About
Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin have been close friends since grade 5.
In their first venture together they built the iconic smart phone company BlackBerry (formerly known as Research In Motion) which they started from scratch in 1984 and developed into a global player in the Smart Phone market that it is today.
Through Quantum Valley Investments Mike and Doug are now focusing on the commercialization of breakthrough technologies in Quantum Information Science. In doing so they are taking an essential next step in the furtherance of their shared vision toward the development of the “Quantum Valley” in the Waterloo Region of Canada.
Mike and Doug recall the early days of BlackBerry of when they described their plan “to put a computer on everybody’s hip”. It wasn’t so much that people disagreed with the plan; it was more that they didn’t understand it. As these founders of the “Smart Phone” industry focus on commercializing breakthroughs in quantum information they smile at the parallel.
That said they both believe that they have learned a lot since the early days of BlackBerry. Also, thanks to their success with BlackBerry, they have much more resources at their disposal today than they did when they started their first business in a small office on top of a bagel shop.
Source: Quantum Valley Investments
Strategy
The Fund is a private fund established by and funded completely by Mike Lazaridis and Doug Fregin (the Managing Partners). The initial size of the Fund is $100 million (CDN). The fund invests in breakthroughs in Quantum Information Science that in the view of the Managing Partners has the potential to lead to new commercializable technologies and applications.
Selection of investments are made by the Managing Partners with the assistance of a world class Scientific Advisory Committee established by them to assist them on assessing both the quality and potential of the particular breakthrough opportunity.
The amount of funding provided to a particular investment will depend upon the circumstances of the particular opportunity. In addition to financial support, successful candidates will have access to the vast commercialization, science, financial and business experience and networks of the Managing Partners.
Source: Quantum Valley Investments