Maple Bridge Ventures is a Canadian early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2023 by Eric Agyemang and based in Ottawa and Toronto. The firm is Canada’s first institutional-grade VC platform dedicated exclusively to immigrant founders building high-growth technology companies. Maple Bridge’s mission is to expand access to venture capital for exceptional but often overlooked immigrant entrepreneurs, enabling them to scale globally competitive businesses that strengthen Canada’s innovation economy.
Maple Bridge Ventures invests in immigrant-led technology startups across AgriFoodTech, HealthTech, and Enterprise Solutions.
The firm targets founders who blend global perspective, resilience, and ambition, and who are developing defensible technologies with potential for international scale.
Its investment approach combines capital with mentorship, ecosystem access, and nationwide network connections to accelerate founder success and integration into Canada’s tech ecosystem.
In October 2025, Maple Bridge Ventures announced the first close of its debut $20 million CAD fund at $10.2 million CAD, backed by Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and Realize Capital Partners as anchor investors. The fund is also supported by mission-aligned foundations, including Vancouver Foundation and Fairmount Foundation, as well as strategic investors such as Mark Zekulin, former CEO of Canopy Growth.
The debut fund focuses on early-stage companies, with initial investments ranging from $250,000 to $1 million CAD, and reserves for follow-on capital.
Over its initial investment cycle, Maple Bridge plans to back immigrant founders driving innovation in agriculture, food systems, healthcare, and enterprise technology. The fund’s first close marks a significant milestone as the first institutional-grade vehicle in Canada dedicated to immigrant entrepreneurs—a demographic that currently represents nearly one-third of founders nationwide and is projected to rise to 42% by 2034.
Leadership
The firm is led by Eric Agyemang, Founder and Managing Partner, originally from Ghana. Before founding Maple Bridge Ventures, Agyemang spent nearly a decade at Export Development Canada (EDC), where he led cross-border innovation partnerships and venture financing initiatives. The leadership team also includes Billy Lai (CFO and Venture Partner), who brings over ten years of venture finance experience from iGan Partners and Deloitte, and Shelley Li (Principal), formerly with CIBC Innovation Banking and Silicon Valley Bank, with extensive expertise in startup financing and ecosystem partnerships. Together, the team combines institutional finance, venture capital, and startup ecosystem development to build a robust national platform.
Investment Strategy
Maple Bridge Ventures takes a founder-first, inclusion-driven approach to venture investing. The firm identifies immigrant entrepreneurs with scalable ideas and provides not only capital but also access to networks, mentorship, and follow-on funding pathways. Its strategy emphasizes diversity as a driver of innovation and long-term economic impact, viewing immigrant founders as catalysts for productivity and global competitiveness in Canada’s innovation landscape.
Notable Investments
Since its official launch, Maple Bridge Ventures has begun building a portfolio across AgriFoodTech, HealthTech, and Enterprise Software, focusing on companies that integrate technology with sustainability and impact.
As a newly launched firm, most investments are in early deployment stages, with details yet to be publicly disclosed.
Notable Exits
As Maple Bridge Ventures launched in late 2023, it has not yet reported exits. The firm’s initial investments are still in the early stages of growth and scaling.
Other
Maple Bridge Ventures represents a pioneering model in Canada’s venture ecosystem—connecting underrepresented immigrant founders with institutional capital and national networks.
The firm’s creation aligns with the growing recognition that immigrant-led innovation drives significant contributions to GDP and job creation.
Founders backed by Maple Bridge gain access to both funding and ecosystem support through partnerships with innovation hubs and accelerators across the country.
Eric Agyemang - Founder & Managing Partner
Shelley Li - Principal
Billy Lai - Chief Financial Officer
Canada
