Who We Are
AyaWas Group is a private investment and advisory firm that provides patient capital and hands-on strategic support to promising early-stage and growth companies.
Our investment activity began in 2002. Since then, we have partnered with entrepreneurs across Canada, the United States and Europe, investing in businesses spanning enterprise software, artificial intelligence, industrial technology, robotics, healthcare and life sciences.
We typically invest up to C$1 million in an individual opportunity. Beyond capital, we draw on decades of operational, strategic and board experience to help founders strengthen their business models, refine their go-to-market strategies, raise capital and build enduring companies.
We invest selectively, take a long-term view and work closely with the entrepreneurs we support.
Investment Criteria
Market Potential
Investors assess the size and growth potential of the target market.
Traction
Evidence of market acceptance and user adoption.
Team
A strong, capable, and experienced founding team is crucial for success.
Product/Service
The uniqueness and viability of the product or service offered.
Business Model
A clear and scalable plan for generating revenue.
Competitive Advantage
What sets the company apart from competitors?
Exit Strategy
Potential ways for investors to realize returns on their investment.
Risks
A thorough understanding of potential challenges and how they will be mitigated.
Financials
Solid financial projections and a realistic budget
Sweet Spot
AyaWas Investment Group can invest up to $1.0M in each individual investment
Meet The Team
Daniel Sawaya
Founder and Managing Partner
Daniel Sawaya is the Founder and Managing Partner of AyaWas Group, a private investment and advisory firm that provides patient capital and strategic support to early-stage and growth companies.
Daniel brings more than 25 years of senior executive, operational and board experience with major Canadian and international organizations, including Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo Canada & PepsiCo International, Canada Post Corporation , Cinram and Mega Bloks. At Canada Post, he served as Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Vice-President responsible for retail operations and supply chain.
He previously served as Chairman of SCI Logistics and as a board member of Purolator Courier and epost. He has also held numerous board and advisory positions with early-stage companies, working closely with founders on strategy, governance, financing and market development.
Through AyaWas Group, Daniel has invested in and advised companies across enterprise software, artificial intelligence, industrial technology, robotics, healthcare, life sciences and space technology. His approach combines disciplined investment analysis with practical operating experience and active support for entrepreneurs.
Daniel has contributed to Canada’s entrepreneurial and innovation community as an interviewer and advisor to emerging founders, a judge for the SingularityU Canada Global Impact Challenge and an external member of the OCAD University Board of Governors.
He completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, holds a graduate degree from the University of Ottawa and has completed executive programs at INSEAD.
Sacha Sawaya
Senior Partner & Investment committee member
Sacha Sawaya is a Senior Partner and member of the Investment Committee at AyaWas Group. He participates in sourcing, evaluating and executing investments and works closely with portfolio companies on financial strategy, capital raising, growth planning and operational execution.
Sacha is also the Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer of Litmus, a global industrial data and artificial-intelligence software company. Since co-founding Litmus, he has helped build the business from an early-stage venture into a recognized leader in industrial data infrastructure, supporting deployments across thousands of manufacturing facilities worldwide.
As CFO, Sacha leads financial strategy, capital formation, investor relations and long-term operational planning. He has helped Litmus complete multiple financing rounds representing more than US$40 million in disclosed capital, with backing from prominent strategic and institutional investors including Mitsubishi Corporation, Belden, Insight Partners and Munich Re Ventures.
Under its founding team, Litmus has developed strategic relationships with global technology leaders including Microsoft, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Dell Technologies, Oracle and Databricks. The company was recognized as a Challenger in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Global Industrial IoT Platforms.
Before co-founding Litmus, Sacha began his career in investment banking and private-equity research. His combined experience as a founder, operating executive and investor gives him a practical perspective on evaluating management teams, financing growth and building globally scalable technology companies.
Sacha holds a Master of Science in Finance, Hedge Funds and Private Equity from the International University of Monaco and a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Organizational Studies, specializing in Finance and Administration, from Western University.
George Carter
Senior Partner & Investment committee member
George Carter is a Senior Partner and member of the Investment Committee at AyaWas Group, where he participates in evaluating and executing investments and advises portfolio companies on strategy, financial analysis and business development.
