RiSC Capital Research
Investment Thesis
RiSC Capital describes itself as Canada's deep tech venture fund, run by engineers funding engineers. Co-founders Colin Webster and Scott Pelton started the firm in 2020 on a simple observation: good deep tech companies were coming out of Canadian universities and research labs, but could not find seed-stage investors who understood the technology well enough to back them. Most Canadian VCs came from finance backgrounds and waited for Series A, when customers are already buying. Deep tech companies either stalled at seed or went to US investors. RiSC was built to fill that gap, and the team says the ecosystem has moved their way since, with BDC committing $200 million to the sector and Wittington launching a $100 million early-stage deep tech fund.
The firm's public writing shows a contrarian streak. Pelton argues for backing technologies the consensus has written off when the failure traces to one identifiable bottleneck (gene therapy before CRISPR, blue LEDs). He also argues the real leverage often sits in unglamorous components one layer below the application, and that Canada should take technological sovereignty seriously, including dual-use and defence technology. The team notes that at seed, Canada's slow defence procurement is largely beside the point, because a company backed today has two to three years of development before it is ready for large contracts.
Stage Focus
Pre-seed and seed. The portfolio page tags investments as Pre-Seed (Astrus, Nexera Robotics, Aeroflux Brakes) or Seed (all others). The firm says it leads, or is the first institutional money in, at the earliest stages.
Check Size
The FAQ states funding of $250,000 to $400,000, depending on stage and project needs. No fund size or AUM is published.
Lead Tendency
Founder testimonials say RiSC led the EECOMOBILITY seed and was willing to bet on ViewsML at the earliest stage. Skygauge's CEO says RiSC participated in its seed and helped bring in additional capital through its network. The firm's September 2026 HIN Venture Summit billing says it looks for what it takes to be a lead investor. Read this as leads or co-leads, depending on the deal.
Recent Activity
The portfolio page lists 2025 seed investments in Bonsai Micro (Vancouver, power amplifiers for next-generation communications), Versos AI (Saint John, NB, video licensing for AI model builders) and A&K Robotics (Vancouver, autonomous micromobility pods). Tracxn reports 13 companies and 3 new investments in the 12 months to September 2026. Scott Pelton was scheduled to give a reverse pitch at the HIN Venture Summit in Toronto on September 28, 2026. The firm appears to be actively deploying.
Portfolio Highlights
- Astrus (Toronto, pre-seed, 2023): AI for analog microchip layout.
- Skygauge Robotics (Toronto, seed, 2020): tilting-rotor drones for ultrasonic inspection and maintenance work on industrial structures.
- Peregrine Hydrogen (Seattle, seed, 2023): low-cost clean hydrogen co-produced with commodity chemicals.
- ViewsML (Vancouver, seed, 2024): AI that virtualizes immunohistochemistry lab work.
- EECOMOBILITY (Hamilton, seed, 2024): real-time EV battery testing and diagnostics.
- Nexera Robotics (Vancouver, pre-seed, 2021): robotic grasper for logistics.
- MesoMat (Hamilton, seed, 2022): stretchable conductive fibre strain sensors.
- Aeroflux Brakes (Toronto, pre-seed, 2021): magnetic frictionless brakes for planes and trains.
- Semantic Health (Toronto, seed, 2020): NLP medical coding; exited in October 2023 to a billable-codes provider.
- Bonsai Micro, Versos AI and A&K Robotics (all 2025 seeds).
The homepage cites 70+ investments, which includes angel-level or earlier deals beyond the twelve companies on the portfolio page.
Team
- Colin Webster, Co-Founder: serial entrepreneur and angel investor for over 25 years, three startups, two patents, electrical engineering at Princeton and AI at Stanford.
- Scott Pelton, Co-Founder: Canadian VC for 25+ years, previously at Scotiabank, GrowthWorks and MaRS IAF / Graphite Ventures.
- Jenny Yang, Partner: 20+ years as VC and angel, two-time founder CEO with acquisitions, Senior Advisor at MaRS, UBC electrical engineering and INSEAD MBA.
- Advisors: Scott Lake (Shopify co-founder), Roger Singh (Scalar, Rubikloud), Chris Burns (NOVONIX), Paul Martin (Spitfire Research), Landon Steele (life sciences), Sam Macdonald (Deep Trekker), Kristina McDougall (Artemis Canada).
Decision Process
Small partnership with two co-founders and one partner. Applications come through the website form, followed by an interview, due diligence and an investment agreement. The FAQ promises a response within two weeks.
Founder Preferences
Technical founders with a strong engineering or science background, a scalable business model and a clear path to market. The team writes that a business-minded co-founder is often what turns a good technology into a company, and that it values asking customers to pay early over casual interest.
Geographic Focus
Canada only for eligibility, per the FAQ. The portfolio is concentrated in Toronto, Vancouver and Hamilton, with one Seattle company (Peregrine Hydrogen) and one in Saint John, NB.