Tailwind Ventures

What we read this week: Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke announced that AI usage is a "baseline expectation" for his staff. Notably, teams who wish to hire new seats must first prove that the work cannot be automated with AI. https://lnkd.in/gPrNb8yA Amidst market turmoil, Prada has agreed to purchase Versace, a struggling subsidiary of Capri Holdings, for ~US$1.4 billion. Capri previously purchased Versace for ~US$2.1 billion in 2018. https://lnkd.in/g-2BPCPG Wall Street is uneasy about the impacts of Trump's trade war, but the largest firms are minding what they say, "sticking to language so neutral it says almost nothing at all." https://lnkd.in/gP7BhyBn Contributors: Spencer Gunning, CBV, Raj Chitroda, Jenny McLean

When I applied and became a Director at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce a few years ago, there were only a few people wanting the role. Now there are 48 people applying to be a Board member. That is an absolute ringing endorsement of the success that has been created and continues to be created. Deborah Yedlin, Melanie McDonald, Ruhee Ismail-Teja, MPP and the entire staff have built something amazing. If you are a member, don't forget to vote by April 21, 2025. If you are not a member, why not? There are so many benefits of a Chamber membership. Vote here: https://lnkd.in/g_eT-ekQ

WED APR 16 📣 Founders, Operators, Finance Leaders Our next session on getting ready to go after funding will feature a conversation with Spencer Gunning of Tailwind Ventures. Join us online or in person at McCarthy Tétrault ➡️ our lunch and location partner! More 👇 https://hubs.li/Q03gTVxG0

✨New Workshop! Startup founders and operators: are you planning to raise capital? Are you trying to raise but you’re running into barriers? Do you want to learn how Tailwind has enabled success for our clients? Join us on May 5 for this in-depth workshop. For the first time, our Founder and CEO Darren Engels will share Tailwind's proven method to articulate the impact and value of your business for investors. Learn how to develop your BIG2™, the core for a compelling evidence-based narrative that shows what you’re doing, why it matters, how you’ll do it, and proves that you have what it takes to deliver. Register: https://lu.ma/vzvti2il

Huge shout out to the Business Technology students at Haskayne School of Business! Tyrell Spence, Chitvan Singh, and Keegan Khoo teamed up to work with us over the course of the semester, and today they presented their solution for AI tools to strengthen client and investor experience in Tailwind Ventures' digital platform. Congratulations on a stellar field project! We are always grateful for the opportunity to engage with future business leaders. Sincere thank you to prof Tim Chan, MBA, CPA, CIA for running a fantastic BTMA class.

What we read this week: The American president's trade war is forcing Canada to re-evaluate long-standing assumptions about our ability to rely on US capital to fund our startups, and on Silicon Valley as the destination for Canadian tech talent. Innovators and investors speculate about whether the new tensions will spur a much-needed boost in Canadian ambition, appetite for risk, and productivity.  https://lnkd.in/gfn66YQp   This high-stakes showdown between a professional gambler and AI for a $1 million March Madness bracket challenge raises fascinating questions about whether human intuition can still compete with algorithmic precision across all sports betting. https://lnkd.in/gRibT-jn   Chocolate giant Hershey has agreed to acquire premium popcorn brand LesserEvil for US$750 million. The deal marks an extraordinary success story for Charles Coristine, who purchased the struggling company for just US$350,000 in 2011 while working at TD Bank. Despite having no prior food industry experience, the former Wall Street executive transformed LesserEvil into a brand now valued at more than 2,100x his initial investment: https://lnkd.in/gGmeBYZW, https://lnkd.in/gdwaTkj2   Contributors: Jenny McLean, Harry Endle Evans, Raj Chitroda

Join us on April 16! We're excited to partner with our friends at Thin Air Labs to bring you the playbook for identifying, evaluating, and securing different forms of capital to finance your growth.

Tailwind is pleased to announce that our client Baserado Resources has completed its founder-led capital raise, enabling the Company to expand its first light oil production project focused on SE Saskatchewan. We’re delighted that Tailwind’s diligent preparedness methodology contributed to Baserado’s fundraising success, refining their investment narrative to articulate the project’s key differentiators, immediate competitive set, and anticipated financial return – and to demonstrate the competencies to deliver. Huge congratulations to the Baserado team on this milestone! Learn how Tailwind can enable your growth: Check6™ is a fast, high-impact, and cost-effective way to help founders in any industry to successfully complete a capital raise independently. Built on insights from hundreds of hours working with high-net-worth investors, family offices, VCs, and PEs, Check6™ gives early- and growth-stage companies a structured, investor-focused approach to raising capital. https://lnkd.in/g72qTF8u

Congratulations to our client EVCS on being named one of TIME's Top 250 Greentech Companies of 2025!🎉 We're proud to have the privilege to work alongside a company that's leading the charge in sustainable innovation. Their recognition showcases the importance of building towards a greener future. #Sustainability #GreenTech

5 key insights we've gathered from analyzing the VC Market Landscape. Interested in reading more? Download the full quarterly Market Summary, link in the comments below.