When we started in 2008, there was a big gap at the seed stage in Ontario.

Many firms tried Seed investing, but not many stayed. Some moved to later stages, others shifted focus on companies south of the border. Our experience and commitment has made us experts at investing at seed, and working with Founders to set the trajectory for scale.

Talk to a few Graphite Founders and they’ll tell you how we’re different.
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They'll tell you that we were there for them when no one else was. They'll say that we connected them to their first few customers. They’ll say we opened doors to advisors, experts, and founders who have become invaluable mentors. They’ll say we’ve rolled up our sleeves and worked with them, side-by-side, through challenging times. Later on, we introduced them to the lead investor for their next round.

Elizabeth at Welbi will say our “pitch deck prep was invaluable during the fundraising process.” She’ll tell you that we “helped evolve her thinking on business models.” Mallorie at Bridgit will tell you that we "helped elevate the business in terms of financing model, creating board structure, and preparing the company to take on the next stage of institutional capital." Ryan at Nicoya will say our participation in a seed round is "a magnet - once the decision has been made to invest, it brings in a lot of other participants to the round."
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A common thing you’ll hear is that we’re different. And it's because of what we believe.
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We believe in local ecosystems. ‍
Ecosystems are vital to the innovation economy. So, when we commit to an ecosystem, we entrench ourselves in it, and its diverse fabric. With over 10 years of history across Ontario, we are ingrained in the community.
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We believe founders are our North Star. ‍
We accelerate entrepreneurs’ success efficiently with capital, community and connections. Then we get out of the way.
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We believe collaboration is essential.‍
Call it the Canadian way, but we think Canadian entrepreneurs are most successful when we work together. We do things differently than the Valley. And that’s OK. At Graphite, we deliver collaboration — both offline and online — through a robust and engaged community.
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We’re hyper focused on building an early stage platform committed to Canada. That’s our promise to you.
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Sincerely,
The Graphite Ventures Team