Rogers Ventures launches today as a new source of early-stage and seed investment for technology start-ups

Led by Melinda Rogers, Rogers Ventures is a new source of early stage seed level investment for technology start-ups. They find great talent with powerful ideas and invest in their business success. Investment includes money, leverage, experience and other strategic contributions to get portfolio companies on the path of accelerated development and market growth.  Another part of the Rogers Ventures’ mandate is supporting the innovation ecosystem by providing direct funding to community programs that help create innovation momentum in this country.

Rogers Ventures operates a venture-style funding mechanism but have a long-term objective to develop a portfolio of high potential companies that capture the value created through wireline and wireless broadband networks. Rogers Ventures is a way of looking beyond the walls of Rogers for outside talent and ideas to fund. They believe that this will broaden innovation horizons and keep Rogers closer to the forefront of next-generation technology.

While they see a significant amount of energy and activity within the Canadian innovation landscape, Rogers Ventures feels that there are opportunities for support for the Canadian ecosystem to accelerate momentum. They have been working to identify community-level programs or initiatives that require support – either money, a space large enough to hold events, someone to pay for pizza, participation in mentorship, contribution as a speaker, whatever – and help to make that support happen. Rogers Ventures recognizes their effort is not the total solution, but are committed to engage and contribute their part.  

There are currently three companies within the Rogers Ventures portfolio: Zoocasa,  a vertical search product focused on real estate; Thoora, a next generation news discovery service; and GridCentric, a solution for grid computing.

The Rogers Ventures Website should be live today at noon.