Hedgewood

Hedgewood is a private investment firm that engages in value-oriented investments across a diverse range of asset classes, including venture capital, private equity, public markets, real estate, and specialty finance. The firm operates with a flexible, nimble, and opportunistic approach, utilizing its own capital, which allows for longer investment horizons. Hedgewood focuses on identifying and supporting companies with strong potential for growth and value creation.

The firm was founded in 2000 by Jesse Rasch, a seasoned internet entrepreneur. Prior to establishing Hedgewood, Rasch founded and led webhosting.com and InQuent Technologies, both of which were successfully sold to AT&T. He later re-acquired and re-sold InQuent, demonstrating his entrepreneurial acumen. Rasch is also a past recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and was the founding investor of VerticalScope (TSX:FORA), a company that develops and acquires commerce and social communities. Through his family foundation, he also established NutritionFacts.org, a prominent non-profit resource for plant-based nutrition.

Hedgewood's featured venture investments span various sectors, including Consumer, Enterprise, Healthcare, and CPG. Notable portfolio companies mentioned include VerticalScope, Sunflower Labs, L-Nutra, Vetster, flipp, and Well.ca. The firm's investment strategy is broad, encompassing early-stage startups to more mature companies, reflecting its opportunistic nature and commitment to long-term value.

The senior team at Hedgewood includes Jesse Rasch as Founder & Managing Director, Greg Leung as VP Finance, and Vinay Vishwanath as VP Investments. Wayne Bigby is also listed as President. The team leverages extensive experience in technology, finance, and entrepreneurship to identify and nurture promising investment opportunities. Hedgewood maintains a strict policy regarding unsolicited business plans, requiring PDF deck submissions and explicitly stating they do not invest in cannabis, blockchain, or cryptocurrency sectors. The firm also does not sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) until a term sheet is signed and in-depth due diligence is initiated.