Kingston Startup Ecosystem – Raising Capital: What Investors Look for and Why

Accessing capital isn’t about being in the right city, it’s about understanding how funders think, what signals they look for, and when a startup is truly ready to raise.

This Kingston Startup Ecosystem Panel brings together experienced founders and investors to unpack how investment decisions are made, particularly for entrepreneurs building and growing companies outside major financial centres.

Through a guided, open conversation, panelists will share practical insights, common pitfalls, and real-world examples from their own fundraising journeys. This is not a classroom session or a step-by-step workshop, but an opportunity to build clarity, confidence, and perspective as you shape your own capital strategy.

Whether you’re preparing for your first raise, considering non-dilutive funding, or refining how you talk about your business, this session will help you better understand where you fit, and how to move forward with intention.

The conversation will explore:

• How founders approach funding decisions, and what options tend to emerge at different stages

• The signals investors look for when assessing readiness, risk, and potential

• How valuation and raise size are typically shaped by milestones, momentum, and timing

• Ways founders build investor relationships and visibility over time, even without an established network

• What makes a pitch resonate beyond slides, and how storytelling influences funding conversations

Meet our panelists:?Adam Allore and Roger Bowes.

Roger Bowes

President of Annapurna Research and Director of Next Urban Group

Roger is a Canadian serial entrepreneur, investor and advisor. He is currently President of Annapurna Research and Director of Next Urban Group. In 2012 he co-founded Laser Depth Dynamics, an industrial laser technology company, and was President and CEO until it was acquired by IPG Photonics (NASDAQ:IPGP) in 2017. He is the former CEO of ESG Solutions, a startup micro-seismic technology company, which was acquired by Spectris plc (LON:SXS). He currently serves on the Investment Review Committee for the Southern Ontario Fund for Investment in Innovation (SOFII) and is a founding board member of the Southeastern Ontario Angel Network (SOAN). In 2021 he received the Legacy Award at the GKCC Awards for Business Excellence. He acts as an advisor to early-stage companies and is an active angel investor.

Adam Allore

Founder & CEO, Wavve Boating

Adam Allore is the Founder and CEO of Wavve Boating, a popular mobile app for recreational boaters that provides navigation, charts, and community-sourced information for waterways like the Thousand Islands. An engineer by background and a local boating enthusiast, Allore developed the app from a personal need for better navigation tools, turning it into a recognized tech company that has seen significant growth. Adam was honoured as one of Kingston Young Professionals 40 Under 40 in 2024.