The Most Interesting Investment Year in a Decade?

Emmet McGonagle

August 29, 2023

Randy Stewart Thompson, chairman at Valhalla Private Capital, has commented on what has been a “challenging couple of years for both angels and founders” in light of a LinkedIn post by Boston Harbor Angels president Ziad Henry Moukheiber.


Ziad’s opinion-  which was shared via Boston Harbor Angels’ LinkedIn account last week - declared: "The upcoming angel investment year is most likely to be one of the most challenging but also interesting year in a decade."


On the topic, the account elaborated: “Startup founders are facing funding challenges and valuation pressures while exits are slow coming in an industry that is changing and evolving.


This is a time to listen, to the market,” it continued, “to the investment community and to customers. Founders need to be creative in finding solutions to their challenges.


“Investors are looking for new types of deals and startups,” the post concluded.


This sentiment was echoed by Randy, who remarked that “investing is down 50% this year”. However, the Valhalla Private Capital chairman also hailed venture debt as a “massive boost” to the company’s offering.

Valhalla Private Capital is one of Canada's most active early-stage investment firms, facilitating over $75m from its network of 120 investors into an estimated 270 early-stage entrepreneurs. 


With more than two decades of investing experience, Valhalla Private Capital has garnered the expertise of its founders to train entrepreneurs, investors, and regional ecosystems across Western Canada and further afield.


The Valhalla approach aims to establish a return on investments which contribute to a sustainable, local community of investors. To date, more than 1,100 entrepreneurs have participated in our programs, helping them raise upwards of $500m in capital.


Valhalla Private Capital has won a multitude of awards as a result of its programs - including Startup Canada’s ‘Entrepreneur Support Award’ for the Prairies in 2019 - and is home to the National Angel Capital Organization's ‘Angel Investor of the Year’ for both 2018 and 2019, Randy Stewart Thompson. Canadian governments, universities, and ecosystem partners have also utilized our network and expertise to unlock capital in their respective regions. 


Do you have a question about angel investing? Get in touch with Valhalla Private Capital via our contact page.

Canadian Unemployment Grows in ‘Labour-Constrained Economy’

By Emmet McGonagle • December 1, 2023
Canada’s unemployment rate has trended higher once again this month, according to the latest iteration of Statistics Canada’s November labour force survey.

Workers Call for Pay Transparency

By Emmet McGonagle • November 29, 2023
More than half of workers believe that disclosing worker compensation details on job postings will lead to better equality in pay, according to the latest iteration of LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index . The index - which is based on a survey of 3,302 members in Canada between June and September 2023 - found that 52% of people asked felt that people sharing their pay information (including salary and bonus) would improve workplace equality, compared to 48% in 2022. This number varies between different generations, with younger Canadians more likely to express support for pay transparency (73%), followed by 69% of Millennials, 46% of Gen X and 44% of Baby Boomers. However, 37% of those surveyed remarked that they felt anxious about sharing their pay information - a 2% rise from the year prior. Likewise, just under half (49%) said they felt well compensated for the work they do while 74% expressed that the pay gap between CEOs and employees had become too wide. The people of LinkedIn have come out in their dozens to give their two cents on the topic, with Adrienne Tom , executive resume writer for executives, saying: “ I'm all for salary transparency, so long as the number is clear and legit. Some postings list salary ranges so wide that the actual salary number isn't entirely clear, leaving job seekers confused.” “If you have a manager who is not advocating for the pay gap, you are working for the wrong manager,” remarked career strategist Sweta Regmi , while noting that women in Ontario earn an average of $0.87 for every dollar earned by men. On the topic, she added: “Salary ranges with job postings can help close the gender pay gap while allowing companies to find qualified candidates more quickly.” Do you have a question about angel investing? Get in touch with Valhalla Private Capital via our contact page .
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