Redstick Ventures launches $6.5M fund to fuel early-stage foodtech across Canada and the US, focusing on automation and sustainable food systems.
Redstick Ventures Fuels Foodtech Innovation with $6.5M Fund
A Windsor-St. Louis-based venture capital firm is placing bold bets on foodtech, launching a $6.5 million CAD ($5 million USD) fund to modernize how food is grown, processed, and delivered. Redstick Ventures, co-founded by Cam Crowder and Shane Larisey, is targeting startups in Canada and the US that are reimagining the future of food production.
From Tim Hortons to Tech-Driven Tables
Cam Crowder, once a Tim Hortons franchise owner, is now investing in automation and food innovation. Drawing on his experience in food service and supply chains, he’s helping lead Redstick Ventures with a clear mission: to fund technologies that make high-quality food affordable and readily available.
“Our grand vision is high-quality food that’s cheap and on demand,” said Crowder. “That’s the world we want to live in.”
Early Bets on Canadian Foodtech Startups
Redstick’s first fund has already backed 11 startups—three of them Canadian. These ventures are developing hardtech and automation tools to solve critical food industry challenges. Notably, Toronto-based Gastronomous is building automated kitchen grills, and Cambridge-based Mirsee develops remote-controlled humanoid robots for industrial settings.
Solving a Growing Problem with Shrinking Resources
Redstick’s thesis goes beyond financial returns. The firm is responding to a looming crisis in the food sector driven by labour shortages, aging populations, and restrictive immigration policies in North America.
According to industry reports, Canada will need 92,000 new food processing workers by 2030. Redstick sees AI and automation as vital tools to bridge that gap and ensure long-term food security.
Weathering a Tough Fundraising Climate
Launching the fund wasn’t easy. Crowder, a first-time fund manager, faced a challenging capital environment. Canadian emerging managers have seen sharp declines in fundraising—from $1.2 billion across 28 funds in 2022 to just $172 million across eight funds in 2024.
Crowder admitted they “built the plane in the air” while raising, but ultimately decided to demonstrate fund management capabilities rather than relying on special purpose vehicles. The fund is now one-third deployed, with average cheque sizes of $100,000 USD.
Scaling Ambitions and Strategic Partnerships
With an eye toward institutional capital, Redstick plans to begin raising its second, larger fund once Fund I hits 50% deployment. The firm also recently partnered with the Canadian Food Innovation Network (CFIN) to spotlight emerging foodtech founders through the Food Frontier 25 program.
Tapping Into Foodtech’s Untapped Potential
A recent CFIN report noted Canada lags behind global peers in scaling foodtech startups, with a heavy dependence on public funding and a 20% lower share of VC-backed agtech investment compared to the US and UK.
Crowder, however, remains optimistic. Despite trade tensions and global uncertainties, he sees growing interest in local supply chains as an opportunity to innovate domestically.
“Ten years from now, maybe we can grow an avocado or coffee bean in a greenhouse right here,” he said.
Stay tuned to Maple News Wire for the latest developments in Canadian venture capital and food innovation.
