Investment

Agtech investment firm to set up new Canadian headquarters in Calgary – Calgary Herald

Published

3 years ago

July 1, 2021

SVG Ventures – Thrive is coming to Calgary with $2.5 million in funding from the city’s Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, the provincial government and Alberta Innovates

Author of the article:

Madeline Smith

A farmer brings in his crop of peas in a field south of Wetaskiwin, Alberta on Monday, August 29, 2016. Photo by Ian Kucerak /Postmedia file

A global agrifood venture capital firm will make Calgary its Canadian headquarters, with the aim of helping agriculture startups grow.

SVG Ventures – Thrive announced Wednesday they’re setting up in Calgary with up to $2.5 million in funding from the city’s Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund, the provincial government and Alberta Innovates.

It’s the first agriculture technology investment for OCIF, which has a mandate to support development of Calgary’s innovation and tech sector.

OCIF board chair Mark Blackwell said the fund’s contribution will help foster the “agrifood tech renaissance” Canada is seeing, and while it’s the first investment in the sector, it won’t be the last.

“Despite agrifood tech having a blowup year in 2020 … Canada represented only 1.55 per cent of total capital investment in technology in comparison to our peers across the globe,” he said.

OCIF and Alberta Innovates are contributing $1 million each, while the provincial ministry of agriculture and forestry is giving $500,000 in grants to Olds College to support the Thrive Canada accelerator.

The OCIF agreement will see Thrive Canada select and mentor at least 25 Canadian agrifood startups. That includes a target of four Calgary-based companies and 10 additional companies in Alberta.

Thrive Canada will also hold two investment forums alongside the Calgary Stampede so Canadian agricultural technology startups can get more exposure to investors.

The company’s founder and CEO John Hartnett said technology and innovation is crucial for finding solutions to sustainably grow food for the world’s population.

“$26 billion has been invested across this space over the course of the last year, in a year that’s been really challenging for everybody,” he said.

“There’s also been an increased focus on key areas around food supply chains, renewed priority around climate change, net zero and sustainability, and even a greater focus on the UN sustainability goals.”

SVG Ventures is planning to raise a Canadian fund by 2022 to invest in Canadian agricultural startups, and Hartnett said part of the goal is to put Alberta-based companies on the radar for global investment.

“If entrepreneurs can go solve some of these challenges, it really helps farmers do more with less in a sustainable way,” he said.

“With entrepreneurs, we’re obviously not just investing, but we’re creating an ecosystem and creating a platform to grow and scale those companies.”

Thrive is starting out hiring three people, with plans to expand their platform.

Hartnett said Calgary was chosen for their Canadian base partly because of a strong talent pipeline of entrepreneurs. They also wanted to set up in a place where agriculture is a strength.

Alberta Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer said the growth of technology companies in Alberta is an encouraging sign for the future.

“It’s quite an exciting time for us to see Alberta get on the map, and working with a partner like Thrive internationally is key for us and our entrepreneurs to learn quickly, get that mentorship fast and access global markets.”

Mayor Naheed Nenshi added agriculture has always been a crucial piece of Alberta’s economy, and it’s a good move to invest in opportunities to solve global food challenges.

“It’s the right thing to do from an economic perspective; it’s the right thing to do from a social development perspective. It’s one of the most powerful anti-poverty tools we have.”

masmith@postmedia.com

Twitter: @meksmith

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Economy

S&P/TSX composite down more than 200 points, U.S. stock markets also fall

Published

1 week ago

September 6, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was down more than 200 points in late-morning trading, weighed down by losses in the technology, base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets also fell.

The S&P/TSX composite index was down 239.24 points at 22,749.04.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 312.36 points at 40,443.39. The S&P 500 index was down 80.94 points at 5,422.47, while the Nasdaq composite was down 380.17 points at 16,747.49.

The Canadian dollar traded for 73.80 cents US compared with 74.00 cents US on Thursday.

