Valhalla Private Capital’s ‘Secret Tool’

Emmet McGonagle

Jun 17, 2022

Randy Stewart Thompson – chairman of Valhalla Private Capital, managing director of Old Kent Road Financial and co-owner of Peterborough United Football Club – has revealed the “secret tool” behind Valhalla’s success to date.


Reminiscing about the “early days” of Valhalla, Randy recalled: “Jan [Lederman, director of Valhalla Private Capital]  would call me up and say, ‘Hey, we're doing a weekend camp in rural Manitoba’.


“I would get on a plane or I would drive to meet 20 startups, and I just loved it. There was no place I wouldn't drive or I wouldn't fly, no time that was too late at night.”


Randy maintains that his passion for pitches, stories and the startup ecosystem - paired with a knack for “pattern recognition” amid pitching startups - are Valhalla’s secret to success.


“You can teach yourself what is a good deal, but you can't teach yourself to want to get up in the morning and drive to rural Manitoba. You can't train that part,” he concluded.


Today, Valhalla Private Capital is one of Canada's most active early-stage investment firms, facilitating over $75m from its network of 120 investors into an estimated 270 early-stage entrepreneurs. 


With almost two decades of investing experience, Valhalla Private Capital has garnered the expertise of its founders to train entrepreneurs, investors, and regional ecosystems across Western Canada and further afield.


Randy also recently recounted the creative process behind Valhalla Private Capital’s Viking-inspired name.


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

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