Venture capitalists say time is right for U.S.-Canada investments

Wednesday, May 20, 2009 | Source: Crain's Detroit Business

Venture capitalists who recently gathered in Ypsilanti see now as a great time to cross the border with some cash.

Excerpt:

The timing is right for U.S.-Canada cross-border investment opportunities.

That was the message of a panel discussion Wednesday morning at the 28th annual Michigan Growth Capital Symposium at Marriott at Eagle Crest in Ypsilanti.

It was the second day of a conference on venture capital investing that drew about 450 participants. Attendees included about 65 VC firms and 32 young companies who made presentations in the search for equity investments.

For the first time, the symposium devoted a panel devoted to cross-border opportunities, and it included a record six Canadian companies who made formal presentations to would-be investors.

“Canada is a great breeding ground for U.S. investors to come north,” said Marc Faucher, partner of the Toronto-based BlackBerry Partners Fund, which focuses on companies in the mobile phone sector.

“From a cross-border standpoint, we’re finding very good conditions for early-stage investments in telecom firms in Canada that we’ll bring down to the U.S. for deals as the companies mature.”

Read the rest of the story here.