Andre Charoo is the Founder and General Partner of Maple VC.
Maple backs founders with Canadian roots...because they build category-defining companies. Andre was the 25th employee at Uber. He is a Venture Partner at Inovia and Co-Chair of The C100.
Takeaways
How Andre raised his first $1M fund and executed his unique Canadian-focused thesis.
What it is like fundraising as an emerging solo GP.
Trends with Canadian founders building in the US.
Canadian founders bring a unique perspective and ambition to the table, often outperforming their peers in the US.
Canadian schools provide a solid foundation for entrepreneurs, but Canadians often have to compete on work product rather than resume alone, which is what gives them an edge.
Canada should focus on reaping the returns from successful startups (North and South of the border) and reinvesting in the ecosystem.
Celebrating Canadian success stories can inspire and motivate young students and entrepreneurs.
Chapters
00:00 Pre-Maple Career
03:41 Founding Maple
08:31 Starting a Venture Capital Firm
22:51 Trends in Canadians Building in the US
27:43 Reaping Returns for Canada
28:08 Celebrating Canadian Success Stories
28:20 Shining a Light on Canadian Startups
32:08 Lessons Learned in Fundraising
37:00 Managing Relationships with Later Stage Founders
41:26 Building the Maple Franchise
45:38 The Future of Maple and Partnerships
48:56 Dealing with Hard Times
49:03 Message to Founders