George currently serves as Head of Strategy within BNY Markets and has more than seven years of experience in senior strategy roles at BNY Mellon. His background also includes private equity, mergers and acquisitions and corporate strategy through positions with Tenzing Private Equity and Sandbox Group, a buy-and-build investment platform focused on technology, media and telecommunications.
His combination of institutional financial-services experience, private-equity analysis and transaction execution provides AyaWas and its portfolio companies with a disciplined and practical perspective on strategy, growth and long-term value creation.
George holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Master of Science in Chemistry with First-Class Honours from the University of Bristol.
Pascale Geoffrion Fombrun
Director of Finance & Administration
Pascale Geoffrion is the Director of Finance and Administration at AyaWas Group and a director of AyaWas Group Inc.
She oversees the firm’s accounting, financial administration, internal records and operational coordination. Pascale works closely with the investment team and external professional advisors to help ensure that the firm’s financial information, investment documentation and corporate requirements are managed accurately and consistently.
Before joining AyaWas, Pascale worked in marketing management with Club Price, which subsequently became part of Costco Canada. Her experience combines financial and administrative discipline with a practical understanding of consumer marketing and retail operations.
Pascale holds a bachelor’s degree in business from HEC Montréal.
Mitchell Butler
Senior Product & Technology advisor
Mitchell Butler is a Senior Product and Technology Advisor at AyaWas Group, where he supports the evaluation of technology investments and advises portfolio companies on product strategy, product-market fit, user experience and technology development.
Mitchell has approximately 15 years of experience founding, designing and building technology products. He was a co-founder of Mappedin, an indoor mapping and spatial-data platform launched through the University of Waterloo’s Velocity incubator. Mappedin has since grown into a global platform responsible for mapping more than 10 billion square feet across over 85 countries.
Mitchell later co-founded Human, a product-design practice that helps early-stage founders move from initial concept to commercially viable products and first customers. He now continues his product and design work through &others.
His experience as a founder, product designer and technology advisor gives AyaWas and its portfolio companies a practical perspective on building products that solve meaningful customer problems and can scale successfully.
Mitchell studied Systems Design Engineering at the University of Waterloo and participated in its Velocity incubator residence.
Investment Portfolio
AyaWas Group has invested across enterprise software, artificial intelligence, industrial technology, robotics, healthcare, life sciences and space technology.
The portfolio below is a combination between current direct investments, IPO's, publicly traded holdings, indirect or fund-based exposure, and realised investments.
Investment status is updated periodically and does not necessarily represent the firm’s entire portfolio.
Current Private Investments
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Bio Graphene Solutions
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Intelligent Lilli
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Innoture
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Lift Incentives
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Litmus
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Marco
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NumberEight
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Pluvo
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Virano Therapeutics
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Virica Biotech
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Visionable
Public Company Investments
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WELL Health Technologies
Indirect, Fund or Special-Purpose-Vehicle Exposure
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Canva
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Prometheus
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Locus Robotics
Realized and Exited Investments
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Be Nourished
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SpaceX / Starlink
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Cluep
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GaggleUp
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Kinek/PUDO
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Novashare
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Trajectory Brands
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Verold
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Baylin Technologies
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Tiary
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Opera Event
Note : Certain investments may be held directly, through affiliated entities, investment funds or special-purpose vehicles. Inclusion on this page does not imply control, exclusivity or a continuing ownership position. Company names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Pluvo is an AI-native financial-analysis and strategic-planning platform for finance teams. It connects financial systems, traces outputs back to source data and produces decision-ready reporting, forecasts, variance analysis and scenarios. In 2026, Pluvo announced a US$5 million seed round to accelerate product development and expansion.
Status: Active | Canada and United States
NumberEight is a privacy-first behavioural-intelligence company helping publishers and advertising platforms understand audiences without relying on traditional identifiers. Its technology uses on-device signals, contextual data and machine learning to create anonymized audience insights while limiting the exposure of personal information.
Status: Active | United Kingdom
Locus Robotics develops autonomous mobile robots that improve productivity, accuracy and workplace ergonomics in warehouses and fulfilment centres. Its flexible robotics platform brings work to employees, reducing unproductive walking and helping operators scale efficiently. In 2026, the company surpassed seven billion robot-assisted warehouse picks.
