Morning After Federal Election, Canada’s Top Innovation Leaders Converge at NACO Summit in Ottawa

Press Release

April 16, 2025

OTTAWA, Ontario, April 16, 2025– The National Angel Capital Organization (NACO) will host its flagship NACO Summit 2025 on April 29–30 at Ottawa’s iconic National Arts Centre, directly across from Parliament Hill. This sold-out event gathers 500 of Canada’s leading investors, entrepreneurs, and senior innovation leaders at a pivotal moment—as the country welcomes a newly elected federal government.

Kicking off the morning immediately after the federal election, this symbolic setting underscores the Summit’s role in shaping a bold vision for Canada’s economic future. The event convenes leaders representing the full spectrum of the country’s innovation economy—from globally scaled entrepreneurs to founders of high-growth companies in strategic sectors.

“At this moment of national reflection, a new economic story is being written—one shaped by Canada’s builders, innovators, and investors,” said Claudio Rojas, CEO of NACO. “These bold leaders and job creators are gathering to chart the path toward a resilient, self-reliant, and globally competitive Canadian economy.”

“The Summit serves as a premier forum for innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders to convene, exchange ideas, and share insights,” said Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa. “It provides unparalleled networking opportunities, connecting global investors directly with Canada’s tech leaders and high-growth startups. Events like the NACO Summit significantly enhance Ottawa’s—and Canada’s—position as a leading innovation economy.”

Honouring Canada’s Builders, Entrepreneurs, and Risk-takers

At the heart of the Summit is a celebration of those whose leadership and vision are shaping Canada’s innovation landscape toward a more transformative and innovation-driven future.

The 2025 NACO Awards recognize outstanding contributions in three categories:

• Canada’s Angel of the Year – a national honour recognizing an outstanding angel investor who has made a meaningful and lasting impact on Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• NACO Nation Builder Award – honouring leaders whose extraordinary contributions have significantly advanced Canada’s cultural, economic and innovation landscape.
• Lifetime Achievement Award – recognizing decades-long commitment to mobilizing angel capital and strengthening Canada’s innovation infrastructure.

Showcasing Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies

NACO Summit will unveil the highly anticipated 2025 Moonshots Showcase, highlighting more than 20 of Canada’s most promising early-stage ventures, representing sectors that are essential to the economy of the future—including healthtech, artificial intelligence, cleantech, enterprise software, and frontier technologies. Collectively, these companies have raised over $122 million in early-stage funding with many actively pursuing Series A and B investment rounds.

Interactive Roundtables with Canada’s Innovators and Entrepreneurs

With Canada at an economic inflection point, interactive roundtables will tackle the country’s most urgent innovation challenges, including:

• Resilience Through Risk Capital: Leveraging early-stage investment to build adaptive, resilient ventures that thrive amid market shifts.
• Angel-to-VC Pipeline: Exploring how angel investment serves as a critical foundation for venture capital success and long-term innovation growth.
• Regional Capital Gaps and Opportunities: Revealing new data and strategies to address funding disparities across Canadian regions.
• Scaling Emerging Ecosystems: Actionable strategies for growing vibrant entrepreneurial communities beyond major urban centres.

Fireside Interviews with Media Personalities and Thought Leaders

Renowned media personalities Amanda Lang, Keshia Chanté, Takara Small, Douglas Soltys, Camila Gonzalez, Michael Curran, and others will moderate fireside chats and panel discussions, revealing bold ideas and fresh insights on innovation, economic resilience, and Canada’s evolving global role.

Notable speakers at NACO Summit include:

• Daniel Debow, angel investor, serial entrepreneur and founding member of Build Canada, an initiative committed to building a more prosperous nation.
• Mike Serbinis, CEO and Co-Founder of League, a leading healthcare technology platform, and a serial entrepreneur with over $1 billion in successful exits.
• Mark Miller, an angel investor and the Chief Operating Officer of Constellation Software, a TSX-listed company valued at CAD $96 billion.
• Senia Rapisarda, Managing Director at HarbourVest, a global private-markets investment firm with USD $140 billion in assets.
• Tabatha Bull, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business.
• Allen Lau, Operating Partner and Co-Founder of Two Small Fish Ventures, and Co-Founder of Wattpad, acquired in 2021 for USD $660 million.
• Christiane Germain, Co-President and Co-Founder of Germain Hôtels, Canada’s pioneering boutique hotel company with 40 years of innovation leadership.
• Geneviève Bouthillier, Executive Vice President at BDC Capital, Canada’s largest and most active venture investor, managing over CAD $6 billion.

About National Angel Capital Organization (NACO)

Established in 2002, NACO is Canada’s professional association representing over 4,000 angel investors, serving as the national umbrella for more than 100 member organizations—including angel groups, venture funds, incubators, and accelerators. Collectively, NACO members have invested more than CAD $1.66 billion into over 2,000 Canadian ventures.

Angel investors are individuals or funds deploying capital at the earliest stages of growth. They include limited partners (LPs) investing in venture funds, family offices backing pre-seed and seed-stage ventures, and individuals investing directly or through angel groups.

High-growth companies backed by angel investment that went on to achieve significant global scale include Slack (British Columbia), Verafin (Newfoundland and Labrador), Wealthsimple (Ontario), Hopper (Québec), and Jobber and Neo Financial (Alberta). Recent standouts include CoLab (NL) and 7shifts (Saskatchewan). These successes illustrate how angel investment drives Canada’s pipeline of innovative ventures, fueling future global success stories.

Learn more at nacocanada.com

For media inquiries, contact:

Claudio Rojas, CEO, National Angel Capital Organization
Email: media@nacocanada.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5b08d0f6-5bd3-4549-98bc-850c5518908f

A video accompanying this announcement is available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ca74a13c-cf87-46ce-9ca8-4108e44f6c5d

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