Team

Abhith joined Inovia Capital’s Team in January 2023. He has over a decade of Banking, Asset and Wealth Management experience. Before joining Inovia, Abhith was part of RBC Capital Markets, where he was involved in Data Quality and Governance for regulatory reporting. Prior to RBC Capital Markets, he worked at JP Morgan, as part of the Chief Investment Office, focusing on Fixed Income Data Analytics & Modeling.

Abhith holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, and an MBA in Finance with a minor in operations from Manipal institute of Management.

Alan joined Inovia in January 2024 as the Manager of IT and Security. Alan brings over 10years of IT experience leveraging technology to drive organizational success. Prior to Inovia, Alan oversaw all IT operations at Sago Mini, a Spin Master Digital Games Studio. Before that, he was the Manager of IT Support Services at Branksome Hall.

Alan graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies, Specialization in Finance Administration.

Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, mentoring IT professionals, and exploring the latest developments in technology.

Alessandra joined Inovia Capital in November 2022 as a Marketing and Communications Associate in the Montreal office. She brings a wide array of experience – everything from graphic design and content marketing to event planning.

Alessandra works with the Inovia Investment and Operations teams to promote the brand in the ecosystem and maximize the firm’s communication efforts with founders and partners.

Before joining Inovia, Alessandra supported client marketing at LoyaltyOne, working with AIR MILES Reward Program’s sponsors to help them meet their business objectives. Before that, she led marketing and communications at a fast-growing fintech platform.

Alessandra graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, majoring in graphic design. She has a DESS in Communication-Marketing from HEC Montreal.

Alex joined Inovia Capital in April 2023 as a Vice President on the Growth Equity Team in the Toronto office. 

Alex started her career as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Communications, Media & Entertainment Group at RBC Capital Markets. She focused on advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, and other corporate initiatives. As an associate at private equity firm ZMC, Alex helped manage select portfolio companies and was responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and executing potential investment opportunities. She subsequently joined ZMC’s portfolio company, The Second City, as the Director of Strategy & Growth with a mandate to ideate and execute new opportunities through business development, corporate strategy, and M&A.

Alex graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Commerce, First Class Honors Distinction, and a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Media Studies, Dean’s Honors with Distinction.

Alexia joined Inovia Capital in August 2024 as a Treasury Analyst in our Montreal office. She is part of the operations team, where she oversees banking operations, manages money movements, and supports cash flow activities.

Before joining Inovia, Alexia was the Treasurer at Cineflix Media Inc., a leading industry company. In that role, she managed global cash flow, handled FX currency exposures, and ensured the smooth running of treasury operations.

Originally from the U.K., Alexia holds a degree in Financial Management from the University of Portsmouth. She later relocated to Montreal to pursue a career in finance.

Alexis is an investment analyst among the Venture team at Inovia, based in the Montreal office. In this role, Alexis focuses on investment sourcing, due diligence processes, and providing post-investment support to portfolio companies.

Before joining the team, Alexis worked at Roland Berger, a German strategy consulting firm. There, he contributed to various projects for global enterprises within the energy and industrial sectors, including due diligence processes, competitive benchmarking, and strategic reviews.

Alexis holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from HEC Montreal with a specialization in finance and accounting, graduating with honors. He frequently returns to his alma mater to coach and mentor students competing in international strategic case competitions.

Charlotte joined Inovia Capital’s Growth team in Montreal in October 2020. For the past three years she had been working at Salesforce’s Strategy team in San Francisco where she supported the Office of the CEO and the Head of Worldwide Sales. Charlotte started out her career at Deloitte Canada as a Consultant in the Strategy & Operations group, where she advised large companies across the financial services, manufacturing and healthcare industries.

Charlotte grew up in Northern Italy and moved to Montreal to attend McGill University, where she graduated with Honors with a Bachelor of Commerce.

Chris Arsenault is a driving force in the maturing Canadian tech ecosystem with over 25 years of operating and investing experience. He has played a vital role in supporting numerous successful companies. He has a remarkable track record in identifying high-potential people and ventures, maximizing deal value, and guiding management teams through growth and successful exits.

Chris co-founded Inovia Capital in 2007, shaping its culture and vision. His entrepreneurial instincts led to the creation of the Inovia platform and the firm’s growth funds, propelling its success. With an unwavering commitment to the Canadian tech landscape, Chris has supported key global companies such as AppDirect, Lightspeed Commerce, Luxury Retreats, Poka and Super.com.

