To catalyze industrial decarbonization, we must move away from energy-intensive manufacturing to more energy-efficient, low carbon footprint alternatives, such as bio-fermentation. Quebec-based BioIntelligence Technologies (BIT) provides solutions for reducing the carbon footprint in large-scale bio-manufacturing industries like chemical production, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and certain food applications. BIT's analytics can alleviate challenges in biomanufacturing by reducing production losses and increasing yields by 5-10% per batch. This improvement fosters the adoption of more sustainable manufacturing processes.
Venture capitalists have traditionally focused on high returns and calculated risks. However, in today’s evolving market landscape, there’s a significant shift towards a more purpose-driven approach. Relying solely on financial gains is no longer sufficient. The demand from consumers, governments, and communities for investments that also yield environmental and social returns is growing. This is particularly crucial given the current state of our planet and the challenges faced by health and education systems. Impact investing emerges as a paradigm shift, redefining the fundamental principles of investment for double bottom-line returns.
Kathryn Wortsman, managing partner at Amplify Capital, told BetaKit that she and Ella Seitz, a partner at Esplanade Ventures, also saw a gap in awareness of healthcare technology focused on women’s health when collaborating on deals in early 2023.
“As women ourselves, and in our respective positions as investment decision makers at our funds, we wanted to help amplify the startups in the space and lead the conversation on the financial and health impact opportunity that can come from investing in this segment,” Wortsman said.
Joining Amplify Capital was a life-changing decision for me, and I'm often asked why I made the move. The answer is simple: purpose and passion.
Amplify's mission to make a positive impact on climate, education, and healthcare struck a deep chord within me. I believe that business can be a powerful force for good, and I am thrilled to collaborate with mission-driven founders to create meaningful change in the world.
Future Fields optimizes the biomanufacturing process, enabling more opportunities for cost-effective alternative proteins. As a result, Future Fields will support the decarbonization industries while offering a scalable solution to meet food, pharmaceutical, and other urgent and necessary needs globally.
Amplify Capital has been selected for the ImpactAssets 50 2022. Impact Assets is an impact investing trailblazer dedicated to changing the trajectory of our planet's future and improving the lives of all people. The #IA50 recognizes a diverse group of impact investment fund managers who demonstrate a commitment to generating positive social, environmental and financial impact.
Uvaro is changing lives for the better at scale. With their career accelerator platform focused in tech sales, Uvaro has developed a first of its kind program that blends training, technology and work to develop well-trained, work-ready talent after just 12 weeks. Uvaro graduates are hired 5x faster, ramp up 3x faster, and are 2x likely to exceed quota in their roles, empowering more of the workforce the opportunity to find fulfilling careers.
Online tech sales academy Uvaro is pleased to announce it has closed a $12M (USD) Series A funding round with lead investment from global multi-stage technology investment firm White Star Capital with participation by Real Ventures and BDC Capital’s Women in Technology Venture Fund.
Valence Discovery (“Valence”) , a leader in AI-first design of novel chemistry against previously intractable biology, announced today that it has closed an oversubscribed US$7 million seed financing. The financing, which was co-led by Fifty Years and Air Street Capital, with participation from Amplitude Ventures, Phoenix Venture Partners, and Abcam founder and former CEO, Jonathan Milner, adds to US$1.5 million raised previously, bringing Valence’s total seed funding to US$8.5 million.
EarlyBird Education, developer of the EarlyBird game-based early literacy assessment, has raised $3.5 million in funding, led by venture capital firm Lobby Capital. In addition, David Hornik, founding partner at Lobby Capital and founder of the Lobby Conferences, will join the EarlyBird Education Board of Directors.
Toronto-based Amplify Capital has secured the final close for its second impact investment fund, raising a total $30.7 million CAD—exceeding its initial $30 million goal.
Founded in 2016 as the MaRS Catalyst Fund with a $5.8 million Fund I, Amplify rebranded and spun out of the MaRS Discovery District in 2019. Led by private equity veteran and Managing Partner Kathryn Wortsman, Amplify backs early-stage Canadian healthtech, edtech, and cleantech startups at the seed and Series A stages.
“We want to support traditional investors thinking about [that] double bottom line.”
-Kathryn Wortsman, Amplify
Based in Boston, EarlyBird is a literacy assessment tool that can screen for both dyslexia and literacy challenges in early childhood education when intervention is most effective. Developed by leading researchers at Harvard’s Boston Children’s Hospital and the Florida Center for Reading Research, the interactive app has contributed to the ability for educators to predict later reading success and point teachers towards appropriate interventions.
This year, the Company closed a $1.5 million USD Seed round to support the commercial launch of their product, with the participation of Amplify Capital, Flare Capital Partners, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Solve Innovation Future.
“Despite an intense focus on reading for decades in U.S. schools, identification and intervention for struggling readers often comes too late, resulting in negative academic, social-emotional, and societal impacts. Our funding partners come from the worlds of education, health, and technology, and are keenly interested in transforming the way educators, parents, and physicians identify and support children at risk for reading difficulties.”
-Carla Small, co-founder and CEO of EarlyBird
It has been almost five years since our first investment from our Fund I. Since then, we have doubled the team size, achieved great social and environmental impact, invested in 16 companies, of which one exited, and reviewed over 1,200 investment opportunities. Building on the success from our Fund I, we have even bigger ambitions for our Fund II. It’s an exciting time for Amplify Capital.
This week, the European Commission released an anticipated first look into a long set of proposals, which will bring the continent closer to its European Green Deal objective of climate neutrality by 2050. This new set of proposals, titled Fit for 55, is nothing short of ambitious. It aims to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
