Randy Thompson on The Next Wave of Startups

Emmet McGonagle

Jan 04, 2023

Randy Stewart Thompson – chairman  of Valhalla Private Capital, managing director of Old Kent Road Financial and co-owner of Peterborough United Football Club – has opened up about his ambitions for startup ecosystems across North America and further afield moving forward.


Describing Valhalla Private Capital as a “
big banquet tent” which supports entrepreneurs and investors alike, Randy credited a holistic approach to the startup ecosystem for the company’s success to date.


“We want this to be the safe place where you come and learn what the other side's thinking, and you get a chance to talk to the other side socially without it always being professional,” he said 


As a result, Randy’s focus is primarily on “people who are passionate about the ecosystem” in the hopes of creating better opportunities for entrepreneurs.


Valhalla Private Capital has won a multitude of awards as a result of its programs - including Startup Canada’s ‘Entrepreneur Support Award’ for the Prairies in 2019 - and is home to the National Angel Capital Organization's ‘Angel Investor of the Year’ for both 2018 and 2019, Randy Stewart Thompson. Canadian governments, universities, and ecosystem partners have also utilized our network and expertise to unlock capital in their respective regions. 


To date, more than 1,100 entrepreneurs have participated in Valhalla’s programs, helping them raise upwards of $500m in capital; while international initiatives across more than 25 developing countries mobilized $3m in investments across Valhalla’s networks and unlocked an additional $9m of local capital for entrepreneurs.


Randy continued: “For me, the best outcome is 10 years from now, an entrepreneur comes up to me in the street and says, ‘Valhalla helped me get my funding’.


‘Those are the moments I live for - it’s literally about helping people with great ideas to accomplish their dreams.”


Do you have a question about angel investing? Get in touch with Valhalla Private Capital via our
contact page.

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