CVCA Awards

The Barry gekiere lifetime legacy award

In 2020, CVCA announced a new award to recognize individuals for outstanding contributions made throughout their career which have served to advance excellence in the Canadian private capital industry.

On Friday, May 22, 2020, Barry Gekiere, Managing Director of MaRS IAF, passed away from complications related to his cancer treatment. Barry is a legend in the venture capital space in Canada, and his achievements are profound. But what was exceptional is Barry, the human being. He was wise and provided thoughtful insights and no-nonsense advice. Barry had decades of experience in venture capital, private equity, and operations. He was able to take all his learning and experiences and help those around him learn, be better, and to make an impact. To know Barry was to love Barry.

Now, we will keep Barry’s memory alive and remember his impact as we name the new Barry Gekiere Lifetime Legacy Award in his memory.

The Barry Gekiere Memorial Fund is a charitable fund that will support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada, the largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding research, finding cures, and ensuring access to treatments for blood cancer patients (90% of proceeds) and The Upside Foundation’s work encouraging giving from the Canadian tech community (10% of proceeds). If you are someone who was touched by Barry Gekiere, we invite you to join this initiative, band together with other leaders, and honour Barry’s legacy. Donate to The Upside Foundation Barry Gekiere Memorial Fund.

Judgement Criteria

The award recipient must:

• Have been in the industry long-term: min 10 years, preference for 20+ years experience in private capital
• Have positively impacted the industry through selfless, collaborative, and authentic leadership
• Have acted as a catalyst to drive innovation and value creation in the industry
• Have a demonstrated history of mentorship to team members and entrepreneurs
• Be currently or has been an active participant within industry associations

*At the committee’s discretion, no more than one recipient will be awarded annually and, in the event there are no candidates that satisfy the criteria, the award may not be presented every year
*Nomination details are treated as confidential and will not be publicly disclosed without the consent of the selected award recipient.

The PRIVATE EQUITY DEAL OF THE YEAR AWARD

Know of a private equity deal that made huge waves? Get your nomination in. This award recognizes the PE firm that put pen to paper and realized superior investment returns, effectively driving our investment ecosystem forward by setting new benchmarks for success.

Judgement Criteria

Open to CVCA member private equity investment firms in good standing.

• Cash realization value, with consideration to also include total realization value (including any deferred, escrowed, or non-cash consideration), and;
• Realized proceeds outweigh non-realized proceeds. If there is a significant amount of proceeds unrealized, the committee recommends submitting for the year in which they have been realized
• Multiple of invested capital returned, with consideration to also include IRR achieved
• Nominations should include documentation to support IRR calculations 

*Nomination details are treated as confidential and will not be publicly disclosed without the consent of the selected award recipient. All nominations will be automatically considered for regional impact awards. 

the VENTURE CAPITAL DEAL OF THE YEAR AWARD

We want to hear about the venture capital deal that ventured further than the rest. This prestigious award recognizes the VC firm that pushed the needle on actual realizations in the previous calendar year, essentially establishing a new paradigm in deal-making for the industry as a whole.

Judgement Criteria

Open to CVCA member venture capital investment firms in good standing.

• Cash realization value, with consideration to also include total realization value (including any deferred, escrowed, or non-cash consideration), and;
• Realized proceeds outweigh non-realized proceeds. If there is a significant amount of proceeds unrealized, the committee recommends submitting for the year in which they have been realized
• Multiple of invested capital returned, with consideration to also include IRR achieved
• Nominations should include documentation to support IRR calculations 

*Nomination details are treated as confidential and will not be publicly disclosed without the consent of the selected award recipient. All nominations will be automatically considered for regional impact awards.

the Canadian Private Equity Global Dealmaker AWARD

This award recognizes the Canadian PE firm that realized superior investment returns in the previous calendar year on a global PE investment, driving the ecosystem forward by establishing new definitions of success.

Judgement Criteria

Open to CVCA member venture capital investment firms in good standing.

• GP must have the majority of its employees based in Canada
• Cash realization value, with consideration to also include total realization value (including any deferred, escrowed, or non-cash consideration), and;
• Realized proceeds outweigh non-realized proceeds. If there is a significant amount of proceeds unrealized, the committee recommends submitting for the year in which they have been realized
• Multiple of invested capital returned, with consideration to also include IRR achieved
• Nominations should include documentation to support IRR calculations 

*Nomination details are treated as confidential and will not be publicly disclosed without the consent of the selected award recipient. All nominations will be automatically considered for regional impact awards.

the CANADIAN Venture Capital GLOBAL DEALMAKER AWARD

This CVCA award recognizes a Canadian VC firm that achieved exceptional realization on a global VC investment in the previous calendar year, establishing a new standard in deal-making.

Judgement Criteria

Open to CVCA member venture capital investment firms in good standing.

• GP must have the majority of its employees based in Canada
• Cash realization value, with consideration to also include total realization value (including any deferred, escrowed, or non-cash consideration), and;
• Realized proceeds outweigh non-realized proceeds. If there is a significant amount of proceeds unrealized, the committee recommends submitting for the year in which they have been realized
• Multiple of invested capital returned, with consideration to also include IRR achieved
• Nominations should include documentation to support IRR calculations 

*Nomination details are treated as confidential and will not be publicly disclosed without the consent of the selected award recipient. All nominations will be automatically considered for regional impact awards.

the Ted anderson community leadership award

The esteemed Ted Anderson Community Leadership Award recognizes an individual’s remarkable commitment of time and effort to a community organization or cause. This individual will have made a profound impact upon the organization or cause, thereby contributing to a greater quality of life for the people their generosity has touched.

Judgement Criteria

Open to CVCA members in good standing.

• Substantial value to a not-for-profit organization/​cause;
• The commitment of time and effort over a number of years to an organization/​cause;
• Individual impact on the organization/​cause;
• Raising and personal commitment of money;
• Active commitment to community engagement; and,
• Leadership across a variety of organizations.

*At the committee’s discretion, no more than one recipient will be awarded annually and, in the event there are no candidates that satisfy the criteria, the award may not be presented every year.

the private capital regional impact award(s)

The Private Capital Regional Impact Awards recognizes one or more CVCA member firm whose investment has positioned their portfolio company to make a meaningful mark both within the community that they operate in and within the broader business ecosystem.

Winners of this award are committed to making impactful investments to help fuel job creation, diversity of talent, and community engagement. Up to four winners can be selected per annum, with one recipient per region.

Judgement Criteria

Nominees for the Private Capital Regional Impact Award must be private equity or venture capital investment firm and CVCA member company in good standing. The nomination will be evaluated predominantly on the following criteria:

• Portfolio company exit in the previous calendar year;
• Cash on cash investment multiples, demonstrating the financial performance of investment;
• Notable job creation & growth since the portfolio company’s inception; and,
• Percentage of women and visible minorities on the portfolio company’s executive team

*Nomination details are treated as confidential and will not be publicly disclosed without the consent of the selected award recipient.