Status: Active | Private | United States
Marco provides cross-border financial infrastructure for businesses operating between Latin America and the United States. Its platform combines US-dollar accounts, foreign exchange, supplier payments, receivables financing and revolving credit. Marco has reportedly secured more than US$30 million in equity financing and US$200 million in credit capacity.
Status: Active | United States and Latin America
WELL Health Technologies (TSX: WELL) is a technology-enabled healthcare company operating outpatient clinics, digital-health platforms and healthcare software businesses. In Q2 2026, WELL achieved record quarterly revenue of C$400.4 million and increased its annual guidance, supported by continued growth in Canadian patient services and healthcare technology.
Status: Publicly traded | Canada
SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft, while Starlink operates its global low-Earth-orbit satellite communications network. SpaceX completed its Nasdaq IPO in June 2026; Starlink remains a business within SpaceX rather than a separately traded company. Starlink’s network has expanded to more than 10,000 operational satellites serving millions of customers globally.
Status: Realized investment | 2026
Founded in Australia in 2013, Canva is a global visual-communication platform that enables individuals and organizations to create, collaborate on and publish digital content. The profitable company serves hundreds of millions of monthly users and continues to expand its enterprise and AI capabilities. A 2025 employee share transaction reportedly valued Canva at approximately US$42 billion.
Status: Active | Private | Australia
Visionable provides secure visual-collaboration technology designed for healthcare and other high-value, complex environments. Its platform supports multidisciplinary consultations, clinical imaging and remote-care workflows. The company secured US$5.5 million in 2023 to support expansion in the United States through its relationship with Verizon.
Status: Active | United Kingdom
Lilli provides AI-assisted remote-monitoring technology that helps older and vulnerable people live safely and independently at home. Its platform identifies changes in daily behaviour, enabling care providers to intervene earlier and shift from reactive to proactive care. Lilli raised an oversubscribed £8.2 million Series A in 2024 and expanded its UK deployments during 2025.
Status: Active | United Kingdom
Innoture develops customizable microneedle technology for the delivery of medicines, vaccines, aesthetic treatments and diagnostic applications. Its flexible microneedles are manufactured using precision-printing technology and designed to deliver treatments through the skin with minimal discomfort. In 2025, Innoture established a new base at The Oxford Science Park.
Status: Active | United Kingdom
Bio Graphene Solutions produces sustainable graphene using renewable, non-graphite carbon sources, including biochar derived from wood waste. Its proprietary process is designed to support lower-carbon, high-performance materials, with an initial focus on concrete and asphalt applications.
Status: Active | Canada
Opera Event developed a technology platform connecting brands with content creators to produce targeted, culturally relevant digital advertising. The company later expanded into community-management software for gaming, esports, Web3 projects and consumer brands. Opera Event raised a US$5 million Series A in 2020 to expand its influencer and creator platform.
AyaWas exited its position in June 2022.
Virica Biotech develops Viral Sensitizers designed to improve the production efficiency and reduce the manufacturing cost of viral vectors, cell therapies and gene therapies. Virica raised a US$5 million Series A in 2021. A 2024 Canada–UK collaboration with eXmoor Pharma is evaluating its technology for improving large-scale AAV gene-therapy manufacturing.
Status: Active | Canada
Virano Therapeutics develops genetic-immunomodulation technologies intended to improve the safety and effectiveness of gene therapies. Its VEPO™ platform combines immune-modulating small molecules with gene-delivery systems and biological therapeutics for solid tumours and genetic diseases.
Status: Active | Canada
Founded in 2014, Litmus provides an industrial edge-data platform that connects, contextualizes and governs operational data for analytics, automation and AI. The company has raised at least US$42.6 million, including a US$30 million Series B led by Belden. In 2025, it secured additional strategic financing led by Insight Partners, with participation from Munich Re Ventures.
Status: Active | United States
Prometheus is a physical-AI company founded by Jeff Bezos and scientist and entrepreneur Vik Bajaj. It is developing AI systems intended to accelerate engineering, scientific discovery and the design and manufacture of complex physical products. In June 2026, the company raised US$12 billion at an approximately US$41 billion valuation.
