change, enriching the ecosystem through initiatives such as the MaRS Momentum program, which targets high-growth companies to achieve $100 million in revenue. With over three decades of experience navigating complex stakeholder environments, Krista's leadership emphasizes adaptability, determination and excellence, fostering collaboration and employing data-driven strategies to seize growth opportunities. Passionate about addressing societal challenges, Krista's career is defined by her ability to inspire teams and transform ideas into reality. Before MaRS, Krista worked in successful venture backed startups like Personeta, Metronet and Allstream and large telecommunications companies holding technical leadership roles were marked by groundbreaking achievements that have left a lasting legacy on the Canadian tech landscape. She currently serves on the boards of BioConnect and TriOS College.

Dennis Ensing

Dennis Ensing

Executive in Residence

Dennis Ensing

Scale-up experience:

  • CEO of TransGaming (now FinDev, TSX-V: FDI), a leading digital media company Previously served as CFO/COO
  • Took company public via RTO and raised over $25M
  • Through strategic M&A acquired key talent and titles/brands to become first cloud-based games provider in cable TV segment
  • CFO of Viron Therapeutics
  • Raised US$20M Series B including venture and strategic investors
Noteworthy:
  • Directly involved in over $500M of financing and M&A transactions in the past 10 years
  • Past-CEO of Equation Angels, Canada's second largest Angel network, whose model he helped architect in 2017
  • Investor and Past-Chair of the Board of Sensory Technologies, a health-tech venture
  • Chartered Business Valuator
Ask me about:
  • Strategic Planning
  • Inorganic growth / M&A
  • Pitching for capital
  • Mentorship

Asvini Keerawella

Asvini Keerawella

Program Director, National Programs

Asvini Keerawella

Asvini leads projects focused on the implementation of strategic priorities across the MaRS Venture Services team. Most recently, she’s helped run the Women in Cleantech Challenge, a joint collaboration between MaRS and Natural Resources Canada. The goal of the challenge is to identify and empower top female innovators from across the country who are developing technologies to tackle the world’s most daunting environmental challenges. Prior to joining MaRS, Asvini worked at Oracle Canada where she headed projects that introduced customized software solutions to improve operational efficiency and client management processes. Before that, Asvini worked at a boutique consulting firm where she helped clients develop their learning and development strategy. Asvini has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, York University, and a B.A. in economics from the University of British Columbia.

Farzin Mou

Farzin Mou

Client Engagement Manager

Farzin Mou

Farzin leads MaRS' Intensive Capital Program for Seed and Series A startups improving the odds of success for Canada's highest potential ventures. She works across cleantech, health, digital and emerging technologies, helping ventures navigate their fundraising strategy and investor readiness. Prior to MaRS, Farzin rose up the ranks at RS Energy Group, an energy analytics SaaS scale-up, which was acquired by US-owned Enverus for $1 billion. From roles in investment research to customer success and product management, Farzin married her data-driven nature with delivering customer-centric technology solutions. Before that, she worked at Suncor Energy and Imperial Oil after graduating from the University of Calgary's Mechanical Engineering program.

Richard Bozzato

Richard Bozzato

Executive in Residence

Richard Bozzato

Scale-up Experience: Head of Drug Development at Allelix Biopharmaceuticals

  • Successful product development partnership with multinational Pharma
  • Team member raising venture capital financing and eventual IPO
  • Early-stage research through to clinical development
CSO at ApoPharma
  • Growth of drug development programs from 10 staff to over 200.
  • Successful regulatory approval and marketing authorization
Noteworthy:
  • Founder of Advanced Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Consortium - industry-academic partnership
  • Integrated multi-site contract manufacturing and clinical development facilities
Ask me about:
  • Biotech strategic partnerships
  • Therapeutics product development strategies
  • VC interactions and financing
  • Product licensing (in-/out)

Rick VanSant

Rick VanSant

Senior Advisor, Cleantech

Rick VanSant

Rick is a leader in the Canadian cleantech sector, a serial entrepreneur, and angel investor. He serves as a Senior Advisor to the cleantech sector at MaRS Discovery District. Rick is also a Director of Aclarus Ozone Water Systems, a Director of Sentry Water Monitoring Technologies, an Advisory Board member for the Canada Water Portal, a partner with Toronto based private equity investment group 1440 Capital, and past Chair of the Board of WaterTAP Ontario, the province of Ontario’s water technology accelerator.

Jenny Yang

Jenny Yang

Senior Advisor, MaRS Enterprise

Jenny Yang

An entrepreneur angel investor, Jenny brings vast experience to the Enterprise team. Prior to joining MaRS, she was co-founder and CEO of Aida (acquired by Vision Critical) and Metafor Software (acquired by Splunk). Jenny also worked for BDC Capital where she led investments in technology startups, and was a consultant with both the Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Company. Jenny holds a bachelor of applied science in electrical engineering from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from INSEAD.

Harry Gandhi

Harry Gandhi

Harry Gandhi

Capital Experience:

  • Venture Partner at 1517 Fund
  • Venture Partner at Amplify Capital
  • Advisor - Lab2Market Program
Noteworthy:
  • Co-Founder and CEO of Medella Health where he raised funds from 1517 Fund, Jaan Tallinn, GTAN, Garage Capital, BDC Seed Fund, etc.
Ask me about:
  • Pitching for capital
  • Term sheet negotiations
  • Mentorship and community building

Hilary Kilgour

Hilary Kilgour

Hilary Kilgour

Capital Experience:

  • Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Audaxa Ventures
  • Advisor for Future Capital (formerly Female Funders), Highline Beta’s venture studio, Spring's first National Investor Challenge, VentureLAB's Capital Investment Program, and Elevate’s Women+ Entrepreneur Incubator.
Noteworthy:
  • Supported ventures in accessing more than $48.2 million in capital across Canada, United States, and Australia.
  • Played a vital role developing the Hardware Investors Network with ventureLAB
Ask me about:
  • Pitching for capital
  • Product development strategies
  • VC interactions and financing
  • Strategic Planning & partnerships