MacKinnon, Bennett & Company (MKB) has held a final close for MKB Partners Fund, a clean energy, transportation and smart city fund, securing commitments in excess of its $50 million target.
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg acts as legal counsel to MKB.
Limited partners include Bennett Church Hill Capital Inc. (a co-founder of MKB), BDC Capital, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, the McConnell Foundation and MKB itself, and a group of family offices, foundations and accredited investors.
[mepr-active rule=”374″ ifallowed=”hide”]#SUBSCRIBERS ONLY CONTENT – where and how did you get your news? Subscribe today to see our research on this and all other subscriber ONLY news. Be informed!#[/mepr-active][mepr-active rule=”374″]Colin J. Adair, Bennett Church Hill Capital, a company owned the Bennett Family, BoxOne Ventures Inc., a company owned by Arvind Ramanathan and Joshua Felker (co-founder and managing directors of Vigilant Global) are thee largest LP in MKB Partners Fund, Limited Partnership. Philip K. Ryan, Paola Mariotti Marani are two largest LPs in the parallel fund, MKB Partners Fund International, Limited Partnership.[/mepr-active]
Led by Kenneth MacKinnon, Managing Partner, John W. Bennett, Chairman, and Philip K. Ryan, Chair, MKB Investment, MKB is a Montreal based private equity firm that provides growth capital to companies at the forefront of innovation in the energy, transportation and smart city sectors.
To date, the fund has invested approximately $20 million in four companies including: Miovision Technologies Inc., a leading traffic systems and data analytics company; BBOXX Ltd., an off-grid solar energy service provider; Communauto Inc., Canada’s largest car-sharing operator and Meteo Protect SAS, a creator of innovative weather risk management solutions.
“MKB and the Fund partner with management teams who are building dynamic companies for a more sustainable future,” said Ken MacKinnon, co-founder of MKB and Managing Partner of the Fund. “We are excited to work closely with Bennett Church Hill Capital Inc. and BDC Capital, one of Canada’s largest fund-of-funds investors. As the Fund’s first institutional investor, BDC Capital played an important catalytic role in helping us surpass our fundraising target and attract other institutional investors. We are also delighted to have secured the support of the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and the McConnell Foundation.”
“BDC Capital seeks to help build and maintain a strong cleantech ecosystem in Canada with players at each stage of the financing chain,” explained Nicolas Gravel, Director, Fund Investments, BDC Capital. “It’s important for us to support new promising fund managers, like MKB, who have differentiated investment models and the ambition to grow their activities in this sector.”
“With its seasoned team in sustainable and socially responsible investment, MKB is a partner of choice for the Fonds de solidarité FTQ,” said Alain Denis, Senior Vice-President, Innovation and Agri-food, at the Fonds. “Our investment in this fund specializing in the innovative fields of clean energy and transportation, as well as smart cities, fits perfectly with the Fonds’ commitment for an energy transition respectful of workers.”
“MKB’s focus on smart cities, transportation and clean energy, allows us to make a capital investment that also advances the philanthropic goals and granting activities of the McConnell Foundation. We welcome this opportunity to invest in an initiative with financial returns and positive impact on environmental priorities,” said Stephen Huddart, President & CEO of the McConnell Foundation.
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