Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) has appointed Nicolas Rubbo as the managing director for its venture capital hub, Espace CDPQ.
Espace CDPQ claims that its venture capital partners represent $8.6 billion in capital under management
Rubbo’s appointment was made in recent weeks, following the departure of Espace CDPQ’s former managing director Andrée Lemay in May.
Launched in 2016, Espace CDPQ is a hub for venture capital firms. With the overall goal to benefit Québec companies, the hub was created to combine networks, expertise, and financial means.
To date, Espace CDPQ claims that its venture capital partners represent $8.6 billion in capital under management, as well as a network of more than 690 companies of varying sizes and industries. A spokesperson for Espace CDPQ told BetaKit that 20 venture capital partners are currently part of the investment hub.
Earlier this year, Espace CDPQ revealed seven new venture capital funds that are joining as partners in residence. The list included the likes of Amplify Capital, BKR Capital (formerly Black Innovation Capital), Ecofuel Fund, Framework Venture Partners, and Theodorus. Sofinnova Investments also recently joined Espace CDPQ’s partner network.
Espace CDPQ’s other members include the Réseau Capital and investment funds Inovia Capital, Anges Québec and Anges Québec Capital.
When Espace CDPQ was established, it had a $50 million fund associated with it named fonds Espace CDPQ. According to Espace CDPQ’s spokesperson, that fund was later brought into CDPQ’s broader investment portfolio and rebranded. CDPQ, which operates a number of funds, claims $392 billion in net assets as of June 30 this year,
Rubbo, who has over two decades of experience in organizational strategy and business development, will head the mission and strategy of Espace CDPQ.
Prior to joining the venture capital hub, Rubbo was the vice president of development and strategic partnerships for La Ruche, which provides a crowdfunding platform and partnership networks for the development of new projects in Québec. There, he was responsible for La Ruche’s expansion, major agreements, and its development strategy.
He also spent over a decade at Toronto-headquartered law firm McCarthy Tétrault, where he first joined as the manager of marketing and communications and left the firm in 2019 as the senior national director of clients and markets, as well as strategic planning.
Having landed at Espace CDPQ, Rubbo is tasked with boosting the impact and profile of the Québec-based hub.
Featured image courtesy of Espace CDPQ.