Real Ventures

Q: When was Real Ventures last fund created?

Real Ventures last fund was created/launched in 2018-07-10.

General contacts

Investor type

Founded

2007

AUM

$330 M

Location

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Investment Ticket

$1-5 m

Investment Stage

Seed Pre-seed Series A

Region of investment

North America

Investor profile last updated: 16 August, 2026

Profile

Real Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Canada, established in 2007 by John Stokes. Known for their deep industry expertise and founder-first approach, the firm focuses on early-stage investments in the tech sector. The team, including Partners Sam Haffar and Katy Yam, is composed of experienced professionals who have themselves navigated the challenges of entrepreneurship, aiming to provide guidance and support to emerging startups in Canada's vibrant tech ecosystem. They boast a history of engagements with hundreds of startups, providing them with not only funding but also strategic support to scale their businesses effectively.

The firm primarily invests in various technology sectors including AI, Blockchain, Software, and Internet and Web Services, with a special interest in sectors that aim to transform industries such as education, finance, and energy. Real Ventures targets early-stage venture investments and typically deploys investment sizes within the $1-5 million range, reflecting their commitment to nurturing startups at the outset of their growth journeys. While specific fund details are not listed, their outreach and partnerships, such as FounderFuel, illustrate a broad engagement with the tech startup ecosystem.

Notable investments include Xanadu - technology for photonic quantum computing, BenchSci - drug discovery technologies, Transit - public transport app, Zeffy - fundraising platforms, and dcbel - solar-powered EV and home energy stations. These highlight the firm's focus on breakthrough technologies with the potential to significantly advance their respective industries.

Industry

Data infra Developer Tools Mobility HealthTech Cybersecurity CleanTech Energy MedTech AI Blockchain/Crypto Transportation Software SaaS Education Edtech Financial Services Fintech Internet and Web Services E-commerce/Marketplace Fashion/Beauty Healthcare Services

Real Ventures Funds

Name	Type	Industry	Stage	Region	Size	AUM	Launch date
Real Ventures Fund II	Venture Capital (VC)	Edtech E-commerce/Marketplace Financial Services Fintech SaaS Software HealthTech	Pre-seed Seed	North America	$5-10 m	$50 M	November 2010
Real Ventures Fund IV	Venture Capital (VC)	E-commerce/Marketplace Fashion/Beauty Financial Services Fintech Healthcare Services SaaS Software	Pre-seed Seed	North America	$5-10 m	$180 M	July 2018

Contacts

Name

Title

Social Networks

John Stokes Managing Partner

Managing Partner

j•••@•••

Katy Yam Partner

Partner

k•••@•••

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Investment-team contacts for Real Ventures — including verified work emails and LinkedIn profiles — are available to Private Equity List subscribers.
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Contacts sourced from the firm's website and LinkedIn, re-verified on a rolling cycle. Spot a stale contact, or none at all? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.

FAQs about Real Ventures

Is Real Ventures a venture capital or private equity firm?

Real Ventures is a venture capital firm. It backs companies at Seed, Pre-seed and Series A, writing tickets of $1-5 m.

Where is Real Ventures located?

Real Ventures is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

When was Real Ventures founded?

Real Ventures was founded in 2007.

What sectors and industries does Real Ventures invest in?

Real Ventures invests in companies and startups in Data infra, Developer Tools, Mobility, HealthTech, Cybersecurity, CleanTech, Energy, MedTech, AI, Blockchain/Crypto, Transportation, Software, SaaS, Education, Edtech, Financial Services, Fintech, Internet and Web Services, E-commerce/Marketplace, Fashion/Beauty, Healthcare Services.

What is Real Ventures geographical focus of investments?

Real Ventures invests in companies and startups in North America.

At what stages of companies and startups does Real Ventures typically invest in?

Real Ventures invests in companies and startups at Seed, Pre-seed, Series A.

What is the usual amount of Real Ventures investment?

Real Ventures usually invests $1-5 m on average.

What is the amount of assets of under management (AUM) for Real Ventures?

Real Ventures has around $330m assets under management.

When was Real Ventures last fund created?

Real Ventures last fund was created/launched in 2018-07-10

What are the contacts of Real Ventures?

Real Ventures can be reached through its website realventures.com, its LinkedIn page and its X account. Its general enquiries address is [email protected]. Cold-mailing a general inbox rarely reaches a partner, so Private Equity List also lists the investment-team contacts for Real Ventures — names, roles, verified work emails and LinkedIn profiles — available on a Pro plan from $129/month (see pricing). Contacts are sourced from the firm's website and LinkedIn and re-verified on a rolling cycle. Spot a stale contact, or none at all? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.

Can I access Real Ventures data via API or MCP?

Yes. Every field on this page — profile, funds, investment criteria, portfolio and investment-team contacts — is available programmatically through the Private Equity List REST API and MCP server, so AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT can query Real Ventures directly instead of scraping this page. One subscription covers both the web app and machine access — see API & MCP.

When was the Real Ventures profile last updated?

Private Equity List re-verifies investor profiles on a rolling cycle, pulling from the firm's own website and LinkedIn rather than a one-off import. This profile was last updated on 16 August, 2026. Something out of date here? Report it — we re-run that firm within 48h and get back to you.