Creating an Inclusive Investment Ecosystem
Future Capital CEO & Founder Marlon Thompson is Spring’s new CXO
Future Capital is Now Spring
Media Coverage
Learn more about our acquisition and what’s ahead for our unified companies:
- Business in Vancouver – Vancouver-based Spring Activator buys Future Capital to focus on marginalized communities
- Business Outreach – Investing in Inclusion: Spring’s Acquisition of Future Capital Reshapes Canada’s Financial Landscape
- The Globe and Mail – Vancouver-based Spring Activator buys Future Capital to focus on marginalized communities
- Sustainable Biz Canada – Spring Activator acquires Future Capital to expand impact investing
- Techcouver – Spring Acquires Future Capital to Create an Inclusive Investment Ecosystem Across Canada
- Vancouver Tech Journal – Spring Acquires Future Capital
Press Release
Spring Acquires Future Capital to Create an Inclusive Investment Ecosystem Across Canada
The Combined Programming and Expertise will Deliver Even Greater Support for Diverse Investors and Underrepresented Founders
Vancouver, British Columbia. Wednesday, September 13th, 2023: Today, Spring Activator (Spring), a leader in Canada’s early stage impact investing ecosystem, announces the acquisition of Future Capital, the learning and investing platform built for underrepresented early-stage investors. Spring is a global community and accelerator for both founders and investors and works with notable partners across Canada, including Telus Pollinator Fund, the Digital Technology Supercluster, NRC IRAP, BDC, and globally, such as USAID, GIZ, Swisscontact and EFSE.
Founded in 2014, Spring Activator works at the intersection of impact entrepreneurship and investing, connecting and catalysing founders and investors through programs, events and community building. Combined, Spring and Future Capital’s programming, communities, and expertise will provide a more inclusive suite of offerings to scale an equitable model for early stage impact investing. Marlon Thompson, Founder & CEO of Future Capital, will join Spring as Chief Experience Officer (CXO) and will report to Co-CEOs Keith Ippel and Caroline von Hirschberg.
“This acquisition marks an incredible step forward for bringing wealth creation opportunities to underrepresented communities. We are now able to connect more diverse, impact-driven founders and funders and we see an increasing need in the market to do so,” commented Keith Ippel, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Spring Activator. “We know we can move faster together to transform the ways the whole ecosystem thinks about investing, starting companies, and innovation as a whole.”
The acquisition comes at a time when minority populations will be the majority in North America by 2044, and over $68 trillion dollars of intergenerational wealth is expected to be in the hands of diverse groups and women in the next 30 years. These trends demonstrate a clear need for more training and capacity building for investors and new investment into solutions that empower underrepresented groups.
“Future Capital has an impressive reputation for delivering high impact investor training, and Marlon has built a phenomenal business that has truly made a difference,” commented Caroline von Hirschberg, Co-CEO, Spring Activator. “Far too many industries are dominated by competitive and insular mindsets. We’re excited to demonstrate the power of collaboration and an abundance mindset through this partnership.”
Just last year, investment dollars to Black founders dropped more than 50% and woman-founded startups raised just 1.9% of all VC funds.
“The future of capital looks different than it did yesterday,” commented Marlon Thompson, CXO, Spring Activator. “The Spring team’s appreciation of the important role that accessibility plays in the innovation ecosystem makes for a natural alignment between organisations. The mission to enable purpose-driven founders and investors to create an equitable, and resilient world is not a small commitment, but I believe this partnership is positioned to do just that.”