Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund commits $60 million to two leading Canadian venture capital funds

Lead investments in XPV Capital and Georgian Partners launch program of investing in high-potential Canadian venture funds and companies

TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2014 /CNW/ - Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund (NVCF) today announced that it has made its first two fund commitments totalling $60 million to leading Canadian venture capital funds XPV Water Fund II and Georgian Partners Growth Fund II.

"We are pleased to have made a lead commitment to two of Canada's most promising venture capital funds," said Melissa McJannet, Managing Director of Northleaf Capital Partners, the manager of NVCF. "The investments in XPV and Georgian are the first in what will be a series of commitments from NVCF to Canadian venture capital funds and portfolio companies. These commitments reflect NVCF's long-term strategy - the construction of a portfolio of best-in-class funds and portfolio companies with sufficient scale and resources to execute their plans and deliver world class returns."

Through investments in promising Canadian funds, NVCF seeks to strengthen the ability of the country's venture capital sector to support innovative, high-growth Canadian companies by providing increased access to the capital, expertise and support they need. NVCF's primary objective is to generate attractive, long-term returns for its investors.  By demonstrating the significant opportunities available to investors in Canadian venture capital and growth equity funds and companies, NVCF will contribute to the development of a profitable, globally competitive and self-sustaining venture capital industry in Canada.

"We are delighted to have NVCF as a lead investor in our second fund and look forward to continuing our successful long-term partnership with the Northleaf team," said David Henderson, Managing Director of XPV Capital. "Their commitment enables us to implement our differentiated investment strategy of investing in leading companies in the water sector and delivering strong returns for our investors."

"We are thrilled to have Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund as our lead investor in Georgian Partners Fund II," said Justin LaFayette, Managing Director of Georgian Partners. "Northleaf's commitment, together with the support of our other limited partners, will help Georgian to continue to invest in leading growth-stage technology companies that are exploiting Applied Analytics: the convergence of Cloud-based business solutions, Big Data, and broad Information Rights."

About Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund

Northleaf Venture Catalyst Fund is a joint initiative between major Canadian institutional investors and the Governments of Canada and Ontario to invest primarily in Canada-based venture capital and growth equity funds that support innovative, high growth companies. NVCF is structured as a fund of funds with the primary objective of generating attractive returns for its investors. The Fund is managed by Northleaf Capital Partners. For more information on Northleaf, visit www.northleafcapital.com

About XPV Capital Corporation
XPV Capital Corporation is a Toronto-based investment firm focused on "Making a Difference in Water." By combining proven water entrepreneurs with seasoned investment professionals, XPV is a true value-added financial partner for both investors and companies aiming to capitalize on the sweeping transformation taking place in the global water industry. For more information on XPV, visit www.xpvcapital.com.

About Georgian Partners
Georgian Partners is a Toronto-based growth equity firm investing in expansion stage Enterprise Software, Internet and Information companies that are exploiting Applied Analytics: the convergence of Cloud-based business solutions, Big Data, and broad Information Rights. Founded by successful entrepreneurs and technology executives, Georgian Partners leverages the team's global software expertise to be able to directly impact the success of companies. For more information on Georgian Partners, visit www.georgianpartners.com.

SOURCE: Northleaf Capital Partners

Jeff Pentland
Managing Director
Northleaf Capital Partners
[phone]
[email protected]