Venture Capital Policies in Canada

Abstract

Canada has one of the highest levels of venture capital investment as a share of GDP among OECD countries. Between 1995 and 2001, Canada realised phenomenal growth in venture capital supply and the creation of over 200 new venture capital funds. However, the largest share of Canadian venture capital goes to follow-on funding of smaller firms -- rather than to new deals involving start-ups -- and to traditional manufacturing sectors. In the late 1990s, the Canadian government began attempts to diversify the sources of venture funds through liberalising rules for institutional and foreign investors, modifying tax incentives and introducing government equity funds. Foreign investors, particularly from the United States, are now the major players and are targeting their funding to technology-based start-ups. This paper analyses trends in Canadian venture capital markets and makes policy recommendations which have been developed through an OECD peer review process ...