Fri, 20 Apr 2018

Our first Fundica Roadshow event of the year is less than two weeks away, and we couldn't be more excited to hear the pitches, workshops, and keynote talks that this year's participants will bring. Heightening our anticipation are our recently announced event highlights, including Yona Shtern’s keystone speech How Not to Raise Capital, which will be the former CEO’s first public address about the rise and fall of his e-retail giant Beyond the Rack, and our morning panel, How to Build a Big Round in AI, whose speakers have raised over $44 million in funding between their companies.

And yet, as we look forward, we also look back to our past participants, who continue to impress us with their innovation and accomplishments.

Most recently, we interviewed a Roadshow participant from four years back, Karl Gartly, founder of Zayfti Inc. Zayfti is an HSE compliance software company for the energy, mining, construction, and safety sectors. His company was acquired by Spira Data in 2017, but Karl raised $1M in funding prior to that acquisition, and the company was already in-revenue. 

Here’s what Karl had to say about Zayfti's formative years and the importance of the Fundica Roadshow. 

Tell us more about the early days of your venture. How did you come up with the idea for your company?

I saw a problem in my own business that was solved through an internal iPad application. I then saw a problem ALL mobile construction, oil and gas, and logistics businesses had that demanded a solution. I also saw that other companies were coming at the solution in ways that could be improved upon.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while attempting to raise funds?

On one hand, investors in tech didn't understand the construction/oil and gas space. On the other hand, investors in construction/oil and gas space didn't understand the tech we were using. Most investors avoid investing in areas they don't understand, so it was challenging to sell the opportunity to investors on both sides of the table.

How did the Fundica Roadshow help you grow your business?

Any chance to get in front of investors / smart people provides opportunities to further your goal of creating a great company. The introductions we obtained created a ton of value for us.

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Join us at the 2018 Fundica Roadshow to meet and compete against successful startups like Zayfti.

Click here to apply.

Not ready to pitch, but still want to check out the scene? Don’t worry; you can still attend the Fundica Roadshow by buying tickets for our Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver stops.

Montreal, May 1^st, 2018: Tickets here

Vancouver, May 31^st, 2018: Tickets here

Toronto, June 28^th, 2018: Tickets here

Finale, Montreal, July 12^th, 2018: Tickets here

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About Fundica

Fundica, Canada's most successful traditional funding identification and connection platform, matches entrepreneurs, private investors, public funders, and advisors. Through our award-winning crowdsourcing/crawler technology, Fundica provides an up-to-date, comprehensive, and intuitive platform. Additionally, Fundica manages the Fundica Roadshow, an annual cross-Canada initiative. 

For more information, visit www.fundica.com or contact Loic Souetre, general manager at Fundica: 

loic@fundica.com / 1-855-386-3422