Currently serving on the boards of AppDirect, Plenty, Super.com and Talent.com, Chris provides valuable guidance and strategic insights to our portfolio. His leadership has contributed to notable exits, including the IPO of Lightspeed Commerce and Sonder, along with the successful acquisitions of Luxury Retreats (Airbnb), Well.ca (McKesson), Poka (IFS), Return Magic (Shopify), Smooch (Zendesk), Localmind (Airbnb), Reflex Photonics (Smiths Interconnect), Routehappy (ATPCo), Airborne Entertainment (Cybird), and SIT (Ubizen), generating substantial shareholder value.

Chris is also actively involved in community initiatives and is a board member of the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation, the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation Campaign Cabinet and Groupe Dynamite (TSX:GRGD). As a proud Charter Member of The C100, an esteemed Silicon Valley organization, Chris continues to foster collaboration and innovation across borders. 

With his wealth of experience, entrepreneurial mindset, and deep industry relationships, Chris Arsenault has solidified his position as a key pillar in the Canadian tech landscape. His dedication to identifying high potential companies, maximizing their value, and supporting their growth has made a lasting impact on the ecosystem.

Claire joined Inovia Capital in May 2023 as Head of Investor Relations based in the Toronto office. 

Prior to joining Inovia, Claire was a Principal in Onex’ Client and Product Solutions group where she was a private equity product specialist and head of project management. Claire also spent time on the Onex Partners investment team where she evaluated and conducted due diligence on new investment opportunities. Claire started her career as a strategy consultant at Monitor Deloitte spending time in the Toronto and Dubai offices. 

Claire holds an M.B.A., Finance (with Honours) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania; an MSc. (with Merit) from the London School of Economics and Political Science; and a B.A. (with High Distinction) from Trinity College at the University of Toronto.

Please note Claire is currently on maternity leave.

Deborah brings a strong international/multi-sector industry background — she started her career as a marketing manager in the music industry in both Europe and USA, and has spent eight years at Essilor, the worldwide manufacturing leader of ophthalmic lenses, as Communication Manager and Executive Assistant.

Now in London, Deborah moved to the finance sector before joining Inovia Capital in November 2018 as EA and London Office Manager. Deborah is an avid traveller and is passionate about art.

As Executive Assistant and HR Admin, Delia supports investment and corporate operations within the Montreal office. Acting as liaison, Delia is the proven sounding board in most of our global operations. She spent the majority of her career in program management and operations within the non-profit and small business sector and has worked, lived and travelled in different parts of Canada, Europe and Asia.

Delia has a degree in translation from Laurentian University and a certificate in non-profit management through the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Dennis Kavelman joined Inovia Capital in 2018 to launch Growth Fund I with Chris Arsenault and Patrick Pichette and leads the Firm’s value creation strategy. Leveraging both the venture team’s insights and the growth team’s know-how, Dennis has been invaluable in overseeing dealflow management and crystalizing the investment team’s processes with the ultimate objective of maximizing impact and value to entrepreneurs. Thanks to his operational background, Dennis is well-recognized within the Canadian tech ecosystem for providing unique perspectives on managing operational hurdles and growing pains.

Before joining Inovia, Dennis was an experienced technology executive and investor. After beginning his career at KPMG, Dennis joined startup RIM in 1995;  as CFO and COO, he helped RIM create the global smartphone industry as it grew to over 14,000 employees by his departure in 2010. During his tenure at RIM, he managed the scaling of a global software, hardware and services business while overseeing all financing activities, including the IPO and over $1.8B in equity raises. Following RIM, Dennis became a prolific angel investor and joined D2L, a global education platform company, as its COO. Dennis currently sits on the boards of AlayaCare, Symend, WorkJam, Vidyard and BenchSci.

Etienne is an Investment Associate in the Venture team, based in the Montreal office. In his role, Etienne participates in investment sourcing activities, due diligence efforts, and post-investment support to portfolio companies.

Before joining Inovia in 2022, Etienne was a Growth Equity Investment Analyst at CDPQ, the second-largest pension fund in Canada, where he focused on investment opportunities from Series C to pre-IPO, mainly in the sector of B2B SaaS. Prior to CDPQ, he worked in Strategy Consulting at Roland Berger, supporting large-scale organizations and Private Equity investors in their strategic planning and commercial due diligence efforts. Etienne holds a Bachelor of Business Administration & Finance from HEC Montreal, and graduated with Honors.

Gabi joined Inovia Capital’s Venture Team in January 2023.  Before Inovia, Gabi was in New York at Rock Health, an early stage investment and advisory firm focused on digital health. 

Gabi graduated from Stanford University with a BS in Science, Technology and Society and received an Honors award for her thesis on the use of virtual reality for pediatric pain management.

