News Summary

Toronto-based Wittington Ventures has appointed Zeeshan Ali, former leader of the MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF), as a partner to spearhead its cleantech and healthtech innovation fund. Ali, who served as interim managing director at MaRS IAF and as a senior investment director, is set to launch and lead the Wittington Innovation Fund. The fund aims to support early-stage deep tech startups in healthcare and climate sectors by providing catalytic capital to bridge the gap between breakthrough science and commercialization. Ali will collaborate with Leah Perry, another former MaRS executive, in his new role. The fund, backed by the billionaire Weston family, plans to focus on Canadian startups or foreign firms licensing intellectual property from Canadian institutions. Wittington Ventures’ portfolio includes companies like GoConfirm, Odaia, and Grey Matter, and it has plans for a more focused approach to supporting Canadian innovation.