Matt Roberts is a Partner at CMD Capital.
CMD Capital is a leading venture capital firm for AI-strong seed-stage startups. They focus on Canadian startups using AI in non-trivial ways, to solve mission-critical problems across B2B and Enterprise sectors.

Takeaways

The influence of Sir Terry Matthews and Matt's father played a significant role in shaping his entrepreneurial journey.
The Canadian market lacks early-stage lead checks.
Finding the first customer and iterating with them is challenging for Canadian entrepreneurs, as they often have to look to the US market for customer adoption.


Why Canadian companies don't buy from Canadian startups.
The lack of pension money in Canadian venture and Matt's Substack piece that caused a stir.
Where the value is in AI.
Tactical advice in raising a venture fund.
Matt's interest in Canadian tech and venture history.


Chapters
00:00 The Influence of Mentors and Role Models
06:44 Taking Ownership and Problem Solving
09:09 The Lack of Early-Stage Lead Checks in the Canadian Market
12:42 Challenges in Finding the First Customer and Iterating
15:07 The Need for a Cultural Shift and More Anchor Tenants in the Canadian Market
27:39 The Influence of Pension Plans on Investment Decisions
29:20 The Role of AI in the Market
33:13 Qualities of Successful Founders
35:42 Addressing Challenges in the Canadian Economy
39:31 Navigating the Process of Raising a Fund
47:49 The Importance of Understanding the History of the Ecosystem
50:17 Collaboration and Support within the Industry

Keywords
entrepreneurship, venture capital, early-stage, lead checks, Canadian market, customer adoption, investment, Canadian venture capital, pension plans, AI, founders, Canadian economy, raising a fund, history of the ecosystem, collaboration

Ver todos los episodios