Hugues joined Inovia in 2015 on the investment team and was promoted to Partner in 2022. Over the past 8 years at Inovia, Hugues has been actively involved in over 20 transactions across Inovia funds, representing $2B in aggregate capital raised and 8 exits to date. In addition to his investment role, Hugues developed Inovia’s LP co-investment program and was actively involved in the firm’s expansion into growth equity in 2018 and overall AUM growth. Prior to Inovia, Hugues worked with technology companies in CFO and advisor roles, after having worked at BMO. He holds a Master of Science in Accounting & Finance from The London School of Economics and a BBA in Economics & Finance from HEC Montreal.

Isabelle joined Inovia Capital in March 2021. She has over 20 years of experience in marketing and communications, with a deep focus on developing data, digital and CRM strategies for global brands. At Inovia, Isabelle works with the Investments and Operations teams to promote the brand in the community and maximize communication efforts with founders and partners.

Before joining Inovia, Isabelle spent over 13 years at Cossette where she was overseeing the development of marketing activities for B2B and B2C clients from several industries. She also spent a few years at LoyaltyOne working with AIR MILES Reward Program’s sponsors to leverage the program to meet their business objectives.

Isabelle graduated with a Bachelor degree in Communications from University of Montréal and a DESS in Communication-Marketing from HEC.

Jason joined Inovia Capital’s Corporate Development team in May 2024, where he supports venture and growth-stage portfolio companies in their M&A strategies, execution, and implementation. Prior to Inovia, Jason worked in management consulting with a focus on healthcare and as a venture capital analyst at Deloitte Ventures and iGan Partners. Jason holds an HBA from the Ivey Business School and a Bachelor of Medical Sciences from Western University. 

Jill joined Inovia Capital in 2019, and heads up the operations duties in the Firm’s Toronto office. Jill brings more than 15 years experience, providing administrative support. Jill ran her own personal and corporate concierge service company for 9+ years. Prior to that, Jill honed her research skills as a reference librarian in the area of employment benefits for an international consulting firm.

Jinshuo (Jason) joined Inovia in August 2024 as an Accounting Analyst based in our Montreal office. Jason works with the operations team where he handles quarterly reporting, daily cash transaction, and NAV allocation for Inovia funds.

Prior to joining Inovia, Jason was a fund accountant at Maples Group, mainly focusing on hedge funds in North America and the Cayman Islands. Jason grew up in China and finished his undergraduate degree in Accountancy at the John-Molson School of Business, University of Concordia. He is currently pursuing his CPA certification at the John-Molson School of Business.

Joseph Kim joined Inovia as Director, Talent Acquisition in January 2025. He brings over a decade of experience in talent acquisition, employee engagement, and employer branding. Joseph has successfully led global recruitment strategies and DEI initiatives at companies like Cinchy, Briza, and Kira Systems. His expertise spans across scaling teams, streamlining hiring processes, and fostering inclusive workplace cultures.

Karamdeep has over 15 years of experience in software development and investing, specializing in B2B software and emerging technologies. He joined Inovia Capital in January 2010 and focuses on leading venture stage investments. His work over the last fourteen years has laid the groundwork for much of Inovia Capital’s footprint in Toronto/K-W regions and the firm’s Discovery strategy. 

Karam serves as a director or observer on the boards of Clearco, Fellow, Motion, Pine, ResQ, Street Context, Vidyard, and Vital. He also led or co-led Inovia’s investments in Clearpath Robotics (acquired by Rockwell), Triple Lift (acquired by Vista Equity),Rubikloud (acquired by Kinaxis), Well.ca (acquired by McKesson), Chango (acquired by Magnite) and BufferBox (acquired by Google). 

Before Inovia Capital, Karam was a subject matter expert at the Royal Bank of Canada on cross enterprise software architecture initiatives. Karam holds an MBA from Ivey Business School and a Bachelor of Math and Computer Science from the University of Waterloo.

Karim is an attorney with over 18 years of experience, specialised in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, financings, restructurings and general corporate and commercial matters. At Inovia Capital, Karim works with the investment teams on the various transactions and is responsible for all legal matters. Before joining Inovia, Karim was Vice-President of Legal Affairs at LASIK MD Vision (Canada’s leading vision correction provider), after having spent 10 years in private practice. Karim graduated with a BBA from HEC Montreal and an LL.B. from University of Montreal.

Katherine joined Inovia Capital’s Venture Team in June 2024. Prior to Inovia, Katherine was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in Toronto, where she focused on growth strategy and commercial excellence topics. Katherine holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto, and graduated with high distinction and honours for community involvement.  

Kory joined Inovia in March 2022 and collaborates with portfolio companies’ executive leadership teams to drive product and engineering innovation, conducts product and tech due diligence, works with Partners on technical investment theses, and invests out of Inovia’s Venture Fund.

