Andrew Heintzman is Managing Partner-Founder of Investeco, a Toronto-based venture capital fund focused on investing in high growth North American companies that promote health and sustainability in the food and agricultural sector.

We discuss a range of topics, from Andrew’s ancestor, Theodore Heintzman, who came to Toronto in the mid-19th century and founded Heintzman pianos, which at one point was the largest manufacturer in the city. We also learn about SHIFT magazine, that Andrew co-founded in the mid-1990s with Evan Solomon. 

After reading the book by Paul Hawken, Ecology of Commerce, Andrew was inspired to co-found Investeco in the early 2000s with some partners. Investeco has been an important part of supporting and financing the growth and evolution of some leading healthy food brands such as Organic Meadow, Sol Cuisine, Rowe Farms, and Vital Farms. 

We talk about the current state of venture capital and financing for early- and growth- stage food companies in Canada, and where some reforms and incentives could be created in the Canadian funding ecosystem. We recognize the long standing value of the Scientific Research & Economic Development (SR&ED) tax incentive that helps bring innovation to Canadian food manufacturing. Andrew was calling into the interview from the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California, so we chat briefly about new trends and considerations in food brand innovation.