Avatar Innovations
Venture studioCalgary · Pre-Seed–Seed · 32 people tracked
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Investment thesis
Avatar Innovations is a venture platform purpose-built for the energy industry, combining leadership development, technology commercialization, and early-stage financing. Its three-stage program spans Avatar Ignite (a 14-week immersive leadership program tackling real-world energy transition challenges), Avatar Studio (a technology studio turning industry-validated concepts into investor-ready ventures), and Avatar Ventures (a fund providing early-stage risk capital to bring industry-led technologies to market). The Avatar Leadership Fund I is anchored by Cenovus Energy. The firm focuses on energy transition themes including carbon control, next-generation grid and power, methane mitigation, natural gas, shale production optimization, next-gen data centers, and mining optimization.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 32 people
from the firm's websiteInvestment professional with 20 years of Bay Street experience who became an Executive Director at CIBC Capital Markets. Connects the energy industry with capital markets to fund the energy transition; holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the Sprott School of Business.
Energy industry executive with 25 years of experience who co-founded Avatar Innovations in 2020. Holds a BSc from McGill and an MBA from the Haskayne School of Business, and serves on several energy industry boards and committees.
Tisha Schuller is founding CEO of Adamantine Energy, a firm advising energy companies on sustainability strategy and policy. She previously served as President & CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association and as Principal and Vice President at Tetra Tech. Schuller holds a B.S. from Stanford University, serves on multiple academic and nonprofit boards, and is a member of the National Petroleum Council; she has also authored four books on energy and decarbonization and hosts the Energy Thinks podcast.
David Pratt is a Principal at Avatar Ventures with over 10 years of experience in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and board management. He holds a degree from the Sauder School of Business at UBC, where he graduated as valedictorian, and is fluent in French. His professional focus includes clean technology and the commercialization of emerging technologies.
Andrew Maxwell is a Professor of Technology Entrepreneurship at York University's Lassonde School of Engineering and founder of the Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science & Technology (BEST) program. With over 30 years of experience, he has worked with entrepreneurs, universities, governments, and industry organizations to strengthen innovation capability and translate research into commercial and societal impact. His research focuses on how artificial intelligence is reshaping innovation adoption, entrepreneurship, and organizational decision-making through evidence-based frameworks and tools that support human judgment.
Bradley Wamboldt is a Principal Associate at Hawk & Squirrel Innovation Inc. with over 30 years of experience in technology development. He has established processes and teams focused on creating deployable new technologies and advises others on building similar organizational structures.
Dipeeka Joshi-Lawrence is an Events and Office Manager at Avatar Innovations Inc. in Calgary, Alberta, where she manages corporate events ranging from large-scale innovation showcases to executive roundtables. Her responsibilities include event logistics, vendor and budget management, strategic partnerships, and stakeholder engagement.
Helen Leighton is an executive coach and leadership development professional at Avatar Innovations. She specializes in organizational development and works with senior leaders to clarify objectives, assess requirements, and implement solutions across teams and functions.
Hugh Evans is Vice President of Programs at Avatar Innovations Inc., where he works on venture development and commercialization. With over 20 years of experience across academia, industry, corporate consulting, and venture development, he focuses on commercializing innovations in energy transition and hardtech sectors. His work involves designing programs and partnerships that facilitate the transition from research to market scale, while aligning multiple stakeholders across industry, government, and innovation ecosystems.
Lynn Frostman serves as Director of Stakeholder Engagement at Avatar Innovations and holds board positions focused on sustainability and energy transition. Her background spans R&D, P&L leadership, and strategic marketing, with expertise in product commercialization, ESG strategy, digital transformation, and change management. She focuses on developing sustainable energy and materials solutions while addressing the technical, economic, and stakeholder engagement dimensions of energy transition challenges.
Stacie Wilkinson is an Executive Leadership Coach at Inspire Coaching with experience in operations planning, strategy, and process transformation. She has worked in the energy industry on downstream optimization, commercial and operations value chain management, and talent development. Her specialties include leadership coaching, operational excellence initiatives, and implementing change across cross-functional teams.
Tyler Engel is Director of Partnerships at Avatar Innovations, where he sources revenue through corporate partnerships and strategic agreements in energy technology. He has approximately 10 years of experience in corporate finance and capital markets, with eight years at TC Energy in counterparty credit, treasury, FX execution, and capital markets, where he established a power trading function and developed credit and treasury policies. He holds the CFA charter and is based in Calgary.
Frequently asked questions
- What stage does Avatar Innovations invest at?
- Avatar Innovations invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What sectors does Avatar Innovations focus on?
- Avatar Innovations focuses on Cleantech, Climate Tech, Energy, New Materials.
- Where is Avatar Innovations located?
- Avatar Innovations is headquartered in Calgary, CA.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamCRIN @ COP28 Episode 6: Kevin Krausert, Avatar Innovations
CRIN Clean Resource Innovation Network · Kevin Krausert
Avatar Innovations: Creating the Future of Energy Transition w/ Kevin Krausert & Mackenzi Mitchell
Young Canadians For Resources · Kevin Krausert
Energy Transition The Apollo Project of our Time Kevin Krausert CEO & Co-Founder Avatar Innovations
CIFAL York · Kevin Krausert
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