Before joining Inovia, Kory was the Chief of Staff of Engineering for Google Canada. He was a key member of the leadership team responsible for driving strategy and overseeing operations across its engineering sites. Prior to that, he led Developer Relations for Google in Canada. Kory also created startup investing and acceleration programs at Communitech and Wilfrid Laurier University.

Kory holds an HBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and an MA in Philosophy from Queen’s University. Outside work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids, training for triathlons, playing hockey, and reading fantasy literature.

Krista joined the Inovia Capital team in July 2021. Prior to Inovia, Krista lived in Abu Dhabi, working for one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, leading the Talent and HR charge for the fund’s VC, PE, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Hedge Funds businesses. Pre-Abu Dhabi, she lived and worked in Paris for a management consulting firm.

Krista’s career has spanned a wide variety of HR/Talent areas, including leadership development, organizational design, change management, and executive coaching She has led or contributed to projects in North America, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, Japan, China and, most recently, the United Arab Emirates. She studied Political Science and holds a D.E.A. (Master’s equivalent) from the Universite de Paris, and a Bachelor’s degree from Laurentian University.

Kristopher is a CPA, CA and is responsible for managing the administrative functions of Inovia Capital and the Financial Reporting process. Prior to Inovia, Kristopher worked at Manulife Financial in Canadian Division Finance in both Corporate and Fund Financial Reporting, and at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton in Assurance. Kristopher is also a course Facilitator and Grader with CPA Quebec’s Professional Education Program and Concordia University’s CPA Program.

Laurie joined Inovia in November 2024, bringing extensive experience and a diverse skill set to the team. With a strong background in executive management and a proven track record in the technology sector, she has honed her expertise through work with various technology startups and incubators. In these roles, Laurie played a pivotal part in driving operational efficiency, fostering team collaboration, and enabling strategic growth. Her deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities startups face allows her to provide invaluable support to senior leadership in fast-paced, dynamic environments.

Before stepping into her executive-level roles, Laurie began her career in project management, where she quickly demonstrated her ability to manage complex projects, prioritize tasks, and deliver results under tight deadlines. Her project management experience laid the foundation for her broader skill set, which spans across leadership, communication, problem-solving, and organizational management. This blend of skills enables Laurie to not only oversee and optimize daily operations but also to act as a strategic advisor.

Throughout her career, Laurie has consistently showcased her ability to navigate cross-functional teams, aligning resources and teams around common goals and driving initiatives to successful completion. Whether managing internal processes or overseeing key projects, she has a reputation for being a highly effective communicator, a solution-oriented thinker, and a reliable team player.

Leo joined Inovia Capital’s Growth team in January 2025. Prior to this, he was an analyst in the Venture Growth practice at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, where he supported late-stage growth companies across North America and gained experience investing in various technology sectors.

Leo is graduating with an Honours Bachelor’s in Accounting and Financial Management from the University of Waterloo. During his time there, he was actively engaged in the startup community, serving as the Senior Associate for the University of Waterloo Student Venture Fund.

Leo joined Inovia’s Montreal office in April 2024 as Vice-President, Financial Planning & Analysis to further develop the firm’s strategic finance operations.   

 Prior to joining Inovia, he was Senior Director, Corporate Development & Treasury at Solotech, where he focused on equity raising, mergers and acquisitions, strategic business plans, financial projections and special projects. Previously, he was at the consulting firm Accuracy, primarily working on international transactions while specializing in financial due diligence, forecast modelling and advisory. Before that, he worked in debt financing at Roynat Captal.  

 Leo is a CFA Charterholder. He graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Biology as well as minoring in Pharmacology and holds an MBA in Investment Management from John Molson School of Business (Golden Key International Honour Society).

A seasoned Executive Assistant, Leslie joined Inovia in May 2019 after spending six years in sports management / sports marketing, and six years in land use planning and development. Leslie has a proven ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with personnel at all levels of organizations, including internal and external stakeholders. Commended as a trustworthy and loyal confidant with a caring and supportive nature, Leslie strives to make every day a seamless one for cohorts and clients.

Magaly has over 25 years of experience as an accomplished entrepreneur, operator and investor. Before joining Inovia Capital, she was Chief Operating Officer and investor at PasswordBox (acquired by Intel Corporation, NASDAQ:INTC) and VP WW Sales and investor at Hostopia.com (acquired by Deluxe Corporation, NYSE:DLX), investor and board member at Anomalous Networks Inc. (acquired by TANGO, NASDAQ:TNGO).

Magaly’s advice is regularly sought-after by local entrepreneurs, and she currently serves as a director on the boards of gaiia, Medeloop, Novisto and Rewind, and board observer of Botpress, and AlayaCare. Her strong personal brand, operational background and strong leadership have enabled her to play a central role in the firm’s venture strategy. Magaly is also a Board Member of the CVCA & Government Relations committee (Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association).

