Janet Bannister Explained

Janet Bannister
Nationality:Canadian
Known For:Venture capitalist
Education:Ivey Business School
Alma Mater:University of Western Ontario
Occupation:Business executive

Janet Bannister is a Canadian business executive and venture capitalist.

Bannister is the founder and managing partner of Staircase Ventures.[1] Prior to launching Staircase Ventures in 2023, she was the managing partner at Real Ventures,[2] an early-stage venture capital firm.

Bannister is the co-chair of C100[3] and on the boards of the Ivey Business School and LEAP,[4] a social venture accelerator, as well as serving as a mentor at Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto.[5]

Bannister has been recognized by media outlets including being on the “Most Influential Women in Payments” listing by American Banker in 2019,[6] the “Women of Influence in Private Markets” list by Venture Capital Journal in 2021,[7] the “Female Founders & Investors to Know” listing by Pitchbook in 2021,[8] and the "Seed 30: The Best Women Early-Stage Investors in North America" list by Insider in 2023.[9] She is also the recipient of the 2024 Toronto Region Builder Award.[10]

Bannister started her career as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble and then as an engagement manager with McKinsey & Co. In 2001, she spent four years at eBay in Silicon Valley. In 2004, she launched Kijiji.ca which became one of Canada's most-visited websites.[11] [12] [13]

She also founded and was CEO at a venture-backed start-up prior to joining Real Ventures in 2014.[14] In 2017, she was announced as part of a team to guide fintech strategy for the province of Ontario[15] and the Canadian Economic Strategy Roundtable on Digital Industries.[16]

Staircase Ventures

Launched by Bannister in 2023, Staircase Ventures closed their first fund by collecting C$34 million[17] with investors including the Royal Bank of Canada.[18] The fund focuses on leading seed-stage financings of B2B software companies in Canada.[19]

In October 2023, it led the Calgary fintech startup Fillip to a C$5m seed round of fundraising.[20] By February 2024, the firm had also led seed rounds of funding for other Canadian startups including AI drug discovery platform Biossil and Rhenthi, a marketing automation platform, along with a C$6m round for AI-focused Sibli.[21]

Background

Bannister was a varsity long-distance runner and a national triathlon champion in Canada finishing 8th in the world at the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in 1996.[22] She holds a degree from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario.[23]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/video/canadian-vc-janet-bannister-on-finding-startups-that-operate-outside-big-tech-s-purview~2785099 "Canadian VC Janet Bannister on finding startups that operate outside Big Tech's purview"
  2. https://betakit.com/janet-bannister-launches-staircase-ventures-with-22-million-first-close/ "JANET BANNISTER LAUNCHES STAIRCASE VENTURES WITH $22 MILLION FIRST CLOSE"
  3. https://thelogic.co/news/with-new-co-chair-c100-looks-beyond-silicon-valley-origins/ "With new co-chair, C100 looks beyond Silicon Valley origins"
  4. https://leap-pecautcentre.ca/champions-advisors "Champions & Advisors"
  5. https://creativedestructionlab.com/mentors/janey-bannister/ "Mentors"
  6. https://www.americanbanker.com/payments/news/janet-bannister-real-ventures "Janet Bannister: Finding innovation where no one else is looking"
  7. https://www.venturecapitaljournal.com/women-of-influence-vc-making-strides-on-diversity-from-within/ "Women of Influence: VC making strides on diversity from within"
  8. https://pitchbook.com/blog/female-founders-and-investors-to-know "92 female founders and investors to know"
  9. https://www.businessinsider.com/30-best-women-early-stage-seed-vc-investors-startups-2023-5 "Seed 30: The best women early-stage investors of 2023"
  10. https://bot.com/News/TRBOT-to-Honour-Janet-Bannister-with-2024-Toronto-Region-Builder-Award "Janet Bannister to Receive 2024 Toronto Region Builder Award"
  11. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/18/technology/kijiji-a-flop-in-the-us-rules-online-classifieds-in-canada.html "Kijiji, a Flop in the U.S., Rules Online Classifieds in Canada"
  12. https://opmwire.com/janet-bannister-staircase-ventures/ "Janet Bannister is de-risking entrepreneurship"
  13. https://globalnews.ca/news/4514781/lethbridge-business-conference-janet-bannister-kijiji/ "Kijiji founder offers advice to large audience at Lethbridge business conference"
  14. https://financialpost.com/executive/a-triathlon-of-a-life-how-janet-bannister-manages-work-family-and-health "A triathlon of a life: How Janet Bannister manages work, family and health"
  15. https://news.ontario.ca/en/bulletin/46615/ontario-improving-the-delivery-of-financial-services-technology "Ontario Improving the Delivery of Financial Services Technology"
  16. https://betakit.com/shopifys-tobi-lutke-named-chair-of-canadian-govts-digital-industries-table/ "SHOPIFY’S TOBI LÜTKE NAMED CHAIR OF CANADIAN GOVERNMENT’S DIGITAL INDUSTRIES TABLE"
  17. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-janet-bannister-exceeds-target-for-first-solo-fund-as-other-venture/ "Janet Bannister exceeds target for first solo fund as other venture capitalists struggle to raise"
  18. https://www.venturecapitaljournal.com/staircase-ventures-collects-c22m-for-inaugural-fund/ "Newly formed Staircase Ventures collects C$22m for debut fund"
  19. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/unprecedented-support-founders-distinguishes-staircase-130000652.html "Unprecedented Support for Founders Distinguishes Staircase Ventures, New Fund by Janet Bannister"
  20. https://calgary.tech/2023/10/11/fillip-fleet-seed-round-staircase-ventures/ "Fillip Raises $5 Million Seed Round Led by Staircase Ventures"
  21. https://betakit.com/staircase-ventures-bets-on-sibli-as-vc-firm-reveals-first-four-investments/ "Sibli uses AI to give asset managers “information advantage” when researching opportunities"
  22. https://www.triathlon.org/athletes/profile/146195/janet_bannister "Janet Bannister"
  23. https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/news/news-ivey/2016/6/a-new-venture-janet-bannister-hba-92/ "A new venture: Janet Bannister, HBA '92"

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