Will Ma

Worth knowing

Will has raised venture money as an operator, lent it as a technology banker and now writes first cheques across sectors, so he can tell a founder what each kind of capital will actually cost them. He knows how Canadian companies get funded from seed through growth rounds with US investors at the table. Founders raising early rounds in Canada, and investors looking for Ontario deal flow, should write.

Story

Will started in investment banking at TD Securities and moved to BMO Financial Group, where his corporate strategy work led him to corporate venture capital as Director of BMO Partners. He then crossed over to building, taking a growth role at the B2B payments startup Plooto and co-founding his own enterprise SaaS company in 2018. As Head of Finance and Operations at Validere, the energy data analytics company, he led a Series B backed by BlackRock and Greylock Partners. A stint at Silicon Valley Bank followed, where he worked with Canadian tech companies on growth financing. He joined MaRS IAF in Toronto as Director of Investments and was promoted to Managing Director the same year.

Highlights

• Managing Director, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, Toronto
• Led Validere's Series B, backed by BlackRock and Greylock Partners
• Co-founder of a Y Combinator-backed enterprise SaaS startup (2018)
• BCom, Accounting and Economics with high distinction, Rotman (U of T); CFA
• Meeting Exchange host, Elevate Festival 2026