Janet Bannister
NationalityCanadian
EducationIvey Business School
Alma materUniversity of Western Ontario
OccupationBusiness executive
Known forVenture capitalist

Janet Bannister is a Canadian business executive and venture capitalist.

Bannister is the founder and managing partner of Staircase Ventures.[1] Prior to launching Staircase Ventures in 2023, she was the managing partner at Real Ventures,[2] an early-stage venture capital firm.

Bannister is the co-chair of C100[3] and on the boards of the Ivey Business School and LEAP,[4] a social venture accelerator, as well as serving as a mentor at Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto.[5]

Bannister has been recognized by media outlets including being on the “Most Influential Women in Payments” listing by American Banker in 2019,[6] the “Women of Influence in Private Markets” list by Venture Capital Journal in 2021,[7] the “Female Founders & Investors to Know” listing by Pitchbook in 2021,[8] and the "Seed 30: The Best Women Early-Stage Investors in North America" list by Insider in 2023.[9]

Bannister started her career as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble and then as an engagement manager with McKinsey & Co. In 2001, she spent four years at eBay in Silicon Valley. In 2004, she launched Kijiji.ca which became one of Canada's most-visited websites.[10][11][12]

She also founded and was CEO at a venture-backed start-up prior to joining Real Ventures in 2014.[13] In 2017, she was announced as part of a team to guide fintech strategy for the province of Ontario[14] and the Canadian Economic Strategy Roundtable on Digital Industries.[15]

Staircase Ventures

Launched by Bannister in 2023, Staircase Ventures closed their first fund by collecting C$34 million[16] with investors including the Royal Bank of Canada.[17] The fund focuses on leading seed-stage financings of B2B software companies in Canada.[18]

In October 2023, it led the Calgary fintech startup Fillip to a C$5m seed round of fundraising.[19]

Background

Bannister was a varsity long-distance runner and a national triathlon champion in Canada finishing 8th in the world at the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in 1996.[20] She holds a degree from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario.[21]

References

  1. ↑ "Canadian VC Janet Bannister on finding startups that operate outside Big Tech's purview" BNN Bloomberg. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  2. ↑ "JANET BANNISTER LAUNCHES STAIRCASE VENTURES WITH $22 MILLION FIRST CLOSE" BetaKit. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  3. ↑ "With new co-chair, C100 looks beyond Silicon Valley origins" The Logic. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  4. ↑ "Champions & Advisors" LEAP. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  5. ↑ "Mentors" CDL. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  6. ↑ "Janet Bannister: Finding innovation where no one else is looking" American Banker. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  7. ↑ "Women of Influence: VC making strides on diversity from within" Venture Capital Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  8. ↑ "92 female founders and investors to know" Pitchbook. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  9. ↑ "Seed 30: The best women early-stage investors of 2023" Business Insider. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  10. ↑ "Kijiji, a Flop in the U.S., Rules Online Classifieds in Canada" New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  11. ↑ "Janet Bannister is de-risking entrepreneurship" OPM Wire. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  12. ↑ "Kijiji founder offers advice to large audience at Lethbridge business conference" Global News. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  13. ↑ "A triathlon of a life: How Janet Bannister manages work, family and health" Financial Post. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  14. ↑ "Ontario Improving the Delivery of Financial Services Technology" Ontario Bulletin. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  15. ↑ "SHOPIFY’S TOBI LÜTKE NAMED CHAIR OF CANADIAN GOVERNMENT’S DIGITAL INDUSTRIES TABLE" Betakit. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  16. ↑ "Janet Bannister exceeds target for first solo fund as other venture capitalists struggle to raise" The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  17. ↑ "Newly formed Staircase Ventures collects C$22m for debut fund" Venture Capital Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  18. ↑ "Unprecedented Support for Founders Distinguishes Staircase Ventures, New Fund by Janet Bannister" Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
  19. ↑ "Fillip Raises $5 Million Seed Round Led by Staircase Ventures" Calgary.tech. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  20. ↑ "Janet Bannister" World Triathlon. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  21. ↑ "A new venture: Janet Bannister, HBA '92" Ivey Alumni Gazette. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
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