Key Takeaways
- • Conexus Venture Capital, the investment arm of Saskatchewan's Conexus Credit Union, announced an investment in Vancouver-based Judi.ai, an AI-powered FinTech platform automating small- and medium-business lending for credit unions and community banks.
- • The investment amount was not disclosed, but CVC's Fund 2 typically deploys between $500,000 and $3 million per deal from its $30 million portfolio focused on early-stage Canadian companies.
- • The funding round included co-investment from Unitus Community Credit Union in Oregon, alongside returning investors; both CVC and Unitus are existing Judi.ai customers leveraging the software to streamline their own lending operations.
- • Capital will be directed toward scaling U.S. market expansion, product development, customer service enhancement, and marketing initiatives, reflecting Judi.ai's growth trajectory.
- • The investment exemplifies a broader trend in cooperative banking toward AI-driven solutions for small business lending, according to Judi.ai CEO Gord Baizley.
Summary
Conexus Venture Capital has committed capital to Judi.ai, a Vancouver-based FinTech platform specializing in AI-driven automation of small and medium-sized business loan applications. The investment, announced on June 29, 2026, marks a strategic move by the venture arm of Saskatchewan's Conexus Credit Union—Canada's sixth-largest credit union—to back technology solutions tailored for cooperative financial institutions.
While neither party disclosed the specific investment amount, the transaction is structured through CVC's Fund 2, a $30 million portfolio targeting early-stage Canadian companies. According to Jordan McFarlen, managing director of CVC, the fund typically deploys between $500,000 and $3 million per investment. McFarlen stated that Judi.ai's "impressive work and rapid expansion they're looking to do in the US market was extremely attractive," reflecting CVC's confidence in the platform's competitive positioning within the cooperative banking sector.
The funding round drew participation from multiple stakeholders beyond CVC. Unitus Community Credit Union, a $1.7 billion institution based in Oregon, co-invested alongside several returning investors from Judi.ai's existing cap table. Notably, both CVC and Unitus function as existing customers of Judi.ai, actively using the software to automate and accelerate their own lending workflows. This customer-investor alignment underscores the platform's demonstrated value proposition within the target market.
Proceeds from the investment will support three primary strategic objectives: scaling U.S. market expansion, advancing product development capabilities, enhancing customer service infrastructure, and strengthening marketing initiatives. According to Judi.ai CEO Gord Baizley, investments from client-investors like CVC and Unitus reflect a broader industry shift toward AI-enabled solutions within cooperative banking, positioning the company at the intersection of growing market demand and institutional capital availability.
While neither party disclosed the specific investment amount, the transaction is structured through CVC's Fund 2, a $30 million portfolio targeting early-stage Canadian companies. According to Jordan McFarlen, managing director of CVC, the fund typically deploys between $500,000 and $3 million per investment. McFarlen stated that Judi.ai's "impressive work and rapid expansion they're looking to do in the US market was extremely attractive," reflecting CVC's confidence in the platform's competitive positioning within the cooperative banking sector.
The funding round drew participation from multiple stakeholders beyond CVC. Unitus Community Credit Union, a $1.7 billion institution based in Oregon, co-invested alongside several returning investors from Judi.ai's existing cap table. Notably, both CVC and Unitus function as existing customers of Judi.ai, actively using the software to automate and accelerate their own lending workflows. This customer-investor alignment underscores the platform's demonstrated value proposition within the target market.
Proceeds from the investment will support three primary strategic objectives: scaling U.S. market expansion, advancing product development capabilities, enhancing customer service infrastructure, and strengthening marketing initiatives. According to Judi.ai CEO Gord Baizley, investments from client-investors like CVC and Unitus reflect a broader industry shift toward AI-enabled solutions within cooperative banking, positioning the company at the intersection of growing market demand and institutional capital availability.
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