How we invest

We decide in days, on standard terms.

Here's exactly how it works, what we'll ask, and what we won't.

Our process

Three steps from first note to wire.

  1. 01

    Reach out.

    Tell us who you are and what you're building. If you have a prototype, deck, video or paper, please share it.

  2. 02

    One meeting.

    We'll ask questions like:

    • How did you and your co-founders end up working on this together?
    • How does it actually work?
    • Is it first, best, or unique, and why does that matter?
    • Why will this work now when it hasn't before?

    We're not going to grill you. We're trying to understand the important things that often get left out of decks.

  3. 03

    Get an answer.

    You'll hear back within days.

    If it's a yes, we'll review your formation docs, cap table and other legal documents, then send the wire.

    If it's a no, we'll tell you exactly why.

Our terms

Standard, simple, and founder-friendly. No surprises in the documents.

Instrument
YC Post-Money SAFE
Cheque size
Up to $250,000
Valuation
Case by case
Pro rata rights
Not required
Board seat
None
What we ask
A quarterly update
A short investor update email each quarter. The best founders send them anyway.

How we're different

We're not a fund.

Typical VC Fund
McNamara Family Investments
Whose money
Outside LPs
Our own
Primary goal
Returns for LPs
Help build huge companies
Risk tolerance
Low to moderate
Very high
Time horizon
5–7 year fund cycle
As long as it takes
Decision speed
Weeks to months
Days
Needs a lead first
Often
No. Happy to be the first cheque
Terms
Negotiated, investor-friendly
Standard YC SAFE
Investor background
Often finance
Founder and engineer
Who you talk to
Associate, then partners
The decision-maker, from the start

Common questions

What stage of company do you invest in?

As early as possible.

What stage of fundraising do you invest at?

Angel to Seed.

Where do you invest?

Canada. We've invested in US companies in the past, but we've paused new US investments while the current administration remains hostile to its neighbours.

Do you lead rounds?

Angel rounds are usually party rounds without a formal lead, but we're happy to be the first cheque in.

How do you help beyond capital?

Introductions to the great deep-tech investors we co-invest with, and mentorship from someone who helped scale a startup into a multi-billion-dollar public company. Beyond that, we stay out of your way and let you build.

Do you follow on in future rounds?

Not usually. Our goal is to help founders get started, and the best founders have no trouble raising later rounds from world-class investors.

Do you expect a board seat or special rights?

No board seat. We'd just like to stay on your investor update emails, even when later-stage VCs ask you to stop sending them to early investors (they will).

What's your ideal outcome?

A hundred-year company. We're not optimising for a quick flip or a fund-cycle exit. We want to back founders building companies that matter for generations.

Do you invest in other funds?

Yes. We back fund managers with deep sector expertise or access to founders we wouldn't reach on our own. If you're raising a fund aligned with our thesis, get in touch.