# Sprout Fund

Sprout Fund is a Venture Capital based in Edmonton, Canada.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Edmonton, Canada
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- **Founded:** 1969
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** sproutfund.vc
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/sproutfund-vc

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Sprout Fund is a venture capital firm that invests in innovative seed-stage technology companies in Canada focused on B2B software markets. It provides seed stage venture and mentor capital to accelerate the growth of Western Canadian B2B software startups. In addition to active mentorship, it offers investor introductions to help raise follow-on funding.

## Sectors

- Enterprise Software
- FinTech
- PropTech
- Digital Health
- Gaming
- AI/ML
- Mental Health
- Robotics & Automation
- Retail
- Mobility & Transportation
- ClimateTech
- Energy Transition & Renewables

## People

- Kristina Milke — General Partner
- Shaheel Hooda — General Partner
- Mark Benning — General Partner
- Abhay Ghatpande — Principal

## Questions

### Who calls the investment decisions at Sprout Fund?

General partners Kristina Milke, Shaheel Hooda, and Mark Benning share investment decision-making. Each partner brings a distinct operational background: Milke through angel investing and financial controls, Hooda through serial software entrepreneurship, and Benning through founding and exiting four VC-backed Silicon Valley startups. The internal team includes Principal Abhay Ghatpande, but the final investment committee authority rests with the three GPs.

### Does Sprout Fund invest across Canada or only in Western Canada?

The firm's stated focus is Western Canadian B2B software, and Alberta and British Columbia are its core markets. However, the portfolio reaches eastward: investments include Bright Breaks in Nova Scotia and Rithmik Solutions in Quebec, confirming that the mandate is effectively national for seed-stage B2B software where the firm can add value through its operator network.

### How does Sprout Fund source its deal flow?

Sprout sources through the personal and professional networks of its three general partners, including the A100 Tech Entrepreneurs group, the MIT-founded Threshold Impact Venture Mentoring Service, and the Valhalla Private Capital angel network that Kristina Milke formerly led. The community partner system — a roster of M&A advisors, family-office connectors, and startup EIRs — acts as an extended origination layer across Alberta and British Columbia.

### What investment stages does Sprout Fund target?

The firm focuses on seed stage, specifically investing in companies with a minimum viable product, initial market validation, and early revenue. Typical rounds range from CAD $1 million to $3 million, with Sprout leading or participating alongside syndicate partners. The firm then helps portfolio companies reach milestones that set up Series A potential — it does not lead Series A rounds itself but facilitates investor introductions for follow-on funding.

### Which sectors does Sprout Fund avoid?

Sprout invests across a broad set of B2B software markets — from fintech and proptech to AI, health tech, and gaming applications — but the firm's stated criteria require the business to be an innovative technology company with a scalable software model. It does not invest in consumer hardware, life sciences, or capital-intensive industrial manufacturing. The emphasis on 'B2B software' excludes pure consumer apps without a clear enterprise monetization engine.

### How does Sprout Fund's mentor capital model work in practice?

Beyond the check, each general partner and community partner provides active, scheduled mentorship to portfolio founders. Milke coaches through the GrowthX revenue accelerator, Benning offers Founderly executive coaching, and Hooda mentors through Leanstack and 500 Global. Community partners — including M&A advisors, cybersecurity operators, and family-office investors — take board observer seats or advisory roles, turning the investor base into a distributed operating resource for startups.

## Related profiles

- [Sprout](https://altss.com/profile/sprout)
- [Sprout Venture Partners](https://altss.com/profile/sprout-venture-partners)

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:08:11.274Z

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