Chris O'Neill joins Portag3 Ventures as a Partner

– Based in San Francisco, O'Neill will focus on expanding geographic reach into Silicon Valley –

TORONTO, March 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Portag3 Ventures ("Portag3") is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris O'Neill as a Partner, based in San Francisco. 

O'Neill is a 20-year veteran of the technology world with broad operational experience that includes the turnaround of Evernote as Chairman and CEO and key leadership roles at X, Google's Moonshot Factory, where he continues to serve as an advisor, and Managing Director, Google Canada, where he led Google's Canadian operations. 

"Chris' arrival is a watershed moment for us as we expand our geographic reach and plant a flag in Silicon Valley. As a former CEO, Chris has walked the same path as many of our portfolio company founders. He knows and understands their challenges, hopes and fears and his deep experience will be invaluable as we build our companies into global winners," said Adam Felesky, the CEO of Portag3 Ventures.

In his new role at Portag3, O'Neill will work with Portag3 portfolio companies as they pursue their next wave of growth and navigate the complexities that come with it. He will also work with the Portag3 and Sagard Holdings team on developing the Portag3 Ventures platform to encompass adjacent investment strategies.

"I've been thinking about transitioning from operator to investor for some time and this is the right moment to embark on my next professional adventure, partnering with great entrepreneurs and teams to build their businesses. I am thrilled to join Portag3, which in three years has raised two funds, assembled a world class team and made many significant investments. The opportunity to represent Portag3 in San Francisco and the Valley and build our network and portfolio here further is compelling," said O'Neill.

O'Neill has been an advisor and active angel investor for several years, where he has primarily focused on helping entrepreneurs build enduring companies such as Ritual, Relay (acquired by Kik), Milq/Layer 6 (acquired by TD Bank), and Helpful (acquired by Shopify).

He currently serves on the board of directors of Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS) and is a former board member of Tim Hortons (NYSE: THI), and Shop.org. O'Neill is a Charter Member of the C100, and a former member of the Canadian Council for Chief Executives (now Business Council of Canada). He graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a B.A in Economics and holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

About Portag3 Ventures
Portag3 Ventures is an early-stage investor supporting the world's most innovative financial technology companies. Its team has deep entrepreneurial and industry experience and provides its founders with full access to the firm's partners, in-house experts, and broader global ecosystem. Portag3 — alongside Diagram Ventures, a fintech venture builder — is a part of the venture capital strategy of Sagard Holdings, a multi-strategy alternative investment platform. Portag3 has a presence in Toronto, Montreal, New York, San Francisco, Europe and Southeast Asia. To learn more, visit p3vc.com.

SOURCE Portag3 Ventures