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Real Ventures
Real Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2007 in Montreal, Canada. It has made 294 investments and 43 portfolio exits.
Real Ventures
Real Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2007 in Montreal, Canada. It has made 294 investments and 43 portfolio exits. The firm supports entrepreneurs through mentorship, tailored guidance, and access to networks and resources.
General information
Firm type
Venture Capital
Year founded
2007
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
Canada
City
Montreal
Corporate office
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Principals
John Stokes
Managing Partner
Sam Haffar
Partner
Katy Yam
Partner & FounderFuel General Manager
JS Cournoyer
Board Partner
Alan MacIntosh
Board Partner
Mark McDowell
Board Partner
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Real Ventures?
Managing Partner John Stokes co-founded the firm in 2007 and leads the investment team. Partners Sam Haffar and Katy Yam hold decision-making roles alongside Board Partners JS Cournoyer, Alan MacIntosh, and Mark McDowell. The firm does not publish a formal investment committee roster.
Does Real Ventures operate as a traditional VC or something closer to an accelerator?
Real Ventures is a hybrid: it runs a conventional early-stage venture fund alongside FounderFuel, a general-purpose accelerator program managed by Partner Katy Yam. The accelerator feeds deal flow into the fund's pipeline while offering a structured mentorship environment separate from its direct investments.
What stage does Real Ventures typically enter?
The firm focuses on pre-seed and seed rounds. It occasionally participates in later rounds for portfolio companies but does not operate a growth-stage vehicle. Its hallmark is being the first institutional check for Canadian founders.
Which sectors does Real Ventures explicitly avoid?
Real Ventures does not publish an exclusion list, but its portfolio shows no positions in defense, hard extractive industries, or consumer packaged goods. Its historical concentration is in AI/ML, enterprise software, health, fintech, mobility, and energy transition.
How is Real Ventures connected to FounderFuel and Notman House?
FounderFuel is a Canadian accelerator managed directly by Real Ventures Partner Katy Yam. Notman House is a Montreal tech campus where Real Ventures operates and hosts portfolio companies and community events. Both act as ecosystem feeders rather than standalone entities.
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