Key Takeaways
- • The Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA) is hosting an invitation-only forum on September 14, 2026, timed to coincide with Prime Minister Mark Carney's inaugural Canada Investment Summit (September 14–15), positioning Canadian growth companies before the world's largest institutional investors.
- • Expected attendees include mega-cap asset managers such as Blackstone (managing ~US$1.3 trillion) and sovereign wealth funds including Singapore's GIC (US$936 billion), alongside Saudi Aramco's venture arm and the British Business Bank—representing access to over US$2 trillion in global capital.
- • CVCA CEO Benjamin Bergen frames the event as a strategic positioning play: Canada must "invite people to your house" to demonstrate openness to international partnerships and capital for scaling portfolio companies internationally.
- • Canadian private equity and venture firms backing the initiative include Novacap, ONCAP, Plaza Ventures, Inovia Capital, and Beringer Capital, collectively leveraging the summit to facilitate cross-border capital flows for their portfolio companies.
- • The forum targets technology and technology-enabled sectors, positioning Canada's private-sector-backed growth companies as investment opportunities for international capital seeking exposure beyond traditional markets.
Summary
Canada's venture capital and private equity sector is seizing a strategic window to showcase domestic growth companies to the world's largest institutional investors. The Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association will host a dedicated all-day forum on September 14, 2026, deliberately scheduled to precede and complement Prime Minister Mark Carney's inaugural Canada Investment Summit, a two-day federal initiative designed to attract foreign capital for major nation-building projects.
The timing is deliberate. Carney's summit (September 14–15) is expected to draw institutional capital at scale, including asset managers from Blackstone Inc., which oversees approximately US$1.3 trillion in assets under management, and sovereign wealth funds such as Singapore's GIC, with US$936 billion in assets. The CVCA's forum will serve as a curated entry point for these mega-cap allocators, introducing them to Canadian technology and technology-enabled companies backed by the country's private sector before they engage with the broader federal investment narrative.
According to CVCA CEO Benjamin Bergen, the initiative reflects a strategic reassessment: "The world has really shifted, and we've got to respond. So, how do we look for international capital in other parts of the world?" The association is actively recruiting institutional investors including Saudi Aramco's venture arm and the British Business Bank, a government-owned economic development institution. Bergen characterized the forum as foundational relationship-building: "First you've got to invite people to your house in order to show them that you're wanting to be friends."
Major Canadian private capital firms are supporting the event infrastructure, including Novacap, ONCAP, Plaza Ventures, Inovia Capital, and Beringer Capital. Bergen emphasized that international capital access is essential for portfolio company scaling, particularly for growth-stage technology ventures seeking global market expansion. The invitation-only format ensures a high-signal, concentrated interaction between institutional allocators and Canadian growth companies seeking capital.
This positioning reflects broader capital market dynamics: Canadian venture and private equity firms recognize that access to institutional foreign capital—particularly from sovereign wealth funds and mega-cap asset managers—is a material competitive advantage for scaling portfolio companies beyond domestic markets.
The timing is deliberate. Carney's summit (September 14–15) is expected to draw institutional capital at scale, including asset managers from Blackstone Inc., which oversees approximately US$1.3 trillion in assets under management, and sovereign wealth funds such as Singapore's GIC, with US$936 billion in assets. The CVCA's forum will serve as a curated entry point for these mega-cap allocators, introducing them to Canadian technology and technology-enabled companies backed by the country's private sector before they engage with the broader federal investment narrative.
According to CVCA CEO Benjamin Bergen, the initiative reflects a strategic reassessment: "The world has really shifted, and we've got to respond. So, how do we look for international capital in other parts of the world?" The association is actively recruiting institutional investors including Saudi Aramco's venture arm and the British Business Bank, a government-owned economic development institution. Bergen characterized the forum as foundational relationship-building: "First you've got to invite people to your house in order to show them that you're wanting to be friends."
Major Canadian private capital firms are supporting the event infrastructure, including Novacap, ONCAP, Plaza Ventures, Inovia Capital, and Beringer Capital. Bergen emphasized that international capital access is essential for portfolio company scaling, particularly for growth-stage technology ventures seeking global market expansion. The invitation-only format ensures a high-signal, concentrated interaction between institutional allocators and Canadian growth companies seeking capital.
This positioning reflects broader capital market dynamics: Canadian venture and private equity firms recognize that access to institutional foreign capital—particularly from sovereign wealth funds and mega-cap asset managers—is a material competitive advantage for scaling portfolio companies beyond domestic markets.
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