🚀 Major Moves: Fieldless Extends, Dispatch & Proxies are Closing, Holt is Hosting, HOVR & PCE Share Updates! 📈

🔔 Your campaign updates feed

🍷 Meet the team behind Proxies' bold vision! From a NYT-published food writer to a winemaker and serial entrepreneur with multiple $80M+ exits, Proxies is powered by experts in branding, beverage innovation, and scaling consumer products. Learn how this team is driving long-term value in a $4.5B+ category ahead of their campaign closing next week. Read more.

Invest in Proxies | $1.63M Raised | 93% of target

🌱 Fieldless is extending their campaign! With over 480 people pledging to invest—and 50% already completing their investment—Fieldless has decided to extend the campaign until July 3rd to give everyone time to finalize. They're making strong progress toward production goals and building a future for Canadian food independence. Read more.

Invest in Fiedless | $2.36M Raised | 91% of target

🪙 Big moves are underway at The Holt Xchange! With growing investor interest, they’re hosting a special Zoom Takeover on Thursday, May 15 at 12:00 PM EST to share updates on top-performing fintech companies—some eyeing potential exits within the next 1–2 years. Hear directly from Founding Managing Partner Jan Christopher Arp as they make strong progress toward delivering returns and advancing Canada’s fintech future. Learn more.

Invest in The Holt Xchange | $7.53M Raised | 75% of target

☕ Dispatch Coffee closes next week! Dispatch is a modern Canadian coffee brand delivering better quality and transparency to consumers and economic empowerment to growers, and there’s only one week left to invest.

Invest in Dispatch Coffee | $90K Raised | 36% of target

🔔 Alumni updates

Prairie Clean Energy is building the world’s first facility to turn flax straw into industrial-grade fibre and premium pellets in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Construction begins this month, with full production expected by September, creating 30 full-time jobs and sourcing 30,000 tonnes of flax straw from local farmers in 2025.

Harrison Amit, Founder & CEO of HOVR, will be the featured speaker at TiE Toronto’s Open Mic Night on May 14, where he’ll share how HOVR is disrupting the rideshare industry with a bold commitment to fairness, transparency, and innovation. Don’t miss his insights on building a mission-driven startup in a competitive market.

🤔 What’s on our minds

📈 Private Markets Are Growing—But Will Retail Investors Be Left Behind?

Institutional investors are doubling down on private markets. A new Mercer report reveals that risk concerns, volatility in public equities, and rising return expectations are driving large pension funds and asset managers to significantly increase allocations to alternatives like private equity, infrastructure, and private credit.

According to Mercer’s Where Next for Private Markets and Hedge Funds in 2025?, many investors are shifting from traditional "core" assets to a “build-to-core” approach, investing earlier in the value chain to access greater upside. Private equity is gaining traction for exposure to AI and disruptive tech—spaces where innovation is outpacing public market availability. Meanwhile, private credit is being viewed as a steady income source with relatively lower correlation to public equities.

This shift raises a powerful question: if the future of investing is increasingly private, how can everyday investors participate?

At FrontFundr, we believe private markets shouldn't be gated behind multi-million-dollar minimums or exclusive fund access. While institutions benefit from scale, retail investors bring something equally valuable: the power of the crowd. Equity crowdfunding platforms like ours enable individuals to invest in vetted startups and growth-stage companies across Canada, making capital formation more inclusive—and participation in the innovation economy more equitable.

As Mercer highlights, investor interest is moving toward value creation, not just value preservation. That’s exactly the type of opportunity we aim to provide retail investors: early access to bold ideas and the companies shaping tomorrow’s economy.

💡 Why it matters:

• Private markets are no longer just a portfolio diversifier—they’re becoming core.

• Institutions are increasing exposure to earlier-stage assets for higher potential returns.

• If retail investors are excluded, the wealth gap between public and private access will only widen.

Democratizing private markets isn’t just a trend—it’s a necessity. And we’re here to lead that movement in Canada.

✍️ From our desk

FrontFundr’s 2024: Record-Breaking Growth and Community-Driven Capital

2024 has been a transformative year for FrontFundr and Canada’s private capital markets. With $68 million raised through 4,226 transactions, we’ve seen the power of community-driven investing reshape the way businesses access capital. This year, 85% of investment volume came from accredited investors, with a notable surge in equity crowdfunding campaigns like Blossom Social and Edison Motors, which raised millions and attracted hundreds of investors.

