Novacap Private Equity Competition
About Novacap
Novacap is the oldest and one of the largest private equity firms in Canada with over $8 billion in assets under management. Since 1981, our partnership approach has helped companies accelerate growth and maximize value. We ensure that our portfolio companies get proper and long-term visibility by favouring a patient and global approach for each significant corporate project. Through the years, Novacap has partnered with great entrepreneurs to build world-class companies and is the only firm in Canada to have won the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association’s Deal of the Year Award 5 times.
Purpose
Purpose of the competition is to give students a chance to work in diverse teams and pitch an investment in a real-life context. At Novacap, we value diversity as it brings together people with different backgrounds and contributes to better decision-making, increases team performance, and delivers better results. Novacap seeks to identify and elevate talent that leverages different experiences, capabilities, skills, and viewpoints to enhance outcome.
Eligibility
Teams of 2-4 students in their second year of studies or above with at least one student who studied outside of business programs. Teams should consider all different forms of diversity, including but not limited to gender, race, ethnicity, academic background, and past internship experiences.
Competition
Create a presentation to the investment committee on a potential investment in a company selected by Novacap. Leverage any and all resources you may have access to (i.e., CAPIQ, Bloomberg, equity research reports, industry expert insights, etc.). Judgement criteria will be based on:
- Content and analysis
- Value creation plan
- Viability of investment thesis
- Team diversity
Prize
- $12,000 split between winning team(s)
- Dinner with case judges who will consist of Novacap’s senior management and portfolio company executives
- Members of the winning teams will be offered to interview for Novacap’s internships and full-time roles
Timeline
- October 25: Competition kick-off and fireside chat with Novacap investment team members
- Fireside Chat Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/novacap-private-equity-case-competition-tickets-425350563987
- November 4: Team registration deadline (11:59pm)
- November 5: Case material sent out to registered teams
- November 11: Deadline to submit presentation and model (11:59pm)
- November 15: Finalists selected for in-person presentation
- November 24: Presentations to judges in Toronto which includes Novacap senior management, investment committee members, and portfolio company executives. Travel and accommodation will be covered by Novacap
Submission
Create an investment committee presentation (maximum 16 slides). Make recommendations on the viability of the investment and a value creation plan for the business. There may be specific or complicated pieces to the company valuation that may require more time to model out, but less important. We encourage teams to focus on the big picture and value creation initiatives. The presentation should include:
- Executive summary and recommendation
- Company overview
- Industry trends, market, category overview
- Investment merits, strength, and weaknesses
- Value creation plan for the company
- Transaction overview, including offering value on a debt free cash free basis, and proposed capital structure
- Return analysis, including sensitivity regarding entry and exit multiples
- Risks and mitigating factors to the investment risks
- Key questions that you would want to understand further in diligence
- One slide to explain how your team is diverse
Please also include resumes of each team member. Email final submissions to your respective campus co-hosts.
Questions
Please reach out to the Queen’s Private Capital Group executive team with any questions!
