March 11, 2021
SPAC’s have had a spectacular rise globally, especially in the US. The cleantech industry seems to be a prime target for this unique strategy. As the trend spills over the border, questions are being raised. Canadian cleantech company Li-Cycle recently went public via a US-based SPAC at a $1.67 billion dollar value.
Cleantech is capital and time-intensive, which doesn’t fit the traditional VC model. So, are SPACs a turning point for cleantech?
This is one of the many questions we’ll address during the webinar.
Program
What are SPAC’s?
Amir Emami – Managing Director, Co-Head of SPAC Coverage – RBC Capital Markets & Michael Ventura – Managing Director, Co-Head SPAC coverage initiative – RBC Capital Markets.
Discussion
led by Tyler Hamilton, Director, Ecosystem Development | Cleantech, MaRS Discovery District
Q&A from the audience
About the speakers
Amir Emami – Managing Director, Co-Head of SPAC Coverage – RBC Capital Markets
Amir Emami is co-Head of SPAC coverage at RBC Capital Markets and sits within the Global Private Capital Group. In addition to his SPAC coverage, Amir covers Investment Holding Companies, Hedge Funds, Family Offices, and other Alternative Asset Managers, providing such clients and their portfolio companies with M&A Advice, leveraged loans, secured credit facilities, high yield debt, and equity transactions.
Michael Ventura – Managing Director. Co-Head SPAC coverage initiative – RBC Capital Markets
In addition to his SPAC coverage responsibilities, Michael helps to lead the firms Equity Capital Markets coverage of the Energy and Power & Utilities sectors. He joined RBC in New York in May 2007. Prior to joining RBC, Michael provided sales coverage to middle market institutional accounts at Bear, Stearns, & Co. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University.
Moderated by Tyler Hamilton, Director, Ecosystem Development | Cleantech, MaRS Discovery District
Tyler Hamilton is Director of Cleantech at MaRS Discovery District, responsible for building a network of investors, innovation organizations and government agencies that can help Canadian cleantech ventures raise capital and scale globally. He also leads the newly launched Mission from MaRS: Climate Impact Challenge program. Previous to MaRS, Tyler spent two decades as a business and technology journalist (Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, MIT Technology Review) and wrote extensively about Canada’s clean technology sector and global climate tech trends. He was also Editor-In-Chief of business and sustainability magazine Corporate Knights. In 2011, Tyler authored Mad Like Tesla, a book that examined the various barriers to clean energy innovation and surveyed the landscape of some potentially world-changing clean technologies. A recipient of the Cleantech Group’s “Pioneer” award for his early writings on the sector, Tyler was also recognized in 2016 on Canada’s “Clean50” list for his thought leadership on clean energy and climate issues.