The people
Open roles via the TechTO Job Board
No roles on the TechTO Job Board yet.
Hiring? Reach 70,000 Canadian tech readers through the weekly TechTO newsletter.
Post a role on jobs.techto.org ↗Or try their own careers page: impression.ventures/careers ↗Listings sync from jobs.techto.org — the only structured source. We don’t scrape career sites.
On the TechTO stage
Christian Lassonde of Impression Ventures presents Is it Harder to Raise VC Money in Canada?
Watch on YouTube ↗
A FinTech Market Deep Dive | Christian Lassonde
Watch on YouTube ↗Why Fintech Infrastructure Wins in Canada | Christian Lassonde
Watch on YouTube ↗Every talk is searchable — ask the archive about Impression Ventures ↗
About
Impression Ventures backs financial services startups at seed, and only financial services startups. Christian Lassonde launched the firm in 2013; Maor Amar joined as a managing partner in 2016, bringing a Montreal presence, and the two have co-managed the funds since. The firm's first cheque went into Wealthsimple's 2014 seed round, and it exited in 2019 when Wealthsimple raised $100 million from Allianz X. Presenting at TechTO in December 2025, Lassonde described the model as thematic rather than reactive: the firm decides upfront which subsectors are poised for non-linear growth and then goes looking for teams already attacking them, rather than waiting for decks to land in the inbox. He said Impression has screened more than 5,000 companies, roughly 800 a year, and invests in two or three annually — a ratio he called deliberate, because the firm leads price rounds from seed through Series A, takes a board seat and reserves capital to keep backing its winners. Its limited partners are financial institutions: BetaKit reported Bank of Montreal and CIBC as returning LPs in Fund IV, and Lassonde has said on stage that the big banks, insurance companies and global family offices are the firm's LP base. The portfolio spans personal finance, tax, compliance and credit infrastructure, including Brim Financial, Owl.co, Symend, Fraction, Goose, Border Pass and Cascade.
Backers
Impression is a venture firm rather than a venture-backed company. Its LPs are financial institutions: BetaKit reported Bank of Montreal and CIBC as returning limited partners in Fund IV, alongside undisclosed family offices and an insurance company. Lassonde told the TechTO audience in December 2025 that the firm's LPs are 'big banks, insurance companies and global family offices,' and that he and Amar invest in their own funds.
More from TechTO ×2
Quick answers
What does Impression Ventures invest in?
Fintech, and nothing else. The firm's site says it backs startups across banking, insurance and wealth management, including AI-enhanced underwriting, credit assessment data, robo-advising and investment management. Lassonde's on-stage framing is blunter: boring is beautiful, and rock-solid infrastructure makes unicorns.
What stage and cheque size does Impression Ventures write?
Seed. The firm says it specialises in leading seed rounds across North America, typically investing $2 million into rounds of $3 million or more, with the ideal entry point being a built first version of the product and a first customer acquired. It leads or co-leads with a standard NVCA term sheet and takes a board seat.
Who founded Impression Ventures?
Christian Lassonde, in 2013. Maor Amar, a former BMO and UBS managing director, joined as a managing partner in 2016 and the two have co-managed the funds since; he is not a founder of the firm.
What companies has Impression Ventures backed?
Wealthsimple was the first, in 2014; Impression exited in 2019. Lassonde named Brim Financial, Owl.co, Border Pass, Cascade and Goose from the TechTO stage in December 2025. The firm's site also lists Symend, Fraction, Safekeep and 401Go.