Active Impact Investments Research
Investment Thesis & Philosophy
Active Impact Investments is Canada's largest climate tech seed fund, founded on the principle that exceptional founders can build profitable businesses while solving urgent environmental challenges. The firm provides capital and operational expertise to accelerate the growth of early-stage climate technology ventures capable of achieving massive scale.
The core thesis centers on enabling the transition from finite to infinite sources of energy, food, water, and products. Rather than viewing climate impact and financial returns as competing objectives, Active Impact believes that companies solving the most pressing environmental issues can deliver superior financial returns for investors while driving measurable impact on the planet.
The firm distinguishes itself through its activist approach: the team brings decades of sales, leadership, recruiting, and legal expertise directly to portfolio company founders. Active Impact is not a passive capital provider but an operating partner that rolls up its sleeves on sales, talent acquisition, and fundraising challenges.
Investment Focus & Sectors
Active Impact operates across four primary investment themes:
Clean Energy & Transportation
- Renewable energy generation systems for accessibility and scale
- Efficient electricity and transportation solutions
- Infrastructure for the clean energy transition
Infrastructure & Carbon Solutions
- Built environment innovations (materials and construction methods)
- Carbon monitoring, reduction, capture, and storage technologies
- Climate adaptation infrastructure
Sustainable Food & Water
- Food and water production systems
- Distribution and consumption optimization
- Ecological remediation and water resource management
- Agricultural technology and alternative proteins
Circular & Sharing Economy
- Resource utilization and circular systems
- Product reuse, refurbishment, and disposal solutions
- Sharing economy platforms and infrastructure
Check Size & Decision Timeline
Active Impact deploys capital at the seed stage with significant flexibility. Invests across pre-seed, seed, and series A stages with typical check range of $250K - $3M+, sweet spot $500K - $2M. Partnership-based consensus decision process with typical timeline of 2-4 weeks.
Team & Leadership
Mike (Founder and Managing Partner) - 20+ years in executive roles across software, professional recruitment, and venture capital. Former COO at Traction on Demand, President of Randstad Professionals managing $300M+ revenue. Board director for RailVision, Future, Agrology, Othersphere, and Lumo.
Tom (General Partner) - 27 years practicing tax law with Thorsteinssons LLP. Former Managing Partner. Recognized as Canadian leader in tax law for high net worth individuals and major corporations.
Sam (Partner) - Fulbright Scholar with diverse angel portfolio in aerospace, agriculture, healthcare, insurtech, and logistics. Focuses on Infrastructure and Carbon Solutions. Board director for SWTCH, Jaza, King Energy, Aquacycl.
Sophie (Partner) - Austrian-born with experience at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and Creative Destruction Lab West. BComm graduate of UBC with numerous scholarships.
Isabel (Analyst) - Hong Kong-raised, BComm in Finance specializing in Sustainability. Contributed to UBC Climate Clinic helping SMEs reduce emissions.
Qhalisa (Venture Scout) - Kenyan-born with 4+ years in venture ecosystem. Bachelor in Accounting and Financial Management from University of Waterloo. Chief of Staff at Erthos climate tech startup.
Imran (VP, Impact & Finance) - KPMG veteran in TMT group with 6 years advising clients. Expertise in climate response and impact reporting. Teaches Sustainable Finance at BCIT.
Elyse (VP, Operations) - Ecojustice veteran, 5 years at Renewal Funds supporting $147M raise. Named Clean50 Emerging Leader in 2020.
Cayley (Talent Network & HR Manager) - 20+ years HR executive, founded Thrivity HR. Certified CPHR. 2021 Leadership Award recipient.
Recent Activity
Fund III closed at $110M CAD in May 2025, with plans for 25+ new investments. Portfolio of 82+ companies across three funds. Recent investments in Jetson (Series A), Lumo, Maia Farms, Riptk, Rodatherm, Skyward, Zeno, C.Scale, and Cabn show strong deployment velocity across clean energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and sustainability themes.
Decision Process
Partnership-based consensus decision-making with typical timeline of 2-4 weeks. Active lead investor with willingness to co-lead and follow. Active board participation with 50%+ reserves for follow-ons in strongest performers.
Founder Preferences
Active Impact seeks founders combining technical depth with business acumen, proven execution track records, global ambition, systems thinking about technology stack innovation, and resilience to build capital-efficient businesses. Values humility, coachability, and founder-first mentality with commitment to both profit and measurable climate impact.