Canada leads as a top start-up ecosystem in the global economy. But bridging the scalability gap from start-up to mid-market to large company remains a real obstacle for businesses in British Columbia and nationwide.
“So many entrepreneurs try to maximize the amount of capital raised early on, however, this puts them down the path to give up control prematurely,” explains George Rossolatos, Canadian Business Growth Fund CEO.
Rossolatos says it will take a different kind of ecosystem to extend our favourable start-up culture into an environment where more entrepreneurs can scale up to their full potential. Enter the Canadian Business Growth Fund (CBGF).
Their evergreen approach is less focused on pushing companies to sell; it’s more invested in bringing in the right access to the right type of capital and advice along the way. “They can grow their company over a 10-15 year window if they need to,” Rossolatos explains. “Great businesses grow over decades, not in the traditional 3-5 year period that most funds provide.”
Already working with three mid-market companies in BC (plus five others across the country), CBGF develops networks of business leaders and sector experts to help the companies they invest in access a deep cross-section of guidance and mentoring.
Canadian Business Growth Fund senior leadership team members from left to right: George Rossolatos, Nathalie Mercure, Karoline Elkind, Hai Tran-Viet, and Dale Tingley.
That’s good news in a world where unicorns – those still-rare-in-Canada, privately-held start-ups valued at $1B+ – attribute 70% of success factors back to the ecosystem itself.
That kind of comprehensive support can also help fuel progress in uncertain times. British Columbia was the province with the highest percentage of high-growth enterprises by both employee number and revenue in 2017. Vancouver in particular is considered a top ecosystem for tech company development. As economic winds continue to shift, planning for the future may feel challenging. But Rossolatos says staying focused on opportunities even as the market reinvents itself is key. “Often, entrepreneurs are hesitant to focus on growing their company during a downturn, but this can be a great time to seize opportunities.”
The ACG experience
The ACG experience is a chance for mid-market leaders to contribute to the dialogue that will shape BC in 2020 and beyond. Targeted at business owners and leaders, financial executives, capital providers and deal professionals, the conference is a unique opportunity to hear from and connect with peers focused on similar goals: breaking down market complexity to emerge stronger.
As this year’s keynote, Rossolatos will share the story of the CBGF’s emergence and early success, while describing the critical role we all play in helping Canadian entrepreneurs to ‘think bigger’.
Attendees will also hear from a range of other leading explainers. Topics will span fresh insight on the economy, sell-side process, growth capital, transitionary leadership, and gaining a competitive edge in an environment of change.
This year’s conference is taking place in Vancouver on April 6-7, with 250 business professionals set to attend. Tickets are available now and online. For more information visit www.acgbcevents.com.
