The University of British Columbia (UBC) has partnered with the British Columbia provincial government’s InBC Investment Corp to launch the C$40 million UBC Catalyst Ventures Fund.
The UBC Catalyst Ventures Fund will back spinouts emerging from the University of British Columbia, as well as startups founded by its faculty, students and recent alumni. It will focus on deep tech and life sciences.
“UBC and InBC are working together to anchor and grow companies in BC and further the impacts of UBC’s research and innovation in the province, across Canada and beyond. This collaboration exemplifies UBC’s strategic goals of partnering for purpose and generating economic and social impact.
“This partnership will enable companies to scale in BC and extend the impact of UBC’s research and innovation. It is a perfect example of what we can do by working together.”
Benoit-Antoine Bacon, president and vice chancellor of UBC
Both the university and InBC Investment Corp are contributing C$10 million towards the fund, with the remainder to be sought from private investors.
UBC’s commitment has been made possible by proceeds from its portfolio of more than 280 spinouts and licence deals, which have generated an estimated C$13 billion in sales to date.
