Canada to lure SA entrepreneurs with Start-up Visa

Introducing the visa, Jason Kenney, Canadian Immigration Minister, said that Canada was open for business to the world's start-up entrepreneurs. "Innovation and entrepreneurship are essential drivers of our economy. We need people who can build companies that will create new jobs, spur economic growth and compete on a global scale, hence our new Start-up Visa."

To help South Africans interested in taking advantage of this innovative programme, Mike Edwards, a Canadian tech entrepreneur and angel investor, will be visiting South Africa in November to meet potential candidates. Edwards' own company, LX Ventures, acquires, integrates and accelerates early-stage, high-growth tech companies, and he is also a director of GrowLab, one of Vancouver's premier start-up accelerators.

Identify and evaluate new software companies

"Our objective is to identify and evaluate new software companies that have graduated from the incubator stage and have earned enough early-stage revenue to show that they are sustainable businesses. These are the business we feel would benefit from investment and relocating to Canada," he said.

He explained that to be eligible for the Start-up Visa Programme, the Canadian government required them to obtain a minimum level of funding: CDN75,000 from angel investors and CDN200,000 from venture capital organisations.

"I'm interested on behalf of both LX Ventures and GrowLab. While I'm in South Africa I also want to meet with other businesses like mine - start-up incubators and accelerators - that can continue to scout for potential prospects after we have returned to Canada. I'm also happy to meet economic development organisations that are interested in supporting the Start-up Visa initiative."

A member of Edwards' team joining him on this trip is Gary Boddington, a South African entrepreneur who co-founded a business in his garage in Durban and sold it to the London-listed Sage Plc. Boddington now lives in Canada where he experienced essential support as a start-up business and is now paying forward his good fortune to fellow South African entrepreneurs.

"I co-founded a South African business, sold it to a global company, and it currently derives revenues - and therefore taxes - for South Africa from a global customer base. In my humble opinion, South Africa could use more of that," said Boddington.

Opportunity for entrepreneurs

He described the new Start-up Visa Programme as an amazing opportunity for entrepreneurs who are developing software and earning early-stage revenue. "It will enable them to gain access to the North American markets, receive critical funding, compete on a level playing field with other global developers, find a mentor and live in Canada so as to be close to the market."

With both Seattle and Silicon Valley relatively close to Vancouver, it is an increasingly attractive tech hub for North America, hence Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook all opening local development offices there.

How to get involved

To get involved simply complete an application at www.mystartupvisa.com. Every application will be assessed and if you qualify - or potentially qualify - you will be invited to meet Edwards and his team.

Meetings will take place in the following cities on the dates listed: