The government of British Columbia has added four new fund managers to the BC Renaissance Capital Fund (BCRCF), which invests in the province’s technology sector.
The four new managers are: Tandem Capital; Vanedge Capital; Wesley Clover; and Yaletown Venture Partners.
The new managers include some big names in the technology business. Wesley Clover is led by Terry Matthews, founder of Mitel and Newbridge Networks. Charles Sirois and Brent Belzberg head up Tandem Capital. Vanedge Capital’s Paul Lee served as president of Electronic Arts Worldwide Studios, and Yaletown’s Mike Satterfield has over 25 years of experience in the software industry.
They join the fund’s three existing managers: ARCH Venture Partners; Kearney Venture Partners; and VantagePoint Venture Partners. The seven managers can invest up to $90 million directly from the BCRCF, plus their own capital.
The province launched the fund with $90 million from the B.C. Immigrant Investment Fund. BCRCF managers must each raise $80 million in additional investment capital within a year of their selection.
“British Columbia’s vibrant technology companies need investment to grow, and so we are partnering with some of the strongest, most successful investors operating in Canada to help build anchor technology companies in our province,” said Small Business, Technology and Economic Development Minister, Iain Black. “With this commitment, B.C.’s most innovative companies now have access to growth capital and global markets. Our province is building on its lead in access to early stage capital.”