Ignite Angel: Matt Wilson on Bridging Canadian Startups to Global Investors | #121

Ignite: Conversations on Startups, Venture Capital, Tech, Future, and Society

In this episode of the Ignite Podcast, Brian Bell hosts Matt Wilson, founder and managing director of Allied Venture Partners. Matt’s entrepreneurial journey began at age 11 with a snow-shoveling business and has evolved into establishing one of Canada’s largest angel investor networks. He shares pivotal lessons from his career, including his corporate experience at Nestle and Coca-Cola, which emphasized customer-centric problem-solving and sales strategies that translated into his entrepreneurial ventures. Matt also recounts the launch of his coffee roasting business and its eventual sale, illustrating his knack for identifying market gaps and capitalizing on emerging trends. Matt discusses his transition into angel investing and the founding of Allied Venture Partners in 2020. His efforts have grown the organization to nearly 2,000 members, driven by a commitment to connecting Canadian startups with diverse sources of venture capital. He highlights the challenges of scaling in a market dominated by oil and gas and explains how Allied positioned itself as a bridge for local founders seeking external venture capital and investors seeking Canadian tech opportunities. Matt also dives into his investment thesis, focusing on infrastructure-layer software and large, rapidly expanding markets. The conversation delves into Matt’s philosophy on investing, emphasizing the importance of people and culture over early-stage metrics. He shares practical examples of assessing teams and their adaptability in the ever-evolving startup landscape. Matt also outlines his vision for Allied Venture Partners, including aspirations to integrate a fund-syndicate co-invest model to optimize investment returns and further bolster Canadian innovation. The episode wraps up with rapid-fire questions, where Matt shares insights on scaling challenges, public speaking as a critical founder skill, and his thoughts on overhyped tech trends, such as application-layer AI startups. His journey and perspectives offer a compelling blend of entrepreneurial grit, investment wisdom, and a vision for fostering tech ecosystems in underrepresented markets. Chapters: Welcome and Matt Wilson’s Background (00:01 - 01:30) Early Entrepreneurship: Starting a Business at 11 (01:31 - 03:45) Corporate Lessons from Nestle and Coca-Cola (03:46 - 08:00) Launching Allied Venture Partners (08:01 - 12:20) Bridging Canadian Startups with Global Investors (12:21 - 18:15) Investing in People Over Metrics (18:16 - 24:00) Supporting Founders Beyond Capital (24:01 - 29:30) Balancing High-Volume Investing and Diligence (29:31 - 36:00) Lessons from Formal Education and VC Training (36:01 - 41:20) Challenges in Scaling Allied Venture Partners (41:21 - 47:50) The Future of Canadian Tech Ecosystems (47:51 - 53:00) Rapid-Fire Questions and Founder's Key Skills (53:01 - 1:00:00) Closing Thoughts and Wrap-Up (1:00:01 - 1:01:22)