Valhalla Chairman: ‘If You Can’t Raise Money Right Now, Stop What You’re Doing’

June 20, 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 urged struggling entrepreneurs to rethink their working model to better fit the post-2020 market.


Referring to the pandemic as “The Troubles” at Decentralised Energy Canada (DEC)’s 2022 Annual General Meeting and Investor Forum alongside  Anouk Kendall, president of DEC; Natasha Kostenuk, CEO of Ayrton Energy; Dan Erhardt, CEO of Arcus Power Corp and John MacInnes, chair and CEO of Earthware; Randy remarked that “the market has gone stupid”.


On the topic, he declared: “As an entrepreneur, I hate to say this: if you cannot raise money right now, stop what you’re doing.


“Go back, check product market fit, do research and development, because there are too many people in the space right now,” he continued.


With a focus on the importance of corporate finance – and a “stupid” amount of venture funds currently raising money in Alberta – Randy joked that there is “billions of dollars for everybody on LinkedIn who has ‘angel investor’ in their title”.


“My mother decided she’s running a venture fund and I think she’s got her first $5 million commitment,” he added.


Randy maintains that the ability to finesse product market fit and other vital aspects of developing a startup can be achieved through Valhalla’s Basecamp – an intensive hands-on bootcamp in which entrepreneurs and angel investors can gain expert insight into the startup ecosystem in a bid to “get ahead” in today’s startup ecosystem.


To date, more than 1,100 entrepreneurs have participated in Valhalla Private Capital’s programs, helping those involved to collectively raise upwards of $500m in capital.


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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