Tony van Marken
Managing Partner @ First Ascent Ventures
Toronto, Canada
Tony van Marken is a Series A investor at First Ascent Ventures in Toronto focused on SaaS and Big Data. Tony van Marken is Managing Partner of First Ascent Ventures based in Toronto, Canada. He serves as a board member / observer of Rubikloud, Q4 Inc, Sensibill, Dialogue and ThinkData Works and is a mentor at the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.Tony has had a successful career asan award winning high-tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, management consultant and independent investor having worked in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Canada and France. Recognized as a leader in his field, Tony was honoured in 1998 as one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 and was awarded the 1996 Canadian Venture Capital Association’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award.Tony sumitted Everest in 2005 to become the first South African to climb the original seven continental summits (Kosciusko version). He has completed over 35 high altitude climbing expeditions with over 65 summits on seven continents. Tony is also a veteran endurance athlete having completed numerous marathons and ultra-marathons (2x Two Oceans) as well as some of the world's most challenging mountain bike stage races including the Cape Epic (2x), Trans Andes (Patagonia, Chile) and the Legend of El Dorado (2x) (Colombia).He has worked as a motivational speaker around the world and lectured on Leadership at Oxford University (Saïd Business School), Duke University Corporate Executive Education and the University of Cape Town (Graduate School of Business).
- Total investments:
- 7
- Last investment:
- Lead investor:
- 43%
Last updated:
For AI agents: llms.txt
Industries Tony van Marken invests in
Stages Tony van Marken invests in
Countries Tony van Marken invests in
Investment Focus
Industry
- SaaS 2 (29%)
- Big Data 2 (29%)
- Software 2 (29%)
- CRM 1 (14%)
- Retail 1 (14%)
Stage
- Series A 2 (29%)
- Series B 2 (29%)
- Seed 1 (14%)
- Series C 1 (14%)
- Funding Round 1 (14%)
Investments
| Company | Description | Round | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
Darwin CX
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Darwin CX is a software-as-a-service platform that is designed to supercharge acquisition and retention through both customer intelligence management and the strategic use of artificial intelligence. | $12M / Jan 28, 2025 | |
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Darwin CX
|
Darwin CX is a software-as-a-service platform that is designed to supercharge acquisition and retention through both customer intelligence management and the strategic use of artificial intelligence. | $38.4M / Seed / Dec 08, 2022 | |
Andgo Systems
|
Andgo Systems is a shift fill automation tool designed to simplify cumbersome scheduling practices through automated, configurable workflows. They provide end-to-end solutions for high-volume scheduling environments. Their team works directly with your organization to configure workflows based on your current processes and connects with existingscheduling systems. | $4.3M / Series A / Sep 13, 2022 | |
POTLOC
|
Trusted by hundreds of leading brands, organizations, consulting firms and investment funds, Potloc provides market insights that help companies connect with their target audiences from around the world.Founded in 2014, Potloc has quickly become the new standard in market research. Using our revolutionary sampling technology, we providehigh-quality data insights with pinpoint accuracy, allowing businesses to easily connect with consumers and professionals alike.With over 4.6 billion users on social media alone, Potloc gathers honest opinions and valuable feedback from the largest panel in the world. We also use other surveying methodologies to always ensure you’re getting the most accurate and appropriate insights based on your specific needs. If you’re a business looking for authentic and impactful insights, or a talented individual looking for a Great Place to Work, we’re ready to start the conversation! | $27.1M / Series B / Jun 21, 2022 | |
Sensibill
|
Sensibill provides everyday financial tools and makes SKU-level data actionable, equipping financial institutions with personalized insights to help their customers build healthier financial habits. The AI-powered solution enables end-users to easily track their spending and manage their finances while unlocking unprecedented insights for theinstitution. Sensibill has rolled out its technology to over 60 million users across North America and the U.K. Visit getsensibill.com to learn more. | $31.5M / Series B / Jul 04, 2019 | |
Q4
|
Q4 is a SaaS platform that provides advanced communication and intelligence solutions to investor relations officers and the C-suite of public companies. With the goal of improving the effectiveness of investor relations through innovative, forward-thinking website solutions, the Q4 team designed an alternative approach to IR websites that putstorytelling first and emphasized intuitive corporate reporting.Q4 is a trusted partner to over 2,200 of the world’s largest brands. Q4’s comprehensive portfolio of IR communications, intelligence and corporate access solutions, supported by an industry-leading customer experience model, empower customers to build impactful and strategic IR programs | $38M / Series C / Sep 12, 2018 | |
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Sensibill
|
Sensibill provides everyday financial tools and makes SKU-level data actionable, equipping financial institutions with personalized insights to help their customers build healthier financial habits. The AI-powered solution enables end-users to easily track their spending and manage their finances while unlocking unprecedented insights for theinstitution. Sensibill has rolled out its technology to over 60 million users across North America and the U.K. Visit getsensibill.com to learn more. | $17.3M / Series A / Mar 02, 2017 |
Co-Investors
Information Venture Partners
3 deals together
Investissement Quebec
2 deals together
BDC Venture Capital
1 deal together
Brightspark Ventures
1 deal together
CPP Investments
1 deal together
CapHorn Invest
1 deal together
About First Ascent Ventures
First Ascent Ventures was founded in 2015 and invests in emerging Canadian technology companies that are building the next generation of disruptive, enterprise B2B software that leverages the cloud, big data, analytics, mobility, AI and machine learning.First Ascent Ventures is looking for outstanding, committed entrepreneurs and management teamswho seek not just financial backing, but the experience and expertise of successful financial and operating executives who can create a catalyst for growth and ultimately a successful exit for all stake holders.
First Ascent Ventures Contacts
| Name | Phone | Socials | |
|---|---|---|---|
Richard Black
General Partner
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Tony van Marken
Managing Partner
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Katharine Tomko
Venture Partner
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2 more contacts available
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FAQ
What does Tony van Marken invest in?
Tony van Marken invests primarily in SaaS, Big Data and Software startups, most often at Series A and Series B stage. Most of the 7 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in Canada. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.
When did Tony van Marken last invest?
The most recent investment recorded for Tony van Marken closed in Jan 2025. Shizune tracks 7 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.
Is Shizune's investor data accurate?
Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.
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