High adVENTURE on the East Coast

Venture capital, described rather ominously in some quarters as investments in new or expanding businesses in which there is a substantial element of risk, isn’t exactly flourishing in Atlantic Canada — but it is here. Of course, the number of deals and their aggregate dollar value pale beside those of other jurisdictions in Canada (notably Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia).

A YEAR TO REMEMBER
2015 was a record-setter across Canada, with $2.6 billion of venture capital invested in 579 deals — an 11% increase over 2014 and the highest number of financing rounds since 2005. It was an especially noteworthy annum for Nunavut, which scored its first-ever VC deal.

REGIONAL OVERVIEW: 10-year trend
While the value of VC investments in the region was down in 2015 compared to 2006, there was an encouraging increase in the number of deals made — particularly in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

*Prince Edward Island had no VC investments fom 2006 to 2013
Investment values in millions

Source (page): Thomson Reuters 2015Venture Capital Analytics