Capital Markets & Innovation Leader | Nanotechnologies & Deeptech | Venture Growth

Ray Crowley is an accomplished entrepreneur and innovation leader with over 13 years of experience driving transformative growth at the intersection of technology, strategy, and capital markets. As a former registered Capital Markets Dealing Representative and board member for multiple organizations and as the host for Investment Research Radio, Ray has originated and executed deals from the TSX to NASDAQ, including a lower-mid market acquisition and several go-public transactions-consistently delivering substantial market capitalization growth and shareholder value.

Ray’s expertise spans corporate development, investor relations, and strategic advisory for ventures in advanced materials (including graphene, 2D materials, and nanotechnologies), resources, AI, robotics, blockchain, cleantech, and more. He is recognized for his ability to translate breakthrough scientific advancements such as next-generation materials, AI and robotics into real commercialization, working closely with universities, corporate venture arms and global industry leaders.

Key Achievements:

• Led investor relations and corporate development initiatives for a long list of public ventures resulting in significant investor returns and hundreds of millions in market cap growth.

• Originated a $13M investment and a subsequent $100M NASDAQ acquisition in electric mobility and cleantech.

• Introduced millions of seed capital for many startups including a GPT Style AI Agent back in 2018 venture years before Chat GPT. Introduced seed capital to an AI & Robotics Agriculture Cleantech venture where he was also VP Corporate Development and forged strategic relationships with Fortune 500 companies such as John Deere, Cargill, and Syngenta in the fields of robotics and AI.

• Founded three technology ventures across software, blockchain, and advanced materials.

Ray excels at identifying emerging trends, connecting capital with innovation, and building high-impact relationships that accelerate deep tech growth. His approach combines technical insight, market strategy, and a passion for commercializing disruptive technologies-delivering long-term value for public companies, startups, and corporate venture partners alike.

Engineer | Entrepreneur | Cryptocurrency Pioneer | Venture Builder

Michael Vogel is a Canadian entrepreneur and technology pioneer best known for founding Netcoins, one of Canada’s most trusted crypto brands. Michael led Netcoins from startup to go-public transaction and subsequent acquisition, where the company experienced remarkable growth to a nearly $1 billion valuation, establishing it as a leader in the digital asset space.

As the founder of Encore Ventures, Michael continues to create and scale innovative startups through a venture studio model, focusing on hi-tech, online, Bitcoin, software, real estate and hardware ventures. Encore Ventures also owns and operates Coinstream, a popular crypto service in the US, further cementing Michael’s role at the forefront of fintech and blockchain innovation.

Michael’s ventures have generated over nine figures in revenue and shareholder value. He has advised and educated banking executives, political leaders, and the public about Bitcoin and the future of finance, and was selected by the US State Department to represent Canada at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. Michael is regularly cited in national media as a business and technology thought leader.

Key Achievements:

• Founded Netcoins, led go-public and acquisition. Netcoins scaled to a nearly $1B valuation.

• Founded Encore Ventures, a venture studio building and investing in high-impact tech startups.

• Launched Coinstream, a leading US crypto service.

• Generated over $100M in revenue and shareholder value across multiple ventures.

• Recognized globally as a thought leader in cryptocurrency and fintech.

Michael excels at building ventures that challenge the status quo, harnessing the intersection of technology, economics, and innovation to create lasting impact.

Technology Entrepreneur | Software & Hardware Systems Leader | Innovation Architect

Eli Hini is a seasoned entrepreneur and technology leader with a proven track record of transforming complex ideas into impactful, human-centered solutions. As the founder and CEO of Venovis, Eli has built a reputation for delivering secure, scalable software and embedded systems across industries ranging from avionics and robotics to cybersecurity and industrial IoT.

With early roots in avionics software and robotics, Eli has designed and developed mission-critical systems for high-stakes environments. He has played instrumental leadership roles at three cybersecurity firms, architected media streaming infrastructure for leading global platforms, and enabled advanced control and monitoring for industrial IoT and robotics systems.

Eli’s expertise spans iOS, macOS, and Linux application development, embedded systems, software security, and agile product development. He is passionate about creating simple, secure, and intuitive solutions-leveraging AI, mobile-first design, and automation to solve real-world problems and optimize everyday tasks.

Key Achievements:

• Founded and leads Venovis, delivering innovative software, embedded, and IoT solutions for enterprise clients.

• Designed mission-critical avionics and robotics systems, ensuring reliability and security in demanding applications.

• Led security software development at three major cybersecurity firms.

• Developed media streaming apps and infrastructure for some of today’s top streaming platforms.

• Architected control and monitoring solutions for industrial IoT and robotics.

• Active educator and mentor in software design, development, and entrepreneurship.

Eli thrives at the intersection of technology, design, and business-distilling complexity into elegant, scalable products that drive value for clients and end users alike.

Business Advisor | Engineer |  Venture Capital Associate 

Tim Yau is a seasoned professional engineer, venture capital associate, and startup advisor with over 18 years of experience at the intersection of advanced engineering, business strategy, and venture growth. As an associate of Vine Ventures and their venture studio firm, Eden Advisors, Tim advises startups pioneering AI, electronics, automation, IoT, and IIoT—supporting the next generation of disruptive technologies.

Tim is also an independent consultant, where he advises companies on engineering strategy, operations, and product development in IoT, IIoT, and SaaS. He has delivered large-scale infrastructure and electronics initiatives, including managing projects totalling ~$200 million for BC Hydro. His previous corporate leadership roles include Energy Efficiency Auditor, Project Manager, and Western Regional Manager at Energy Network Services.

