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Within Western Canada, AVAC Ltd. is a unique investment company with considerable experience addressing the three key challenges for successful early-stage investing: garnering investor interest, attracting strong senior management, and building critical mass of like businesses.
For the past fourteen years AVAC has been a direct investor in over 115 early-stage commercial buesinesses based in Alberta, over 50 agricultural research projects and programs, and as an indirect investor (Limited Partner) in three national venture capital funds. Since inception, AVAC has invested over $118 million, with its portfolio companies reporting in excess of $688 million in related sales to date. In 2010, AVAC's current portfolio of 65 companies also reported an annual payroll of $63 million.
Created in 1997 to stimulate and enhance the research and development capacity of the Agribusiness value-add sector, facilitate the effective utilization of the research and development capacity, and assist with the commercialization of innovative value-added products and services in Alberta’s value-added agriculture industry, Today, AVAC invests in: early-stage value-added agribusiness companies and agriculture research; information and communications technology companies; life sciences and industrial technology companies; and early-stage venture funds.
They see things traditional investors may overlook
"We consider AVAC a strategic ally who brings ideas, offers perspective and challenges us to rethink our assumptions."
~ Michael Stangel, President and CEO, Botaneco Inc.
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Agricultural Research in Southern-Alberta Event a success!
The September 2011 AVAC Investing in Innovators event was held in Lethbridge in partnership with the University of Lethbridge. Looking out to a sunny day from the Coulee Junction at the U of L, more than 50 friends, colleagues and invited guests celebrated the works of Drs. Olga Kovalchuk, Igor Kovalchuk and Roman Przybylski.Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator continues to nurture value added processing ventures…
In 2005, ground broke to the east of the Leduc Food Processing Development Centre to form what would eventually become the Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator (APBI) - opened in 2007.Recognition for AVAC Investees at the TechRev Innovators 2011 Event
Two AVAC portfolio companies, MoboVivo and Circle Cardiovascular Imaging were recognized as some of TechRev’s Top Innovators of 2011.