Valhalla Chairman on The Pitfalls of Following Trends

Emmet McGonagle

September 28, 2022

Randy Stewart Thompson – chairman of Valhalla Private Capital, managing director of Old Kent Road Financial and co-owner of Peterborough United Football Club – has discussed his perception of Valhalla as a “traditional brand in the ecosystem”, and why that works to the company’s benefit.


A self-proclaimed “old dog”, Randy believes the rules are “different” in today’s hyperlocal startup ecosystem.


“You’ve got to get caught up so quick, and I do worry about that,” Randy began. “Valhalla’s been here for 20 years in the ecosystem. It's a long time, right? Especially in startups - everybody loves the new cool brand.”


However, Randy maintains that although “cool new brands” crop up every few years, they quickly learn that “they can't sustain themselves” in the marketplace.


On the topic, he continued: “We feel like a traditional brand in the ecosystem, so it's hard to figure out how to stay young and cool; but I'm learning that maybe we don't have to. Maybe it’s just the fact that we just create solid brands, solid trust, great relationships and great experiences.”


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. 


To date, more than 1,100 entrepreneurs have participated in Valhalla’s programs, helping them raise upwards of $500m in capital; while international  initiatives across more than 25 developing countries mobilized $3m in investments across Valhalla’s networks and unlocked an additional $9m of local capital for entrepreneurs.


“We've been doing really well for the length of time, and we don't have to have a gimmick or a playbook that's gonna give us really cute colours on the street,” Randy concluded.


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

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