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Real Ventures

North America, Quebec, Canada, Montréal

Description

Real Ventures is a leading early-stage venture capital firm based in Montréal, Canada, widely recognized for its pivotal role in fostering the Canadian technology ecosystem. Established as one of the nation's most active seed-stage investors, the firm is dedicated to backing visionary entrepreneurs from the earliest stages of their company's development. Their investment philosophy extends beyond mere capital provision, emphasizing a hands-on approach to support founders in building resilient and scalable businesses.

The firm primarily focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage investments, often serving as the first institutional capital for promising startups. Real Ventures typically deploys initial checks ranging from approximately USD $300,000 to USD $1.5 million, with the capacity for significant follow-on investments as companies achieve key milestones and progress through subsequent funding rounds. Their sector-agnostic approach allows them to invest across various technology verticals, including AI, SaaS, fintech, and deep tech, always seeking disruptive innovations with global potential.

A cornerstone of Real Ventures' strategy is its commitment to ecosystem development. This is exemplified by their integral role in establishing and operating FounderFuel, a renowned accelerator program that provides intensive mentorship, strategic guidance, and a robust network to early-stage companies. This holistic support system helps portfolio companies navigate the challenges of startup growth, from product-market fit to scaling operations. The firm has demonstrated substantial financial commitment to this mission, with its most recent fund, Real Ventures Fund V, closing at CAD $180 million in 2021, underscoring their continued capacity to fuel innovation.

Since its inception, Real Ventures has built an impressive portfolio of over 300 companies, contributing significantly to the growth of Canada's tech landscape. Their long-standing presence and deep roots in the entrepreneurial community have positioned them as a trusted partner for founders seeking not just capital, but also strategic partnership and access to a vast network of industry experts. Real Ventures continues to be a driving force in identifying and nurturing the next generation of Canadian tech leaders.

Investor Profile

Real Ventures has backed more than 176 startups, with 3 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 22 rounds, about 13% of its total and boasts 42 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Series B rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in Canada, United States, United Kingdom.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning.
  • Typical check size: $300K – $1.5M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (40%)
  • Series A (30%)
  • Series B (13%)
  • Pre Seed (6%)
  • Series Unknown (3%)
  • Series C (3%)
  • Convertible Note (2%)
  • Angel (1%)
  • Series D (1%)
  • Undisclosed (1%)

Country Focus

  • Canada (80%)
  • United States (19%)
  • United Kingdom (1%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Machine Learning
  • Saas
  • E-commerce
  • Information Technology
  • Internet
  • Apps
  • Analytics
  • Mobile
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Real Ventures frequently co-invest with?

Inovia Capital
North America, Quebec, Canada, Montréal
Co-Investments: 20
500 Global
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 8
Y Combinator
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Co-Investments: 11
White Star Capital
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 8
BDC Venture Capital
North America, Alberta, Canada, Calgary
Co-Investments: 22
Business Development Bank of Canada
North America, Quebec, Canada, Montréal
Co-Investments: 8
Version One Ventures
North America, British Columbia, Canada, Vancouver
Co-Investments: 9
FounderFuel
North America, Quebec, Canada, Montréal
Co-Investments: 8
Investissement Quebec
North America, Quebec, Canada, Quebec
Co-Investments: 10
DCVC
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 8

Which angels does Real Ventures often collaborate with?

TW
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 7
Satish Kanwar
North America, Ontario, Canada, Toronto
Shared Deals: 3
GM
North America, Texas, United States, Austin
Shared Deals: 2
JL
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Shared Deals: 2
SM
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 2
SC
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
Nigel Stokes
North America, Ontario, Canada, Toronto
Shared Deals: 2
Shared Deals: 2
CS
North America, Washington, United States, Kirkland
Shared Deals: 2
Dennis Bennie
North America, Ontario, Canada, Toronto
Shared Deals: 3

What are some of recent deals done by Real Ventures?

Eli

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Eli is building the real-time interface to the human body, starting with Hormometer™—the world's first instant hormone monitoring system

Health CarePersonal HealthWomen's
Series AJun 10, 2025
Amount Raised: $12,397,628
Blumind

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Blumind provides analog machine learning inferencing engines for edge smart sensors and smart devices.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Machine LearningSemiconductor
Series AApr 8, 2025
Amount Raised: $14,031,740
Nomic

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Nomic develops a proteomic technology platform to understand, detect, and treat diseases with DNA nanotechnology.

BiotechnologyHealth DiagnosticsMarket ResearchNanotechnology
Series BSep 17, 2024
Amount Raised: $42,000,000
BioIntelligence Technologies

Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

BioIntelligence Technologies offers real-time automated analytics tools.

AnalyticsDatabaseInformation Technology
SeedApr 23, 2024
Amount Raised: $3,659,813
dcbel

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Dcbel offers AI-driven sustainable technologies which enable people to leverage solar energy to power their cars, homes, and lifestyles.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Clean EnergyCleanTechElectric VehicleEnergySmart HomeSolar
Series BAug 17, 2023
Amount Raised: $50,000,000
HumanFirst

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

A data-centric productivity platform for prompt and data engineering.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Business IntelligenceInformation TechnologyNatural Language ProcessingProductivity ToolsSoftware
SeedJul 26, 2023
Amount Raised: $3,786,373
BIOS

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

BIOS Health uses data-driven insights from the nervous system to build neural digital therapies - the next big trend in precision medicines.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)BioinformaticsHealth CareHuman Computer InteractionMachine LearningMedicalMedical Device
Series AJun 22, 2023
Amount Raised: $20,000,000
Eli

Montréal, Quebec, Canada

Eli is a women's health company on a mission to improve lifelong health by continuously monitoring hormones in saliva.

Health CarePersonal HealthWomen's
SeedApr 4, 2023
Amount Raised: $3,600,000
Plum.io

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Plum uses objective data to measure and match human potential to job needs, enhancing talent decisions across the employee lifecycle

AnalyticsCareer PlanningEnterprise SoftwareHuman ResourcesRecruitingSaaSSoftware
Convertible NoteFeb 21, 2023
Amount Raised: $5,911,288
Goose Insurance Services

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Mobile First B2C Insurance Platform

Financial ServicesInsuranceInsurTechMobileMobile Apps
Series AFeb 16, 2023
Amount Raised: $4,000,000