Multi-stage VC, Toronto

OMERS Ventures

Venture capital firm · Toronto · Founded 2011

Quick read

OMERS Ventures is a multi-stage, early-stage tech VC launched in 2011, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and backed by the OMERS pension plan serving over half a million Ontario municipal workers. It invests across Canada, the US, and Europe, focusing on fintech, vertical software, enterprise applications, and AI infrastructure. Michael Yang was appointed Head of OMERS Ventures to lead investments and fund operations across North America.

Key facts

Founded
2011
Employees
25
Sectors
generalist, fintech, saas, ai
Website
www.omersventures.com

Investment thesis

OMERS Ventures backs early-stage technology founders in fintech, vertical software, enterprise applications, and AI infrastructure across Canada, the US, and Europe, with returns flowing directly to the pensions of Ontario municipal workers.

Recent activity

  • Jul 2025leadership
    OMERS Ventures named a new head, continuing what CB Insights described as a long string of executive changes at the firm. cbinsights.com
  • Feb 2026investment
    OMERS co-led a $29M financing round for Turnstile alongside First Round Capital and Illuminate Financial. tracxn.com
  • Jan 2026press
    Managing Director Laura Lenz published OMERS Ventures' 2026 investment predictions piece, centering on AI-first innovation, robotics, energy, and spatial computing as near-term focus areas. f4.fund
  • Feb 2026investment
    OMERS Ventures co-led a $29M financing round for Turnstile alongside First Round Capital and Illuminate Financial. tracxn.com
  • Early 2026leadership
    Damien Steel, formerly Managing Partner at OMERS Ventures, departed to join Whitecap VP as the firm entered growth mode heading into 2026. x.com
  • 2025–2026press
    As of May 2026, OMERS Ventures has invested in 100 companies total, with 1 new investment recorded in the prior 12 months, reflecting a measured deployment pace. tracxn.com
  • 2025press
    Managing Director Laura Lenz joined the advisory committee for Source Canada, a coalition promoting enterprise procurement of Canadian technology, alongside partners from RBCx and Luge Capital. cbinsights.com
  • Apr 2025investment
    Portfolio company Crux raised a $50M Series B to advance clean energy and manufacturing finance, with co-investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Lowercarbon. tracxn.com
  • Jun 2025investment
    Portfolio company Octaura secured $46M to expand its syndicated loan and CLO market platform, with backing from Bank of America, Citi, and Goldman Sachs among others. tracxn.com
  • Jan 2025investment
    Float Financial closed a USD 48.8 million funding round with OMERS participating alongside Goldman Sachs and FJ Labs. tracxn.com
  • Jan 2025investment
    OneVest secured $20 million in Series B funding led by Salesforce Ventures, with OMERS among the participating investors. tracxn.com
  • 2026press
    OMERS Ventures co-launched the Source Canada initiative alongside RBCx, promoting enterprise procurement of Canadian technology. Managing Director Laura Lenz sits on the advisory committee. cbinsights.com

Notable investments

Key people

Named individuals at the firm. We don't expose direct email or phone — use their LinkedIn for outreach.

  • Charlie Renzoni · Team Member
  • Michael Yang · Head of OMERS Ventures
  • Marissa Moore · Principal
    LinkedIn
  • Henry Gladwyn · Team Member
    LinkedIn
  • Eugene Lee · Investor
    LinkedIn
  • Laura Lenz · Managing Director
  • Damien Steel · CEO
  • Tara Lehman · Partner

Sources

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Frequently asked

What is OMERS Ventures?+

OMERS Ventures is a multi-stage, early-stage tech VC launched in 2011, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and backed by the OMERS pension plan serving over half a million Ontario municipal workers. It invests across Canada, the US, and Europe, focusing on fintech, vertical software, enterprise applications, and AI infrastructure.

Where is OMERS Ventures headquartered?+

OMERS Ventures is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.

When was OMERS Ventures founded?+

OMERS Ventures was founded in 2011.

What sectors does OMERS Ventures invest in?+

OMERS Ventures focuses on generalist, fintech, saas, ai. They primarily invest in these sectors.

Who is the CEO of OMERS Ventures?+

Damien Steel is the CEO of OMERS Ventures.

How do I prepare for a meeting with OMERS Ventures?+

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Generated by briefthecall.com from public web sources. Last updated August 12, 2026. Each claim is linked to its source above.

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