Status: Active | Private | United States
Founded in 2012, Cluep developed an AI-powered mobile advertising platform that connected brands with audiences based on contextual, behavioural and emotional signals. AyaWas was its first and largest angel investor and supported the company through board participation. Cluep was acquired by Impact Group in 2018 for a reported US$40 million.
Realized investment | 2018
Baylin Technologies (TSX: BYL) designs and manufactures radio-frequency, satellite-communications and wireless-infrastructure products through several specialized brands. AyaWas has fully exited its investment. The company remains publicly traded and reported a record C$61 million backlog in Q2 2026.
Realized public-company investment | Canada
Tiary developed a proprietary e-commerce platform that allowed consumers and business clients to design, visualize, virtually wear and share customized jewelry. Its combination of 3D visualization and product customization created a differentiated online purchasing experience.
AyaWas exited its position in 2024.
Verold developed a browser-based platform for uploading, editing, viewing and sharing interactive 3D content across web and mobile devices. Its technology allowed businesses and creators to collaborate on 3D models without specialized desktop software.
Acquired by Box (NYSE: BOX) in 2015.
Kinek created a courier-neutral network of convenient parcel pickup and drop-off locations across Canada and the United States. PUDO acquired Kinek in 2016, adding approximately 109 locations and 179,000 registered users to its expanding last-mile delivery network.
Realised Investment | 2016.
Lift Incentives designs and manages customized loyalty, reward and performance-improvement programs. Its technology-supported solutions help companies engage customers, channel partners and employees while producing measurable sales and retention outcomes.
Status: Active | Canada
NovaShare developed communications, CRM, data-analytics and administrative tools for investor relations and corporate-governance professionals. Its technology provided companies with improved access to shareholder, proxy-voting and governance information.
Acquired by Global Governance Advisors | 2016
Trajectory Brands is a Toronto-based brand strategy and design consultancy helping organizations define their purpose, positioning, identity and customer experience. AyaWas sold its original interest in 2016, reinvested in 2017 and completed its final exit in 2019.
AyaWas fully exited its position in 2019.
Be Nourished was an early Canadian distributor of raw, vegan, cold-pressed juices and superfood smoothies through natural-food and grocery retailers. AyaWas supported the company during the emerging growth of Canada’s premium health-and-wellness beverage market.
AyaWas exited its position in 2013.
Founded in 2010, GaggleUp operated a co-branded group-buying and daily-deals platform for consumers, merchants and corporate marketing partners. AyaWas exited its investment in 2011. GaggleUp was subsequently acquired by Canadian daily-deal company Buytopia.
AyaWas exited its position in 2011.
Lessons for Early-Stage Leaders
If you are preparing to enter the world of early-stage companies, keep these principles firmly in mind:
Put the company first. Always act in the company’s best interests. Personal agendas, ego and greed should never take priority over the long-term health of the business.
Cash is king. Protect your cash position and deploy capital carefully. Without sufficient cash, even a promising company cannot survive.
Respect every shareholder. From the moment you accept one dollar from an investor, you become responsible to the company and all its shareholders. Regardless of the size of their investment, they have entrusted you with their hard-earned money and deserve transparency, accountability and sound governance.
No one is indispensable. Strong companies are built around capable teams, effective systems and shared responsibility—not any single individual.
Know your limits. Seek advice whenever needed. Stand firmly for what you believe is right, but be prepared to listen, compromise and adapt when it serves the company and its shareholders.
Expect a difficult journey. There will be victories, setbacks and unexpected changes. A captain may chart the course, but it takes a committed crew working together to reach the destination.
Be willing to pivot. A company that begins as an apple may ultimately become an orange. Changing direction can be one of a leader’s most difficult decisions, but sometimes the original route must be abandoned to protect the business and discover a better opportunity.
Learn from mistakes. Mistakes are inevitable. Acknowledge them, learn from them and ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated.
Stay close to the work. There is tremendous satisfaction—and invaluable learning—in doing the work yourself, understanding the details, making adjustments and then moving confidently to the next challenge.
Communicate relentlessly. Keep your management team, employees, board and shareholders informed. Clear and consistent communication builds trust, prevents misunderstandings, resolves problems and creates stronger relationships.
Our portfolio spans companies based in Toronto - Montreal - New York - Miami - Santa Clara - London