🚀 US Multifamily fund launch, productivity op-ed and Canada's 2025 stock market

🔔 Your campaign updates feed

🏠CPI Capital U.S Multifamily fund has launched! (BC only)

CPI Capital’s U.S. Multifamily Fund, available exclusively to British Columbia investors, provides streamlined access to U.S. multifamily value-add and BTR-SFR properties through a tax-efficient mutual fund trust (MFT) structure.

Invest in CPI Capital | $33K Raised | 22% of target

🛒KaleMart24 expands their partnerships and board

KaleMart24 has announced new franchise partners in Toronto and Montreal. The first-ever Toronto location is set to open for Q2 2026 and a new Montreal location is set to open in the next 12 months. KaleMart 24 welcomes former McDonald’s Canada VP Victor Rocca to its advisory board, bringing his knowledge in franchising, operations, real estate and large scale retail. 

Invest in KaleMart24 | $194K Raised | 78% of target

🔔 Alumni updates

🌸 Blossom Social gets mentioned in Vancouver Tech Journal for their record-breaking crowdfunding.

🚁 AirMarket has expanded Drone as First Responder (DFR) in downtown Edmonton by launching a new drone-in-a-box system to support real-world urban emergency response.

💳 Manzil’s CEO Dr. Mohamad Sawwaf appeared on Halal Finance Hub to discuss building a Shariah-compliant fintech and scaling impact without compromising Islamic values.

📝 From Our Desk

✍️FrontFundr’s Founder and CEO Peter-Paul Van Hoeken shares Op-ed on Canada’s productivity challenges

Canada’s productivity gap is not just a public policy issue. It is a private markets challenge hiding in plain sight. In a recent LinkedIn Pulse article, FrontFundr CEO Peter-Paul Van Hoeken highlights key factors holding Canadian innovation back:

• Limited access to growth capital for early-stage companies

• Conservative investment norms that favour safe bets over bold ideas

• Over reliance on traditional funding models that exclude many founders

The article challenges the idea that productivity can be fixed solely through government action or large institutions. Instead, it emphasizes:

• Who gets funded matters

• How risk is shared shapes growth

• Who participates in ownership drives innovation

Canada’s next wave of competitive and scalable companies depends on private capital markets evolving to support founders and innovation.

👉 Read the full op-ed: Canada’s Productivity Problem Starts in Private Markets

🤔 What’s on our minds

📈 Canada’s stock market hits historic highs in 2025

Canada’s stock market is in the middle of one of its most remarkable rallies in recent history. In 2025, the Morningstar Canada Index and the S&P/TSX Composite Index surged to historic highs, outperforming major global markets and defying expectations that Canada’s resource- and bank-heavy market would lag its peers. 

🧐 What’s Driving the High

The Morningstar Canada Index climbed more than 29% through December 19, 2025, outpacing the Morningstar U.S. Market Index, which rose roughly 15% over the same period. At the same time, the S&P/TSX Composite Index finished the year up about 32%, well ahead of the S&P 500’s ~14% gain. This strong performance reflects both rising valuations and broad participation across multiple sectors, including materials, financials, and energy. 

Much of the strength has been tied to Canada’s resource exposure. Precious metals like gold, silver, and copper saw strong demand in 2025, which propelled mining stocks and materials. Banks and financial-sector names also delivered robust results, benefitting from stable earnings and dividends that attracted income-seeking investors.

💡 Why Investors Should Pay Attention

• Outperformance vs. Global Peers: Canada ended 2025 with one of the strongest equity market performances among major global indices, challenging the perception that Canada is a slow-growth market. 

• Breadth Beyond Big Banks: Gains came not only from traditional strengths like banks and resources but also from broad market participation, reducing reliance on any single sector for returns.

• Macro Tailwinds: Expectations of rate cuts from central banks, coupled with investor rotation away from U.S. technology stocks and into value and dividend-oriented markets, helped bolster Canadian equities.

📌 What Happens Next

Looking ahead to 2026, several key themes will shape Canada’s equity landscape:

• Interest Rate Outlook: Continued expectations for interest rate easing could sustain investor appetite for equities, especially those with stable dividend yields.

• Commodity Prices: The trajectory of commodity prices will remain a bellwether for markets, given the significant weighting of materials and energy stocks. 

• Global Rotation: If investors continue to rotate away from U.S. mega-cap technology stocks toward diversified, value-oriented markets, Canada may maintain broad appeal in global portfolios. 

This historic run highlights a broader shift in global investor sentiment, where traditionally underappreciated markets can outperform when sector strengths and macro conditions align. Canada’s 2025 equity performance stands as a reminder that diversified market structures and real economic drivers like commodities and financials can deliver compelling returns.

🎙️ Hear from our latest founder feature

Kalemart 24: Making Healthy Convenience Convenient with Oussama (Sam) Saoudi

This podcast was recorded back in 2023

Q: What inspired the creation of Kalemart 24?
 A: The idea came from a simple realization: healthy food options are hard to find on the go. Convenience stores are everywhere, but most are stocked with junk food. I wanted to create a store where busy, health-conscious consumers, especially Millennials and Gen-z, could grab nutritious snacks and beverages easily.

Q: What makes Kalemart 24 stand out in a crowded convenience market?
 A: Kalemart 24 combines the accessibility of a convenience store with the quality and experience of a small natural market. We source the best organic and natural foods, support local suppliers, and design stores to feel welcoming and modern. It’s convenience without compromise, and we’re creating a model that can scale across neighborhoods in Canada and the U.S.

Q: Looking ahead, what excites you most about Kalemart 24’s journey?
 A: The opportunity to redefine what a convenience store can be. No one else is offering healthier, better-for-you options at this scale. From our first stores in Montreal to franchises across North America, it’s about making nutritious, convenient food available to everyone, everywhere.

🎧 Want to listen to the full episode?

Spotify / Apple