In the startup ecosystem, Tim is a serial co-founder and advisor at heart, serving as a fractional COO or CTO for early-stage tech ventures. He helps teams navigate technology evaluation, product-market fit, and fundraising. As an associate at Vine Ventures, Tim scouts, evaluates, and supports high-growth startups, and actively refers founders to the boutique advisory firm Eden Advisors for additional strategic guidance.

Tim is a trusted advisor to local and international firms through previous business advisory engagements with Element Consulting Engineers and GLG, respectively, where he shares insights on emerging technology trends and best practices.

He holds a Professional Engineer (P.Eng) designation in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, a Progressional Program Certificate in Executive Coaching through the University of Cambridge, and a Professional Program Certificate in Systems Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Key Achievements:

• Associate at Vine Ventures, supporting scouting, technical due diligence, and growth for emerging to mature tech companies.

• Independent Consultant through TY Engineering Canada, advising on business operations, engineering strategy, and SaaS/IoT/IIoT development.

• Co-founded and advised multiple startups; serves as fractional COO and CTO for a variety of portfolio companies with Eden Advisors and Vine Ventures.

Entrepreneur | Research Strategist | Advanced Materials

Daniel Banks is an entrepreneur, strategic planner, and management advisor with two decades of experience in research and innovation. He is best known for his roles in founding Alumni Analyzer, TVB Associates Inc., and Neutrons Canada.

As the founder and CEO of Alumni Analyzer, Daniel has pioneered innovative methods of leveraging public data to help research organizations demonstrate their societal impact. Alumni Analyzer provides objective, benchmarked insights that highlight how research facilities inspire and train students who become leaders in high-tech industries.

As co-founder and President of TVB Associates, Daniel delivers strategic and management consulting services for research organizations. He oversees the development of neutron beam equipment for scientific research, managing $30 million in client investment in research equipment.

As a key strategic thinker and doer behind an executive-level steering committee of universities, Daniel developed and implemented several strategic initiatives leading to the creation of Neutrons Canada, which aims to manage a national program of research activities valued at $25M per year.

With a background in biophysics, municipal politics, research organizations, and an MBA, Daniel excels at blending technical expertise with strategic planning. He has authored over 50 reports and publications and has a portfolio of more than 60 research stories aimed at non-scientists.

Key Achievements

• Founded Alumni Analyzer and achieved repeat customers, thus demonstrating commercial value of its innovations.

• Grew TVB Associates organically from a team of 2 to 12 personnel, diversifying its client base and services.

• Assisted clients in securing over $150 million in government funding for national research facilities.

• Developed and implemented strategic initiatives as part of an executive-level steering committee of universities, leading to the creation of Neutrons Canada with 15 founding member universities and an international scientific partnership.

Technical Due Diligence | Advanced Nanotechnology & 2D Materials | Semiconductor Innovation | Deep Tech Innovations

Krishna Sampathkumar, founder of JR R&D, is a nanotechnology specialist and technical advisor focused on evaluating and translating advanced materials and semiconductor innovations for investors, startups, and corporate technology teams. His work centers on bridging the gap between laboratory-scale discovery and commercially viable engineering, particularly in emerging platforms built on two-dimensional (2D) materials and next-generation device architectures.

Krishna leads technical due diligence engagements for venture capital, M&A, and corporate innovation groups, providing structured analysis of technology claims, evidence strength, manufacturability, and scale-up feasibility. His assessments help stakeholders distinguish promising science from deployable technology by mapping stated performance to measurable validation, assessing Technology Readiness Level TRL realism, and identifying integration and production risks early in the decision process. Beyond assessment, he advises on practical execution pathways, helping teams understand what is required to translate validated science into working prototypes, scalable fabrication strategies, and engineering ready systems.

In addition to investor diligence, Krishna supports startups transitioning from research to product through feasibility reviews, validation roadmaps, test plan design, and prototype evaluation frameworks. He works with engineering and innovation teams to establish independent technical verification methods, pilot acceptance criteria, and fabrication oversight strategies that reduce technical uncertainty during scale up. He also conducts non legal patent intelligence and landscape mapping to identify technical positioning, relevance, and competitive constraints.

Krishna’s technical foundation comes from doctoral research focused on tailoring the physical and electronic properties of 2D materials through controlled fabrication, strain engineering, and heterostructure design. He advanced fabrication techniques for van der Waals heterostructures, applied machine learning to predict graphene behavior on complex substrates, and developed novel strain application methodologies to modulate material performance without mechanical actuation. His work included extensive optical and structural characterization as well as semiconductor cleanroom fabrication using electron beam lithography and custom device integration, experience that informs his practical understanding of manufacturability, validation rigor, and prototype execution.

Through JR R&D, Krishna applies this background to deliver independent technical diligence, validation frameworks, and execution oriented advisory that connect advanced science with real world engineering decisions. His approach emphasizes technical credibility, measurable validation, and realistic pathways from research demonstration to deployable systems.

With experience leading research initiatives from concept through device fabrication, Krishna brings a rare ability to communicate across disciplines, aligning scientists, engineers, investors, and decision makers around what is technically credible, scalable, and commercially viable.

Key Contributions

• Led advanced fabrication and characterization of 2D material heterostructures for electronic and optoelectronic applications.

• Designed nanoscale semiconductor devices and test platforms using cleanroom and PCB based integration methods.

• Applied machine learning approaches to accelerate materials understanding and validation.

• Supported prototype feasibility evaluation and fabrication planning for research to product transitions

• Advised investors and operators on technical risk, scalability, and commercialization pathways for deep-tech innovations.