John Stokes is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Real Ventures. See portfolio, sector focus and contact routes.
John Stokes is the co-founder and Managing Partner of Real Ventures, a Montreal-based early-stage VC firm he launched in 2007 after transitioning from entrepreneurship in Asia Pacific due to dissatisfaction with the traditional venture model. His investment thesis targets seed and Series A stages, focusing on sectors like HR tech, e-commerce, and AI within Canada, particularly the wireless, internet, and media spaces. Stokes typically invests checks ranging from $500,000 to $2.5 million, with a sweet spot around $1 million, and often acts as a lead investor in these early rounds. Notable portfolio companies include Unsplash, which he backed at the seed stage, as well as Ready Education and OSMO, where he serves on the board or as chair. A distinctive point of view driving his work is his commitment to giving entrepreneurs a more rewarding experience than he received, leveraging his two-decade career to mentor founders scaling emerging platforms. He is also a co-founder of the OSMO Foundation, a not-for-profit that transformed Notman House into a startup campus, reflecting his deep integration in Canada’s ecosystem.
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