Alex McIsaac from Northside Ventures

Deal Flow

Alex McIsaac of Northside Ventures emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships in sourcing deal flow. He maintains connections with portfolio companies and founders, facilitating introductions to potential customers and partners. Alex explains, "I work with my founders to say, okay, who do we think could be a design partner? Maybe you need two to three design partners to get your MVP built."

I work with my founders to say, okay, who do we think could be a design partner? Maybe you need two to three design partners to get your MVP built.

--- Alex McIsaac

Northside employs both inbound and outbound strategies, using software to identify promising founders and maintaining a wide network to ensure a steady flow of opportunities 1 2.

   

Fundraising

Raising a venture capital fund as an emerging manager presents unique challenges, which Alex navigates by focusing on high-net-worth individuals and family offices. He stresses the importance of building relationships with institutional LPs over time to establish credibility for future fundraising efforts. Alex notes, "By the time I go raise fund two in a couple of years, they know I'm legitimate and they've kind of seen my track record building the portfolio."

By the time I go raise fund two in a couple of years, they know I'm legitimate and they've kind of seen my track record building the portfolio.

--- Alex McIsaac

He also considers personal financial needs and market conditions when determining fund size and strategy, aiming for a balanced portfolio that can withstand market fluctuations 3 4.

   

Autonomy

Alex's journey to investment autonomy began with his role at BDC, where he gained experience leading deals. His time at Global Founders Capital further honed his skills, granting him near-complete control over investment processes in Canada. Alex reflects, "It was really the closest thing to running my own venture fund without actually running my own venture fund."

It was really the closest thing to running my own venture fund without actually running my own venture fund.

--- Alex McIsaac

This autonomy allowed him to develop a strong track record, ultimately leading to the founding of Northside Ventures, where he applies his learnings to support Canadian founders 5 6.