Seen & Heard at CCI’s 2025 Capital and Growth Summit

From capital deployment to market strategy, Canada’s innovation economy is evolving fast—and so are the challenges facing high-growth firms.

At the 2025 Capital and Growth Summit, CCI convened CEOs, investors, and capital markets leaders for a day of candid discussion, practical insight, and direct engagement in downtown Toronto. The agenda featured perspectives from C-suite innovators scaling through uncertainty, and investment professionals navigating a shifting capital landscape.

Here’s what we heard from leaders on the frontlines of Canada’s innovation economy:

In a Volatile World, Invest in Canadian Excellence

CCI Chair Jim Balsillie kicked off the day with a clear message for the innovators and investors in the room: Canada’s economic future depends on how we grow, finance, and protect our most innovative companies.

"The power of collective action and the willingness of CCI members to link arms and stand up for the country’s innovation economy is strong. Since 2015, the landscape for financing tech has changed significantly but there will always be a need for growth capital, and there will always be a need for deeper relationships between investors and founders."

Investing in Uncertain Times – Strategies for Capital Resilience

The first panel of the day brought together finance and innovation leaders who know what it takes to weather volatility. Saeideh Fard (CFO, Introhive), Jon Lipinski (Co-Founder and President, Ecopia AI), Clive Kinross (CEO, Propel Holdings), David Rozin (Scotiabank Roynat Capital), and Justin Anis (Wealhouse Capital) traded perspectives on capital discipline, market signals, and scaling with intention.

Ecopia AI Co-Founder and President Jon Lipinski emphasized the growing need for companies to be prudent, with a balance sheet that allows a company to navigate tough times:

“Cash is king. You have to make sure that the business makes money. The ability to generate cash is ultimately what creates a valuable business, and will enable optionality when traditional capital markets tighten."

As the conversation moved into larger ideas about how Canada should be navigating a volatile economic environment, Introhive CFO Saeideh Fard talked about the need for people to see Canada’s social values and its economic performance as complimentary:

"Sometimes economic policy and Canada’s social values are almost seen as in conflict. We see these two things as separate, but really, when you look at why Canada is what it is today, it's because once upon a time these values were deeply connected. We go into scarcity mode when we feel that we have less, but when every Canadian’s piece of the pie continues to grow, that’s when we as Canadians are most generous."

‍Competing for Capital – Growing Your Firm in a Shifting Market

The second panel turned toward go-to-market strategy, and what it takes to stand out in today’s fundraising environment. Moderated by CCI’s Director of Member Success Sara Psenicka, the discussion featured Reza Chaji (CEO and Founder,VueReal), Lori Weir (CEO and Co-Founder FourEyes Financial), Soroush Karimzadeh (CEO and Co-Founder, Novarc), Mike Lauzon (Canaccord Genuity), and Ray Rashed (RBCx).

Four Eyes Financial CEO and Co-Founder Lori Weir spoke to the importance of building relationships with potential investors:

"I’m always talking to potential investors. A lot of that is just keeping my finger on the pulse. For some CEOs, I think that can feel like a waste of time, but it’s worth investing in those conversations. I always learn something coming out of my conversations with potential investors."

The Future of Canadian Investment: Unlocking Capital for High-Growth Companies

To close out the day, WELL Health Technologies CEO and Chairman Hamed Shahbazi joined CCI President Benjamin Bergen for a wide-ranging conversation on public markets, scaling strategy, and what it means to lead a Canadian company in a global marketplace.

Shahbazi reflected on the unique pressures facing public company CEOs in this environment:

"We can’t let the heat dissipate. We have to act while we feel this heat. We have a golden opportunity right now.  Buy Canadian sentiment didn’t exist just a few months ago. It’s amazing how much that has shifted. Now I think we have to make sure that it actually happens. There’s a lot of volatility and economic damage that we’re exposed to from our neighbours south of the border. But I do agree with Mr. Carney. There’s a lot that we can do with ourselves, and I think it’s important that we focus on that."

CCI President Benjamin Bergen said that Canadian scale-ups are the key for Canada’s future prosperity, in the face of economic volatility.

“For nearly a decade CCI has been saying that homegrown innovators are the key to economic prosperity, and it really feels like Canadians are finally coming around to our way of thinking. Canada will be stronger, as a country, if Canadians take pride in the great companies we produce at the leading edge of global markets.” 

CCI’s 2025 Capital and Growth Summit was made possible by our committed partners working to increase access to growth capital for Canadian innovators. Special thanks to Scotiabank Roynat Capital, RBCx, Wealhouse Capital Management, Canaccord Genuity and Digital Nova Scotia for their leadership and support.

For more information about CCI and how we advocate for Canada’s fastest-growing companies, contact Sara Psenicka, Director of Member Success.

‍