While Canadian universities have $20+ billion in endowments, our early stage startups are bleeding out:

• Pre-seed activity hit the lowest dollar level invested in a quarter since 2021
• Seed activity saw the lowest number of deals closed since 2020
• Canadian tech workers earn 46% more in the U.S., fueling massive brain drain

The solution is hiding in plain sight.

The University of Waterloo just proved it's possible, investing $5M from their endowment into Velocity Fund II, with a mandate allowing allocation of up to 5% in venture capital. 

Imagine if every Canadian university followed suit.

The 1% Blueprint: A lifeline for Canadian innovation

If universities with $100M+ endowments allocated just 1% to early-stage startups, we'd unlock $200M+ in capital.

That means:

• Homegrown innovations staying in Canada

• Top talent building here, not fleeing south

• A revitalized ecosystem with momentum and hope

This approach is not without risks, from liquidity concerns to governance complexity, but with smart design and experienced management, this could be the catalyst we desperately need.

1%. That's all we're asking.

1% to stop the brain drain.

1% to fund the next Shopify before it flees to Silicon Valley.

1% to prove Canadian universities actually care about Canadian innovation.

Our endowments should be working for our entrepreneurs, not sitting idle while our startup ecosystem withers.

Sign now. Make universities invest in Canada's future before it's too late. 

For more information on how to get involved, visit us here.