Jason Gray

Worth knowing

Jason went through Y Combinator as a founder before investing in it, and he can connect a Canadian company to hundreds of YC alumni who have already built and sold companies. He also knows renewable energy project finance from the inside, having closed more than a billion dollars of it. Worth writing to if you are applying to YC, raising early capital, or financing a clean energy project.

Story

Jason studied at the University of Calgary and began his career at MNP before moving into solar, running SunEdison's Canadian business from 2008 to 2012 across development, project finance, regulatory work, construction and operations. In 2013 he co-founded SunFarmer with Andy Moon, a social enterprise delivering solar power to health-care facilities and schools in Nepal, and took it through Y Combinator's Summer 2015 batch as CFO. He started Pioneer Fund in December 2016 and has built it in Toronto since, investing in the YC companies he once sat alongside.

Highlights

• Founded Pioneer Fund (2016); debut fund targeted $20M
• Co-founder and CFO, SunFarmer (YC S15), raised over $5M for energy access
• GM and VP, SunEdison Canada (2008-2012)
• Closed over $1B in renewable energy financings
• Board of directors, WesternOne Inc. (2017-2021); MBA and BA, University of Calgary