Building a successful company is one challenge. Navigating a successful exit is another.
For this Seed to Exit session, InterGen is bringing together founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders for a candid conversation on what it takes to build toward acquisition — from early strategic decisions to the realities of the transaction process and what happens after the deal closes.
This discussion will feature Clayton Feick, former CEO of Ontopical, who led the Calgary-based AI company through its acquisition by SOVRA, a KKR-backed GovTech platform. The conversation will be facilitated by Michael Grantmyre, Partner at Osler, who advised on the transaction, and will also include Arden Tse, an early Ontopical investor from Accelerate Funds, who will bring in the investor perspective on building toward exit.
Discussion themes will include:
The long road from founding to exit and how to sustain momentum
- How leadership needs evolve as companies scale
- Navigating CEO transitions and building trust during leadership change
- Knowing when to step back so the company can grow
- Maintaining strong founder–CEO relationships through transition
- The broader impact successful exits can have on the local innovation ecosystem
Designed for founders, operators, and investors, this session offers a practical look at how companies position themselves for meaningful outcomes — and what leaders should be thinking about long before a deal is on the table.
April 23, 2026 │ 7:00 - 9:00 AM MST
Roynat Capital
225 6 Ave SW, Suite 1700
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Speakers:
With leadership experience across banking, capital markets and govtech - Clayton is an entrepreneurial results-oriented executive, focused on the intersection between technology and markets. As President of the SOVRA Supplier business, Clayton is passionate about helping companies adopt new data & technology to make government procurement more transparent and efficient. Previously, as CEO of Ontopical, he was responsible for overall strategy and execution, before its acquisition by SOVRA & KKR in 2025.
Clayton has led growth teams at early-stage startups including Quandl (acquired by Nasdaq) as VP, Global Head of Sales; and Flinks (acquired by National Bank of Canada) as Chief Revenue Officer. He has also worked in senior business development roles at Thomson Reuters, managing relationships with the firm’s largest clients in its financial & risk business.
Arden is an Edmonton-based investment professional who heads up the team that manages the Accelerate Funds II, III and IV, focusing on early-stage tech startups in Alberta. With more than 20 years of investment management experience in the private and public sector, Arden has been fortunate enough to cover multiple asset classes, from commercial real estate to public equities to venture capital.
He’s a well-known figure in the Alberta tech startup scene, where he’s always ready to provide mentorship, connections, and coaching to up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Arden’s diverse background in various asset classes gives him a unique view of the capital markets, helping him spot drivers of investment value. Arden loves the strategic side of business and thrives on the hands-on work of early-stage investing, enjoying the chance to collaborate closely with founders.
As a former business owner, Arden gets what it takes to turn an idea into reality and how operational strategies are tied to successful capital-raising strategies. He holds a Bachelor of Science and an MBA in Finance from the University of Alberta and is a graduate of the Certified Executive Coaching program at Royal Roads University.