Global VC ecosystem players to talk shop at BDC Capital's "Premium Fests at Startupfest"

Speakers include Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke and other leading founders, accelerators and investors

MONTREAL, July 13, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Leading players of the Canadian and international tech startup communities have gathered in Montreal for Startupfest and the newly-launched BDC Capital "Premium Fests at Startupfest", a new series of four concurrent one-day conferences bringing together startups, accelerators, VC, LP and angel investors from around the globe.

The inaugural series of full-day Premium Fests kicks off the sixth annual Startupfest, one of the world's leading startup events, which runs July 13 to 16 in Montreal's Old Port. They are hosted by BDC Capital, Canada's most active venture capital investor, in collaboration with Startupfest and NACO for AngelFest.

The +60 high-caliber speaker line-up includes Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke, Sean O'Sullivan, founder of venture capital firm SOSV, Semyon Dukach, Managing Director, Techstars, and Sanjay Singhal, Venture Partner, Canada, 500 Startups.

"We're excited to launch the first edition of "Premium Fests at Startupfest" and host such a stellar line-up of events and speakers dedicated to strengthening Canada's VC ecosystem," says Jérôme Nycz, Executive Vice President, BDC Capital.  "It's a unique place to get new insights and build new connections with founders, angels, investors and accelerators from across Canada, North America and the world."

"Bringing together the whole startup ecosystem requires partners that are deeply involved at all levels of entrepreneurship and investment," says Philippe Telio, founder and producer of Startupfest and the Premium Fests. "BDC Capital's understanding of the needs of innovators and investors makes them the ideal partner to build this highly targeted series of events."

The four "Premium Fests at Startupfest", each with limited space for 100 to 150 attendees, are tailored to specific startup players:

• AcceleratorFest is a specialized event created by BDC Capital in partnership with Startupfest, to bring together leaders in the accelerator space from around the world. This edition's theme is Raising the bar – focusing on impact vs. activity.
  
• FundFest is a special edition of BDC Capital's "FUNDamentals Principals" conference series, that brings together over 100 fund managers and investors. This event's theme is fundraising.
  
• ScaleupFest is an exclusive event for Canadian tech startups founders that raised at least $250K in seed funding and are looking to raise series A in the next 12-18 months.
  
• AngelFest showcases developments in early-stage startup investment and brings together seasoned and prospective members of the angel investment community. AngelFest is hosted by National Angel Capital Organization (NACO), Startupfest and BDC Capital.

"Premium Fests at Startufest" speakers and attendees are available for media interviews. Journalists can also register to attend AcceleratorFest and AngelFest. For more information, see www.startupfestival.com/premium-fests.

Also watch Twitter for insights and ideas from the "Premium Fests at Startupfest" by following the hashtags #angelfest, #acceleratorfest, #fundfest, and #scaleupfest.

About BDC Capital
With more than $2 billion under management, BDC Capital is the investment arm of BDC, serving as a strategic partner to Canada's most innovative and high potential firms. It offers a range of equity, venture capital and flexible growth and transition capital solutions to help Canadian entrepreneurs scale their businesses into global champions. To find out more, visit bdc.ca/capital.

About Startupfest
Startupfest is a four-day conference dedicated to the business of startups. Held in Montreal's Old Port from July 13 to 16, 2016, the annual event brings together industry veterans, thought leaders, technology giants and fresh faces from around the world, for a series of lean, fast-paced events. Festival attendees are able to witness startups launch, listen to inspiring keynotes and dive deep into hot tech sectors like mobility, social networking, AI, VR and gaming. This unique global audience comes together to address the entire startup lifecycle—from the first spark of an idea, all the way to the last signature on a liquidity event. www.startupfest.com

SOURCE Business Development Bank of Canada

Maria Constantinescu, Senior Advisor, Media Relations, BDC, [email protected], cell: [phone], 1-844-625-8321; Marc-Alexandre Delage, Media Relations, Startupfest, [email protected], [phone]