Manpreet joined Inovia as a Venture Analyst in January 2023. Before joining Inovia, Manpreet completed an MSc from the Oxford Internet Institute and an MBA from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. 

Manpreet previously worked at Garmin Canada designing next generation fitness wearable devices and was involved in multilateral policy making, most recently with the OECD’s Youth Advisory Board, where she focused on the future of work, digital connectivity, and emerging technologies.

Manpreet completed her undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering with a Biomedical Engineering minor from the University of Calgary as a Schulich Leader.

Marianne joined Inovia in November 2022 and is now managing the firm’s Discovery Fund, which invests in emerging managers across North America and founders at the pre-seed stage. With a strong background in tech startups, she has a proven track record of helping founders develop successful go-to-market strategies and optimize revenue operations. 

Her experience includes playing a pivotal role in the growth of companies like Heyday (acquired by Hootsuite for $60M CAD), where she was the very first employee. Her expertise in leading operations and working at the earliest stages of startups makes her exceptionally well-suited for her role in the Discovery Fund. 

Matt joined Inovia’s legal team in July 2024. Prior to joining Inovia, Matt served as General Counsel and VP, Corporate Development at Clearpath Robotics Inc., a Kitchener-Waterloo based company that specializes in autonomous robotics for industrial applications. Matt has also worked as a corporate associate at Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg in Toronto, where he held a general practice representing public and private companies on a broad range of complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, financings, restructurings and commercial agreements as well as ongoing corporate and securities law matters. Matt holds a B.C.L. and J.D. from McGill University’s Faculty of Law.

Meryl is a Director on Inovia’s Corporate Development team and advises companies across Inovia’s Growth and Venture Funds with their strategy, M&A and  debt raises. 

She joined Inovia in 2022, after having most recently worked on the Corporate Development team at Rogers Communications, covering media, sports and telecommunications acquisitions. She gained considerable operational experience integrating acquired businesses and brings this background to Inovia portfolio companies.

Meryl is a proud University of Waterloo alumni and began her career at PwC within the Capital Markets Advisory team, specializing in complex accounting and  IPO readiness.

Please note Meryl is currently on maternity leave.

Mia Morisset joined Inovia Capital’s Montreal office in September 2018, focusing on late-stage investment opportunities in North America. Her expertise centers on B2B SaaS productivity software, with significant investments in companies like AlayaCare, AppDirect, BenchSci, Talent.com, Wazo, and WorkJam, and extends to consumer/tech-enabled platforms in travel & hospitality, including Hopper, Life House, and Super.

Before joining Inovia, Mia worked in Private Equity at PSP Investments and honed her strategic insights in management consulting at Roland Berger. Her diverse background in finance and consulting has shaped her into a valuable asset for the VC landscape. A 2013 graduate of McGill University, Mia’s commitment to identifying promising opportunities continues to drive her success.

Michael McGraw joined Inovia Capital in February 2018, with a mandate to open Inovia’s London office with Patrick Pichette and since joining, has been actively involved in the Firm’s investments in Lightspeed, Forward, Zwift, Neo4j and Booksy.

Prior to joining Inovia, Michael worked for the Funds and Technology team at CDPQ, where he was a board member/observer at Lightspeed, Hopper and Felix & Paul Studios. He gained operating experience through a secondment as a Project Manager at Hopper, a travel tech startup that has raised over $700M. Prior to joining CDPQ, Michael was an investment analyst at PSP Investments.

Michael graduated from McGill University in 2014 with a BBA and is a CFA charterholder. In his free time, he is actively involved as a Steering Committee member for the Bahir Dar Specialty Eye Center project as well as with OutInvestors London.

Minnie joined Inovia Capital in 2023 as an Accounting Associate in our Montreal office. Before Inovia, Minnie primarily worked for hedge funds in both Asian and North American markets.

Born in China, she immigrated to Canada in 2011. Minnie graduated from Concordia University with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce with a Major in Accountancy.

Minnie is passionate about all things Disney!

Natasha joined Inovia Capital’s legal team in March 2021. Prior to Inovia, she worked as a corporate associate, at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, advising emerging and growth-stage companies operating in the technology sector as well as venture capital and private equity funds investing in the technology sector. Natasha holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McGill University and a combined J.D. and LL.B from Université de Montreal.

Please note Natasha is currently on maternity leave.

Noah joined Inovia’s Toronto Venture team in 2022. Prior to Inovia, he worked in TMT Investment Banking at National Bank Financial, where he assisted Canadian companies execute Growth Equity and IPO transactions.

Noah holds a Bachelor of Commerce (with distinction) from the Haskayne School of Business.

