First Fund

In 2012, First Fund Founder Samarth Chandola was a new immigrant to Canada. He knew no one in the country, did not have a strong understanding of fundraising and finance, and had $700 in his pocket as all his money in the world. Poor in cash but rich in drive, passion, and a determination to succeed, he got his break when he bumped into an Angel Investor while on a trip to get his internet fixed, who agreed to give him $35,000 to launch his startup. Though not a lot, it was enough for him to build his MVP and leverage that to raise further financing within six months. Eight years and two successful exits later, Samarth has generated more than 55x returns for his investors. He has been awarded the 2014 BC Business Top 30 under 30 award, as well as the 2017 Canada’s Next 150 Award by the Toronto Stock Exchange.