Andre Charoo from Maple VC

Andre Charoo is the Founder and General Partner of Maple VC.

Maple backs founders with Canadian roots...because they build category-defining companies. Andre was the 25th employee at Uber. He is a Venture Partner at Inovia and Co-Chair of The C100.

Takeaways

How Andre raised his first $1M fund and executed his unique Canadian-focused thesis.

What it is like fundraising as an emerging solo GP.

Trends with Canadian founders building in the US.

Canadian founders bring a unique perspective and ambition to the table, often outperforming their peers in the US.

Canadian schools provide a solid foundation for entrepreneurs, but Canadians often have to compete on work product rather than resume alone, which is what gives them an edge.

Canada should focus on reaping the returns from successful startups (North and South of the border) and reinvesting in the ecosystem.

Celebrating Canadian success stories can inspire and motivate young students and entrepreneurs.

Chapters

00:00 Pre-Maple Career

03:41 Founding Maple

08:31 Starting a Venture Capital Firm

22:51 Trends in Canadians Building in the US

27:43 Reaping Returns for Canada

28:08 Celebrating Canadian Success Stories

28:20 Shining a Light on Canadian Startups

32:08 Lessons Learned in Fundraising

37:00 Managing Relationships with Later Stage Founders

41:26 Building the Maple Franchise

45:38 The Future of Maple and Partnerships

48:56 Dealing with Hard Times

49:03 Message to Founders