Pascale joined Inovia Capital in November 2022 as a Vice President in the Montreal office. Prior to Inovia, Pascale worked in Private Equity as a Senior Associate at CDPQ and was a board observer for various companies. Before CDPQ, Pascale started her career in Investment Banking at CIBC, advising large enterprises on M&A transactions and equity and debt financings.

Pascale graduated with honours from McGill University in 2015 with a Bachelor in Commerce.

Please note Pascale is currently on maternity leave.

Patrick is a strategic finance leader with extensive and broad experience in finance, operations and strategy. Through his 20+ year career, he has worked with a broad range of companies, connecting with C-Suite executives, Board of Directors and entrepreneurs alike. Specialized in capital markets solutions, he supported the growth of mid-sized and large corporations through debt and equity financing needs, IPOs and mergers and acquisition transactions.

He joined Inovia in March 2022 as Chief Financial Officer, with a mandate to write the next chapter of Inovia’s story by focusing on the firm’s finance and operations, while also building a dedicated fundraising and investor relations function to further fuel the firm’s growth.

Prior to joining Inovia, Patrick was Vice-President Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations at Bombardier. Before stepping into this role, he participated in numerous transactions while in investment banking and corporate finance across CIBC World Markets, RBC Capital Markets and KPMG Corporate Finance.

Patrick is a CPA, CA and holds the CFA designation. He graduated with a BBA in Professional Accounting and a D.E.S.S.C.P. from HEC Montreal in 1997-1998.

Patrick Pichette is a seasoned financial and operational expert with over 30 years of experience. He has led world-class companies such as Google, Twitter, McKinsey, Sprint Canada and Bell Canada to break through the complexities of hyper-growth and digital transformations

As CFO of Google from 2008 to 2015, Patrick played a key role in driving the company’s growth strategy and supported the creation of the Alphabet structure. He was part of Google’s executive committee, overseeing the company’s extensive corporate M&A agenda, which included nearly 150 acquisitions, such as Nest and Motorola. Patrick sat on the board of Twitter between 2017 and 2022, served as Chair of the Board in 2020-2021 and co-led the company’s sale to Elon Musk for $44B in October 2022. 

Currently, Patrick sits on the board of Lightspeed POS Inc as Lead Independent Director and serves as an independent investor, advisor, and board member to many startups and innovation networks around the world, including Neo4j (Sweden), Zwift (US/UK), Hopper and Wealthsimple (Canada), and Creative Destruction Labs.

A dedicated environmentalist, Patrick actively supports the Kenauk Project (Kenauk.com and institutkenauk.org). He holds an MA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford, where he attended as a Rhodes Scholar, and a BBA from UQAM.

Phoebe is a VP on Inovia’s Growth Equity Team in our London office.

Before Inovia, Phoebe worked as an Associate at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) on the High Conviction Equities team. At OTPP, she focused on late stage growth equity and pre-IPO investments, primarily within software and fintech, and was responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing potential investment opportunities alongside portfolio management. Phoebe started her career in investment banking at Deutsche Bank, working within the UK M&A team.

Phoebe graduated from Durham University with a First Class Degree in Economics and Geography.

Prateek joined Inovia Capital’s London Team in September 2024. Prior to Inovia, Prateek was a manager at Oliver Wyman, where he was mainly part of the Private Capital team supporting late-stage/PE investors with commercial evaluation of companies, covering technology, data, financial services, and infrastructure. Outside private capital, worked across a mix of strategy, operational and pricing projects advising C-suite and industry leaders.

Prateek holds a Masters in Engineering from the University of Oxford. Whilst at Oxford, Prateek founded his own company providing eco-friendly solutions for Oxford student traditions which he still leads today.

Prem joined Inovia’s Venture Team in July 2022 as their first VP Discovery to lead the ramp up of Inovia’s already very successful fund investment program. His work aims to position Inovia as a preferred investment partner for those investee fund managers and select companies in their underlying portfolios.

Prior to joining Inovia, Prem wore numerous hats on the investing side of the Canadian tech ecosystem. He worked with N49P as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Afore Capital as a Venture Product Partner while also actively angel investing and consulting. As an operator, Prem led business-side efforts at Y Combinator backed Whirlscape and helped launch an angel network associated with the University of Waterloo.

Prem graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor’s in Mechatronics Engineering, Option in Management Science and Minor in Economics. In his free time, Prem enjoys regular fitness training, playing poker (which he used to do competitively), and spending time with friends and family.

Raif is a partner at Inovia with over 25 years of tech operating and investing experience. Previously, he served as Head of the EMEA Finance Leadership team at Google from 2011–2018 and as Global CFO at Deliveroo from 2018–2019. Prior to joining Google in 2005, Raif held roles at Reuters Venture Capital in Silicon Valley and at Capital One in Virginia. Between 2013 and 2020, Raif served on the Tate Art Galleries Finance & Operations and Audit Committees. Raif holds a BA in Mathematics from Oxford University, an MSc from UMIST and an MBA from INSEAD.

