Janet Bannister is a Canadian business executive and venture capitalist. She is the founder and managing partner of Staircase Ventures."Canadian VC Janet Bannister on finding startups that operate outside Big Tech's purview" BNN Bloomberg. Retrieved 2023-11-15. Prior to launching Staircase in 2023, she was the managing partner at Real Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm."JANET BANNISTER LAUNCHES STAIRCASE VENTURES WITH $22 MILLION FIRST CLOSE" BetaKit. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
Early life and education Bannister was a varsity long-distance runner and a national triathlon champion in Canada finishing 8th in the world at the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships in 1996."Janet Bannister" World Triathlon. Retrieved 2023-11-15. She holds a degree from the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario."A new venture: Janet Bannister, HBA '92" Ivey Alumni Gazette. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
Career Bannister started her career as a brand manager at Procter & Gamble and then as an engagement manager with McKinsey & Co. In 2001, she spent four years at eBay in Silicon Valley."Uncertainty clouds venture capital markets for startups" Waterloo Region Record. Retrieved 2025-01-15. In 2004, she launched Kijiji.ca which became one of Canada's most-visited websites."Kijiji, a Flop in the U.S., Rules Online Classifieds in Canada" New York Times. Retrieved 2023-11-15."Janet Bannister is de-risking entrepreneurship" OPM Wire. Retrieved 2023-10-24."Kijiji founder offers advice to large audience at Lethbridge business conference" Global News. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
Bannister is the co-chair of C100"With new co-chair, C100 looks beyond Silicon Valley origins" The Logic. Retrieved 2023-11-07. and on the boards of the Ivey Business School and LEAP,"Champions & Advisors" LEAP. Retrieved 2023-11-07. a social venture accelerator, as well as serving as a mentor at Creative Destruction Lab at the University of Toronto."Mentors" CDL. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
She also founded and was CEO at a venture-backed start-up prior to joining Real Ventures in 2014."A triathlon of a life: How Janet Bannister manages work, family and health" Financial Post. Retrieved 2023-11-14. In 2017, she was announced as part of a team to guide fintech strategy for the province of Ontario"Ontario Improving the Delivery of Financial Services Technology" Ontario Bulletin. Retrieved 2023-11-14. and the Canadian Economic Strategy Roundtable on Digital Industries."SHOPIFY’S TOBI LÜTKE NAMED CHAIR OF CANADIAN GOVERNMENT’S DIGITAL INDUSTRIES TABLE" Betakit. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
In 2025, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Ontario Tech University."Ontario Tech to celebrate more than 2,200 graduates and six distinguished honorary degree recipients at Spring Convocation" OTU News. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
Staircase Ventures Launched by Bannister in 2023, Staircase Ventures closed their first fund by collecting C$34 million"Janet Bannister exceeds target for first solo fund as other venture capitalists struggle to raise" The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-11-08. with investors including the Royal Bank of Canada."Newly formed Staircase Ventures collects C$22m for debut fund" Venture Capital Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
In October 2023, it led the Calgary fintech startup Fillip to a C$5m seed round of fundraising."Fillip Raises $5 Million Seed Round Led by Staircase Ventures" Calgary.tech. Retrieved 2023-11-08. By February 2024, the firm had also led seed rounds of funding for other Canadian startups including AI drug discovery platform Biossil and Rhenti,"Rhenti closes a funding round by Staircase Ventures" LaBarge Weinstein. Retrieved 2025-01-15. a marketing automation platform, along with a C$6m round for AI-focused Sibli."Sibli uses AI to give asset managers “information advantage” when researching opportunities" Betakit. Retrieved 2024-03-25. In April of that year, it was involved in a C$2.7m seed extension to Galatea,"Galatea secures $2.7 Million to Help Oil and Gas Companies Tackle Waste Disposal" Betakit. Retrieved 2025-01-16. a waste logistics software company, while in December it helped lead a $5 million minority equity financing round for Eventric, a US-based software company focused on live events."Eventric Secures $5M in Equity Financing to Accelerate Master Tour Platform Growth and Innovation" Eventric. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
In March 2026, Bannister and Staircase Ventures completed a second round of fundraising with a C$50 million fund for a total of C$84 million raised."Janet Bannister’s Staircase Ventures closes $50-million second fund" Betakit. Retrieved 2026-04-06.
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