The October crude oil contract was down US$1.07 at US$68.08 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.26 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was down US$2.10 at US$2,541.00 an ounce and the December copper contract was down four cents at US$4.10 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 6, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

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Economy

S&P/TSX composite up more than 150 points, U.S. stock markets also higher

Published

2 weeks ago

August 29, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in technology, financial and energy stocks, while U.S. stock markets also pushed higher.

The S&P/TSX composite index was up 171.41 points at 23,298.39.

In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 278.37 points at 41,369.79. The S&P 500 index was up 38.17 points at 5,630.35, while the Nasdaq composite was up 177.15 points at 17,733.18.

The Canadian dollar traded for 74.19 cents US compared with 74.23 cents US on Wednesday.

The October crude oil contract was up US$1.75 at US$76.27 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up less than a penny at US$2.10 per mmBTU.

The December gold contract was up US$18.70 at US$2,556.50 an ounce and the December copper contract was down less than a penny at US$4.22 a pound.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:GSPTSE, TSX:CADUSD)

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Investment

Crypto Market Bloodbath Amid Broader Economic Concerns

Published

1 month ago

August 5, 2024

Harry Miller

The crypto market has recently experienced a significant downturn, mirroring broader risk asset sell-offs. Over the past week, Bitcoin’s price dropped by 24%, reaching $53,000, while Ethereum plummeted nearly a third to $2,340. Major altcoins also suffered, with Cardano down 27.7%, Solana 36.2%, Dogecoin 34.6%, XRP 23.1%, Shiba Inu 30.1%, and BNB 25.7%.

The severe downturn in the crypto market appears to be part of a broader flight to safety, triggered by disappointing economic data. A worse-than-expected unemployment report on Friday marked the beginning of a technical recession, as defined by the Sahm Rule. This rule identifies a recession when the three-month average unemployment rate rises by at least half a percentage point from its lowest point in the past year.

Friday’s figures met this threshold, signaling an abrupt economic downshift. Consequently, investors sought safer assets, leading to declines in major stock indices: the S&P 500 dropped 2%, the Nasdaq 2.5%, and the Dow 1.5%. This trend continued into Monday with further sell-offs overseas.

The crypto market’s rapid decline raises questions about its role as either a speculative asset or a hedge against inflation and recession. Despite hopes that crypto could act as a risk hedge, the recent crash suggests it remains a speculative investment.

Since the downturn, the crypto market has seen its largest three-day sell-off in nearly a year, losing over $500 billion in market value. According to CoinGlass data, this bloodbath wiped out more than $1 billion in leveraged positions within the last 24 hours, including $365 million in Bitcoin and $348 million in Ether.

Khushboo Khullar of Lightning Ventures, speaking to Bloomberg, argued that the crypto sell-off is part of a broader liquidity panic as traders rush to cover margin calls. Khullar views this as a temporary sell-off, presenting a potential buying opportunity.

Josh Gilbert, an eToro market analyst, supports Khullar’s perspective, suggesting that the expected Federal Reserve rate cuts could benefit crypto assets. “Crypto assets have sold off, but many investors will see an opportunity. We see Federal Reserve rate cuts, which are now likely to come sharper than expected, as hugely positive for crypto assets,” Gilbert told Coindesk.

Despite the recent volatility, crypto continues to make strides toward mainstream acceptance. Notably, Morgan Stanley will allow its advisors to offer Bitcoin ETFs starting Wednesday. This follows more than half a year after the introduction of the first Bitcoin ETF. The investment bank will enable over 15,000 of its financial advisors to sell BlackRock’s IBIT and Fidelity’s FBTC. This move is seen as a significant step toward the “mainstreamization” of crypto, given the lengthy regulatory and company processes in major investment banks.

The recent crypto market downturn highlights its volatility and the broader economic concerns affecting all risk assets. While some analysts see the current situation as a temporary sell-off and a buying opportunity, others caution against the speculative nature of crypto. As the market evolves, its role as a mainstream alternative asset continues to grow, marked by increasing institutional acceptance and new investment opportunities.