Rania joined Inovia Capital’s Growth team in February 2022. Prior to that, Rania was a consultant in Accenture’s Banking Strategy practice where she advised top-tier financial institutions as well as large enterprises from other industries, helping them navigate complex transformations, from AI adoption to cost reduction strategies.

Rania holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Polytechnique Montréal and was the president of the school’s Finance club.

Sabrina joined Inovia Capital in 2023 as the Controller in our Montreal office. She is mainly responsible for managing the accounting functions of Inovia Capital, including fund, corporate and internal financial reporting and audit and tax processes.

Prior to joining Inovia, Sabrina had extensive experience in large enterprises including KPMG and Air Canada Vacations as well as in asset management at the Walter Group.

Sabrina graduated from John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in 2014 with a BComm degree in accounting and was a successful CFE candidate in 2016. She has held her CPA, auditor designation since 2017.

Sam joined Inovia’s Growth Team in January 2025. She focuses on sourcing and evaluating investments across high-growth technology and innovation-driven companies. 

Prior to Inovia, she was a Private Equity Analyst at Neuberger Berman, where she specialized in co-investments across the technology, financial services, and consumer sectors. 

She began her career by founding My FIntelligence, a financial literacy platform designed to help students navigate careers in finance. She then developed MyFin, a trading game that offered retail investors a practical approach to understanding risk behaviour. 

Sam holds a Bachelor of Commerce with High Distinction from the University of Toronto’s Rotman Commerce.

Scott has been with Inovia Capital since January 2017 and brings more than 30+ years of operating and financial advisory expertise to the Firm. He leads Inovia’s Corporate Development Practice and advises portfolio companies on how to proactively manage their path to maximizing valuation —either through M&A or IPO. Scott leverages his expertise and extensive personal network with top acquirers to work with management teams on creating optionality well before an exit takes place as well as to create best practices for portfolio companies involved in Buy Side M&A. During transactions, Scott takes a hands-on approach and assists the company with all facets of their process to ensure valuation is optimized. Prior to joining Inovia, Scott was the Founder and Managing Director of Pagemill Partners, a top tier mid-market investment bank based in Palo Alto which was acquired by Duff & Phelps.

Over the years, Scott had built a strong relationship with Inovia and advised many portfolio companies on exit strategies, including the $122M acquisition of Chango by Rubicon Project (7x MOIC). Over his highly successful 15-year tenure at Pagemill Partners, the firm completed 250+ transactions primarily on the sell side in software, communications, internet, media and hardware. Prior to founding Pagemill Partners, Scott was the chairman and CEO of Savoir Technology Group, a company he grew from $50M to $1B in revenue run rate, at which point the business was acquired by Avnet Inc. It is through his experience as an operator that he developed a unique approach to Corporate Development, which he is now thrilled to share with the Inovia community.

Shawn co-founded Inovia Capital in 2007 with Chris, after spending 20 years as a successful founder, inventor, angel investor and global executive. He is passionate about coaching entrepreneurs through their personal journey, and is actively involved in developing effective governance across the Inovia portfolio and community. 

Shawn provides insights and best-practices earned through decades of experience running his own companies and dozens of board appointments. Currently Shawn serves as a director on the boards including Certn, Top Hat and Bench. 

Shawn is a champion for good governance, including authoring the great board commitment, speaking regularly and supporting the ICD/CVCA Private Capital Governance Program. Former board appointments include Drivewyze (exited 2019), Tugboat Logic (acquired by OneTrust), WorkFusion (exited 2021), and Solium (TSX:SUM), where he served on the HR & Governance and Risk & Compliance committees. The Calgary-based firm was acquired by Morgan Stanley for over C$1Bn in 2019. 

Shawn believes in cultivating community initiatives. Shawn has contributed broadly to the startup community including as founding Chair of the Alberta 100 Tech Entrepreneurs (“A100”), instrumental in the establishment of AccelerateAB and the AccelerateFunds, and past Chair of the Venture Capital Association of Alberta and Banff Venture Forum. His dedication to community service includes being a long time associate of Creative Destruction Lab, and member of Dean Meddings’ advisory board at the Cumming School of Medicine. 

Shawn mentors founders through CETAC-WEST and Venture Mentoring Services. An accomplished coach, he works also closely with leadership teams at Inovia portfolio companies, and advises other investors. 

Prior to Inovia, Shawn was a pioneer in internet security as CTO, then President, of publicly-traded security powerhouse Rainbow Technologies, overseeing several hundred employees in nearly 20 countries, navigating a dozen M&A transactions and driving a category rollup and realizing a half-billion dollar exit. 

