Robin Louis

Dr. Robin Louis

VC Advisor and Angel Investor

Since his retirement from full time participation in the venture capital industry, Robin Louis has been an active "angel" investor, backing and advising several emerging companies. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to Vanedge Capital where he advises on fund management issues and is a member of the Investment Committee. Vanedge is a venture capital fund based in Vancouver, with over $100 million in committed capital, and which invests in digital media companies.

He is a member of the Board of Directors of Science World British Columbia where he also serves on the Chair's Advisory Committee and is Chair of the Capital Campaign which is raising $35 million for a major renovation and expansion of the facility.

Dr. Louis was a partner at Ventures West Capital Ltd. 1991-2008 and served as President 1999-2005 and Chairman 2006-2008. Ventures West invests in technology companies across Canada and was one of Canada's largest private venture capital firms. Dr. Louis was instrumental in raising approximately $700 million of Ventures West's investment capital from institutional investors in Canada and the US. His investment activities focused on software firms and he served on the boards of several private and public (TSE & NASDAQ) companies.

He was President of the Canadian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association 2003-2005 and Chairman 2006-2008. The CVCA represents over 1,800 member organizations, with over $75 billion in capital, that invest in venture capital, mezzanine, buyout and other forms of private equity. He has also served as a director of the CVCA, the Vancouver Enterprise Forum and the AceTech Academy for Technology CEOs.

Prior to joining Ventures West, Dr. Louis was President of Columbia Computing Services—a software company that became the dominant supplier of school administration software to school districts and state boards of education throughout Canada and the US. Columbia was listed on The TSE and subsequently was acquired by a British company.

Dr. Louis earned B.Sc. (Honours) and M.Sc. degrees from the University of Victoria and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of British Columbia.