Investor Engagement Reaches New Heights
Investor engagement soared in 2024, with a 33% increase in completed investments and a 10% rise in campaign sizes. Investors are showing more confidence, making larger investments in startups across diverse sectors—from tech to real estate. The growing number of investors per campaign shows a shift toward deeper, more meaningful connections.

Top Campaigns of 2024
Our standout campaigns, including Edison Motors raising $2.42 million from 1,231 investors and Blossom Social raising $1.35 million, highlight the growing interest in innovative, community-backed companies. These campaigns not only broke records but also reinforced the trend of investors becoming ambassadors for the businesses they support.

Regional Growth & Sector Momentum
Across Canada, Ontario led with $35.6 million raised, while B.C. and Alberta also saw strong activity. The Prairies were also booming, with Saskatchewan’s new Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive fueling regional growth. Sectors like finance, tech, and food & beverage saw impressive performances, with companies like Edison Motors attracting significant social media-driven investments.

Q4: A Historic Close
The final quarter of 2024 was the strongest yet, with $24.1 million raised, marking FrontFundr’s highest quarterly total. Edison Motors became the first Canadian company to raise $1.5 million in a week through crowdfunding, demonstrating the evolving speed and efficiency of private market investing.

👉 Read our 2024 Community Capital Report

Coming Next Week: We’ll dive into our 2024 Portfolio Report—highlighting all the campaigns that have been successfully funded through FrontFundr since our first investment transaction in 2015.

Together, we’re building a future where communities, not just companies, thrive.

🎙️ Hear from our latest founder feature

Fueling a Coffee Movement: How Dispatch is Redefining Responsible Brewing with Chrissy Durcak

☕ On growth milestones: When I started Dispatch, it was just me, a coffee truck, and a dream. We did $50K in revenue that first year—now we’ve surpassed $3 million, with 40 employees and 3,000 active subscribers across Ontario and Quebec. We’ve shipped 50,000+ e-commerce orders and served over 250,000 café customers. Our Toronto store alone has grown 200% since 2022, proving the brand resonates far beyond our Montreal roots.

📈 On where things are headed: We’re aiming to grow our subscriber base to 5,000 in the next two years, focusing on Ontario and Quebec. Alongside digital tactics, we’re scaling grassroots strategies—like our barista-powered flyer drops and refer-a-friend program. New stores will also play a big role: they deepen brand discovery, improve retention, and drive down customer acquisition costs. Wholesale’s growing too, helping fuel awareness while keeping DTC at the core.

💬 On inspiring advice: After a tough pitch, an advisor once told me: “You’re the only one who believes in your vision as much as you do, and the only one who can deliver on it. Your best is good enough.” That’s stuck with me. Especially as a woman founder, it’s a grounding reminder not to overcompensate or internalize every bias—and to trust in your own leadership.

🎧 Want to hear the full story? Listen on Spotify or watch on YouTube.

📌 FrontFundr bulletin

🚀 Join FrontFundr for a Zoom Takeover with The Holt Xchange!

Don’t miss an exclusive session on May 15th at 12:00pm EST to hear from Jan Christopher Arp, Founding Managing Partner of The Holt Xchange. Get updates on their top fintech portfolio companies, including Naoris Protocol, a groundbreaking post-quantum blockchain, and other high-growth investments.
🗓️ Date: May 15th, 2025
⏰ Time: 12:00 PM EST
🔗 Register now!

Elite Circle Perks Are On the Way! 🎉

Most of your exclusive FrontFundr swag—vests, hats, mugs, notebooks, and pens—has already been delivered, and the rest should arrive by the end of this week. If you haven’t received yours by then, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Thank you for being a valued member of our Elite Circle!

🚨 Exciting News!

Our 2024 FrontFundr Community Capital Report was featured in Global Fintech Insider and Canadian Fintech this week! 🎉 Both newsletters spotlighted the record growth of Canada’s equity crowdfunding market, highlighting key campaigns like Blossom Social and Edison Motors. Check out the full report above to learn how $68 million was raised across 4,226 transactions in 2024!