As a founder, he built, then sold the AND Group, the defacto-standard encryption-based eCommerce platform that powered an entire generation of digital sales, and was instrumental in launching CD-ROMs.

As an inventor, he holds the first patent for the USB key, multiple patents in online banking and biometric security, and has published widely on topics of internet security. 

Shawn is an outdoor enthusiast, accomplished public speaker and pilot. You will often find him taking someone for their first helicopter flight, to hike or ski in the Alberta Rockies, or showing up at a business meeting or talking on his bicycle after having flown it half way across the continent. He is committed to lifelong learning, with a Physics degree from the University of Alberta, and post-graduate studies at the University of Calgary and Stanford. But most of all, he is the proud father of two amazing individuals.

Shelby joined Inovia Capital in 2023 as an Executive Assistant in the Toronto office.  Shelby brings 5+ years of experience in executive support, business administration, and operations management in both IT and Financial Service sectors.

Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, Shelby graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Sustainability Studies.  Shelby lived in Dublin, Ireland, for four years before moving to Canada in 2023.  During her time in Ireland, she earned a professional diploma in Project Management from University College Dublin and oversaw a variety of large-scale office transitions and projects.

Steven Woods joined Inovia as Partner and CTO in August 2021. Steven has worked in software development, research and technical leadership for more than 30 years. As co-founder of three software and services companies based in the USA (Quack.com, Kinitos, NeoEdge Networks), he built strong, high-performing teams of product and technical experts based in both Silicon Valley and the Waterloo-Toronto tech corridor.  One of these companies – Quack.com – pioneered the world’s first interactive voice assistant and was acquired by Netscape/America Online in 2000.

Steven joined Google in 2008 in order to return home to Canada and build a world-class engineering and product capability with a uniquely Canadian culture of quality, commitment and innovation. Steven led the growth and leadership development of the Google Canada product and engineering teams from 20 to over 1,300 across a range of impactful products between 2008 and 2021.

In his role at Inovia, Steven brings his years of entrepreneurial and engineering experience, his passion for working with innovators and founders and his extensive network to our portfolio companies. He also plays an important role in evaluating deal flow from a product, technology and talent perspective. Steven has long been an independent investor, advisor and board member to startups, innovation networks and non-profits in the USA and Canada.

Since joining Inovia, Steven has led or co-led investments in a range of Canadian companies – including Cohere – a leading foundational large language model company,  in Signal1.AI – a transformative application of AI in improving healthcare outcomes, in Spellbook – the leading AI assistant solution for attorneys,  and in RouteThis – an innovative product that supports optimizing home networking experiences. 

Steven holds a PhD in Computer Science with a focus in Artificial Intelligence and a Masters of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo.  Additionally he holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Saskatchewan. Among numerous awards, Steven received the prestigious JW Graham Medal in Computing and Innovation from the University of Waterloo in 2010 and was recognized with a Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Saskatchewan in 2021.

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Steven Chung joined Inovia Capital’s Growth Team in July 2021. He has over five years of capital markets experience, having worked in Investment Banking at RBC, where he was involved in financing and M&A advisory for clients in the Software and Technology sectors. Prior to RBC, he worked in Equity Research at Scotiabank, covering Consumer Products and Special Situations.

Steven began his career as an R&D Engineer and Project Manager at a Cleantech startup based in Montreal. He holds a B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University.

Taha Mubashir joined Inovia in 2022 as a Principal on the Venture team. Taha has 10 years of finance experience and was recently a Director within PSP’s Direct Private Equity program. At PSP, Taha was responsible for sourcing and executing North American technology transactions. Taha’s key board seat and observer responsibilities included Lytx, Delinea and Collective Health.

Prior to PSP, Taha started his career in investment banking at BMO. Taha holds an HBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business

Yoran joined Inovia in May of 2024, and is now supporting the firm’s Discovery Fund, which invests in top emerging VCs across North America and pre-seed founders. His work primarily focuses on surfacing top companies, connecting with star emerging managers, and creating new data processes to help drive new strategies for the fund.

Prior to joining the team, he was a Venture Coordinator at Creative Destruction Lab, a global leading deeptech science accelerator with $28B in value creation, where he supported in leading their Compute and Biomedical Engineering programs. He was also a Venture Analyst at Defined Capital, an early-stage Data and AI fund, where he helped create the fund’s investment thesis, AI white paper, and first series of investments.

Yoran is graduating Bachelor of Commerce from UBC Sauder with a specialisation in Entrepreneurship, and helped create Vancouver’s first student-led VC fund through Front Row Ventures, deploying $150K into three student-led startups. He also lived out of a hacker house in San Francisco as The Residency’s inception cohort.