Investment Accelerator Fund
From the Ontario Centres of Excellence, which is part of the Ministry of Research and Innovation. If you're interested in applying, you can contact Gary Will∞ or any EIR at Communitech. OCE is looking to organizations such as Communitech to help with initial screening of opportunities, but you can make contact directly with program staff at OCE (if you do, they will probably ask someone at Communitech about you).As of the fall of 2008, there have only been two announced deals (and three completed but not yet announced).
From the OCE website:
The Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF) helps high potential Ontario technology companies by providing early stage investment of up to $500K. Investments are made in the form of a convertible debenture in return for a nominal equity position. The IAF invests in new or early stage companies enabling them to develop new technology and products and gain entrepreneurial know-how to take the idea to the marketplace, and make them attractive prospects to follow-on investors.
IAF has strict parameters and applications will only be accepted from companies that meet all the requirements and match all of OCE’s funding criteria. Be sure to review the following guidelines carefully and thoroughly to ensure eligibility.
COMPANY PROFILE CRITERIA
The company must have the full and unencumbered legal right to the intellectual property it is bringing to the market. It must be incorporated, or be incorporated by the time of investment. The company must be engaged (or planning to be engaged in) one or more of the following activities:
• Development and advancement of a technology based product
• The implementation of a marketing or distribution strategy for a technology product
• The development of advanced manufacturing processes
• Executing a defined commercialization plan
• A similar activity in respect of a service
QUALITY CRITERIA
IAF will only fund companies that have achieved specific organizational benchmarks and have a clear path to commercialization. They must exhibit a clear, sustainable and competitive advantage, defensible IP, and have an addressable market of at least $20 million. These companies must also have in place the required management and technical skills and or the willingness to bring in additional talent.
ELIGIBLE BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
In order to qualify for IAF investment, funds can only be used to support the following business activities:
• Technology development
• Creation of proof of concept prototype / product development
• Intellectual property development
• Market analysis
• Business development and marketing
• Recruitment of team members
ADDITIONAL CRITERIA
The IAF is open to Ontario-based companies only. Companies applying for funding must pay 50% or more of wages to employees whose ordinary place of work is in Ontario. In order for these enterprises to qualify, total revenues must be less than $500,000 from the time of incorporation to the time of IAF funding, and the total value of tangible assets cannot exceed $500,000. The company cannot have received any investment from sources other than personal and family members.
IAF has strict parameters and applications will only be accepted from companies that meet all the requirements and match all of OCE’s funding criteria. Be sure to review the following guidelines carefully and thoroughly to ensure eligibility.
COMPANY PROFILE CRITERIA
The company must have the full and unencumbered legal right to the intellectual property it is bringing to the market. It must be incorporated, or be incorporated by the time of investment. The company must be engaged (or planning to be engaged in) one or more of the following activities:
• Development and advancement of a technology based product
• The implementation of a marketing or distribution strategy for a technology product
• The development of advanced manufacturing processes
• Executing a defined commercialization plan
• A similar activity in respect of a service
QUALITY CRITERIA
IAF will only fund companies that have achieved specific organizational benchmarks and have a clear path to commercialization. They must exhibit a clear, sustainable and competitive advantage, defensible IP, and have an addressable market of at least $20 million. These companies must also have in place the required management and technical skills and or the willingness to bring in additional talent.
ELIGIBLE BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
In order to qualify for IAF investment, funds can only be used to support the following business activities:
• Technology development
• Creation of proof of concept prototype / product development
• Intellectual property development
• Market analysis
• Business development and marketing
• Recruitment of team members
ADDITIONAL CRITERIA
The IAF is open to Ontario-based companies only. Companies applying for funding must pay 50% or more of wages to employees whose ordinary place of work is in Ontario. In order for these enterprises to qualify, total revenues must be less than $500,000 from the time of incorporation to the time of IAF funding, and the total value of tangible assets cannot exceed $500,000. The company cannot have received any investment from sources other than personal and family members.
Some additional notes after talking to the program director: in many cases the "criteria" are really more like guidelines -- there is some wiggle room. For example, if a company has generated over $500K in revenue over the last few years and is now looking to ramp up significantly with a great new product, they wouldn't be disqualified. The $500K maximum investment, however, is absolute and you might get taken more seriously if you can map out requirements below that amount.
The "personal and family members" that you're allowed to have raised money from includes friends. You can't have raised angel money, and certainly not VC money.
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