Funding
“We don’t have a challenge obtaining capital in New Brunswick. Our challenge is in seeing and making investors into our partners.” – Chris Boudreau
Just one company in Saint John admits to managing over $1 billion of liquid, private capital within 100 kms of Uptown Saint John!
Saint John is the financial centre for New Brunswick
There is wealth in our community. And our entrepreneurial investors, in recent years, have awoken to the huge potential for growth in our ICT sector.
There is no shortage of potential investment capital in our part of the world but there is room to improve how our ICT companies engage private investors and involve them in enabling and growing our next great businesses. Our leaders are on the case, offering mentorship to startups on how to focus on early revenues and fast growth that investors can sink their teeth into.
In the past decade, Saint John has been brought into the world of diverse capital markets that enable the innovation economy here and everywhere. In 2006, the first ever Atlantic Angel Summit was held in Saint John – a first for the Atlantic provinces of Canada. Prior to this event, very few private investors in our region even identified with the term “angel investor“. In the past 10 years angels have begun to organize into networks and collaborate on investments with each other and in co-investment with networks in other parts of the country.
As an extra bonus, as of July 2011, New Brunswick has the lowest corporate tax rates in North America.
- First Angel Network. Private, non-profit angel network for Atlantic Canada.
- New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF). Venture capital. “our venture capital and research funding fills the gap so many innovators fall through, so they can break through”
- Growthworks Atlantic Venture Fund. Venture capital. “Regional know-how. National Reach.”
- Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Federal government funding programs.
