Generalist · Toronto, ON

StandUp Ventures

We champion breakthrough companies led by women

← Investors in Ontario
Cheque
$500k to $1M
Role
Can lead a round
Pace
Actively deploying
Kind
Generalist
Based in
Toronto, ON
Vehicle size
$30M
Founded
2017
Works in
EN + FR
Last deal seen
July 2026
Stages
Pre-seed, Seed
Sectors
SaaS, Health and biotech, Marketplaces and consumer, AI and machine learning, Fintech and insurtech

Their thesis, in full

StandUp Ventures is a Toronto-based seed fund led by Managing Director Michelle McBane (ex-MaRS Discovery District) that invests in Canadian and US startups with at least one woman in a C-level position who holds equitable ownership. Fund II held a $30M CAD initial close in 2021, growing from Fund I's $21M. Sector focus on enterprise software and digital health. LP base includes CIBC, RBC, Northleaf Venture Catalyst, Teralys Capital, Vancity, BDC Capital and EDC. Recent deals: led GroundedAI's $2M pre-seed (July 2026) and GridBank's $6M seed (April 2026), co-led Reusables' $3.6M seed with Amplify Capital, plus Glassbox and Indiegraf. Around 15 investments in Fund II.

What they bring past the cheque

  • Women-led C-level requirement
  • B2B software and digital health depth
  • Strong bank LP signal (CIBC, RBC)
  • Pan-Canadian deal flow

Questions they usually ask

Have an answer ready for each one before the first call.

  1. Which woman in your C-suite carries the equitable ownership requirement, and what is her track record?
  2. Are you B2B software, digital health, or another lane (StandUp's two sweet spots)?
  3. What is your path from seed to Series A within 18 to 24 months?

Follow-on

StandUp reserves capital for follow-on at the Series A milestone and syndicates with bank LP affiliates (RBCx, CIBC Innovation) plus pan-Canadian seed funds (Golden Ventures, Amplify Capital). Quarterly KPI updates and an 18 to 24 month bridge to Series A are expected.

Who to talk to

Portfolio

Names they back, most notable first.

  • GroundedAIPre-seed · 2026
  • GridBankSeed · 2026
  • ReusablesSeed · 2025
  • ODAIASeries B+ · 2023
  • Coconut SoftwareSeries B+ · 2021
  • TealbookSeries B+ · 2021
  • AcertaSeed · 2018
  • NudgeSeed · 2017

Often in the same rounds

Investors seen alongside them in past rounds.

Similar investors

Overlapping sectors and stages. Useful to build a list of 10 to 20 names for one round.

See how they fit your round

Set your stage, sector and amount once. Fractal App tells you if StandUp Ventures can lead it, tracks every follow-up, and counts the days of silence. Free, no card.

Open in the app →

Checked October 2026 from public sources. source ↗ · Website ↗ · LinkedIn ↗