Raise the Hammer

Please join iF for an informative and free lunch and networking opportunity presented by KPMG as Derek Smyth (Omers Ventures) discusses The Changing VC and Fundraising Landscape in Canada.

As a startup, it’s important to understand how an investor views a deal, whether they are an Angel or a Venture Capitalist. Find out how your team, market size, traction and proof points may be evaluated and discover the value of “warm” introductions to investors. Learn why not all deals are good for VCs and why your company can still be successful even without investor backing.

Factory 5: Each iF Lunch 'n Learn features Factory FiVE: a 5-minute presentation by an iF client to show you what our innovators are up to!

This month's Factory FiVE features Vida Holdings - a company who has developed a new disruptive technology for the catalytic converter industry.

Join Innovation Factory on June 19th for a free Lunch 'n Learn event as we talk with you about venture capital and fundraising in Canada! Please forward this to all of the innovators you know.

Tickets are limited, so register today.

About Derek Smyth

In his role as Managing Director of OMERS Ventures (omersventures.com), Derek Smyth is responsible for leading investment activities in the North American market focusing on high-growth companies in the technology, media, and telecommunications sectors. He is a venture capital and technology industry veteran with deep operational experience and investment expertise.

Prior to joining OMERS Ventures, Derek co-managed two VC funds in his role as Partner at Edgestone Capital Partners. He led numerous successful investments for Edgestone, and acted as a board member for many of its funds’ portfolio companies. His extensive operational experience also includes his former roles as President and CEO of solutions provider Bridgewater Systems, and as COO of California-based Ironside Technologies Inc.

Derek’s key accomplishments include guiding companies to dramatic increases in sales, revenue and employees, and through international growth programs.

Derek has led investments in Solace Systems, Shoplogix, pVelocity, CiRBA, Varicent, Rypple (sold to Salesforce.com), and Rapidmind (sold to Intel).

Derek holds a Bachelor of Arts (Commerce and Economics) Degree from the University of Toronto, and completed Stanford University’s Executive Enterprise Program for Growing Companies.

About Vida Holdings Corp

Vida Holdings Corp. (Vida Holdings Corp) is engaged in the design, development and commercialization of the Multi Chamber Catalytic Convertor (MCCC). Our value proposition is based on improving the cost to performance ratio of catalytic converters for gasoline, hybrid or diesel propulsion systems while meeting or exceeding the diverse and stringent emission performance requirements for original and aftermarket mobile exhaust systems. Our primary revenue drivers are: 1. Direct sales to global OEM and aftermarket mobile catalytic converter manufacturers and 2. Licensing MCCC technology.