What Waverley Corporate Financial Services does

Waverley Corporate Financial Services Ltd. is a Toronto-based Exempt Market Dealer (EMD) founded in 2012 that operates a turnkey compliance and capital-raise platform for Canada's private capital markets. The company serves three interconnected customer groups — issuers (primarily small and mid-sized private companies and Mortgage Investment Corporations), dealers (investment dealers needing compliance infrastructure), and investors (accredited, eligible, and permitted investors seeking private-market exposure) — through a national network of more than 40 licensed dealing representatives operating across seven Canadian provinces. Waverley is privately held, with Don McDonald as Founder and CEO, and is ranked #1 among Canadian EMDs by number of financings closed (2024) and #2 by fees generated.

The company's core technology stack centers on two proprietary frameworks: the Waverley Model, a turnkey compliance and operational infrastructure providing regulatory capital oversight, CCO services, accounting/audit/bonding, an investor onboarding portal, KYP/KYC and suitability assessments, and reporting; and the Capital Acceleration Model, which extends the Waverley Model to accelerate capital raises for smaller issuers and investment bankers. The company has also integrated with the DealPoint platform (2023 Digital Commerce Calgary Fintech Award winner) to digitize investor onboarding and investment execution. Supporting products include the Dealer Turnkey Platform for dealers, MIC Platform Services, Investor Portfolio Services, and the Build Smarter Portfolios questionnaire tool.

Waverley is compensated by issuers rather than charging clients directly, generating revenue through transaction fees on private placements — described as hundreds of trades per month through the platform — together with managed-services fees for dealers using the turnkey compliance stack. In 2024 the company serviced 41 issuers across 76 unique offerings and reports 4,000+ investors on the platform, with a growing roster of strategic partners including Mortgage Company of Canada (since 2015), Lankin Investments, North America Home Finance, the Scott McGillivray Real Estate Fund, and Millennial Developments.

Name

Waverley Corporate Financial Services

Legal name

Waverley Corporate Financial Services Ltd.

Website

https://waverleycf.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Waverley Corporate Financial Services is a Toronto-based Exempt Market Dealer (founded 2012) that operates a turnkey compliance and capital-raising platform connecting small-to-mid-sized issuers, dealers, and accredited investors across Canada through a national network of 40+ licensed dealing representatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Exempt Market Dealer / Private Capital Markets Services

NAICS

Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Broker-Dealers (Retail Network) (FSAAAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Capital Markets Advisory (IPO Readiness, SPAC, ECM/DCM Advisory) (BPAHAOAL)

Keywords

• Exempt market dealer
• Private capital markets
• Private equity dealer
• Exempt market securities
• Capital raising services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Issuer Transaction Fees: Waverley is compensated by issuers rather than charging clients directly. All published historical and projected returns are net of all fees and commissions. The company processes hundreds of trades per month through its platform.
2. Platform Services for Dealers: Provides turnkey compliance and operational infrastructure to dealers at a fraction of the cost of going alone, including regulatory capital, CCO services, accounting, audit, and technology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Waverley Corporate Financial Services is a Canadian Exempt Market Dealer (EMD) that operates the proprietary Waverley Model and Capital Acceleration Model to provide turnkey compliance and operational infrastructure for issuers raising capital, dealers seeking a compliance platform, and accredited investors accessing private market opportunities. The platform delivers regulatory capital oversight, Chief Compliance Officer services, KYP/KYC and suitability assessments, accounting, audit, bonding, an investor onboarding portal, and reporting. The company processes hundreds of trades per month and is compensated by issuers rather than charging clients directly.

Product overview

Waverley Corporate Financial Services operates as a technology-enabled Exempt Market Dealer (EMD) platform serving Canada's private equity market. The core offering consists of the proprietary Waverley Model (turnkey compliance and operational infrastructure) and the Capital Acceleration Model, which together provide issuers, dealers, and investors with a streamlined pathway for capital raising and private market investing. The platform is architecture-based, providing distinct service layers: a Dealer Turnkey Platform for investment advisors seeking compliance infrastructure, Investor Portfolio Services for accredited investors accessing private markets, and a specialized MIC Platform for Mortgage Investment Corporations. Additional offerings include the Build Smarter Portfolios questionnaire tool for investor onboarding and financing for real estate development projects including Five Crossings, Collinson Rise/Revo, and partnerships with the Scott McGillivray Real Estate Fund. The company publishes The Alternative, a quarterly newsletter providing market insights. All services are supported by a national network of licensed Dealing Representatives across multiple Canadian provinces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Waverley Model

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked #1 Exempt Market Dealer in Canada by transaction volume
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant and minor.

• DealPointcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023DealPoint won the 2023 Digital Commerce Calgary Fintech Award for its platform that digitizes investor onboarding and investment execution. Waverley is proud to call DealPoint a partner as they reshape the financial landscape.
• Mortgage Company of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Long-standing partnership since 2015 where Mortgage Company of Canada utilizes the Waverley Model. MCC has grown to become one of Canada's largest non-bank lenders. The partnership involves collaborative capital raising and platform services.
• Lankin InvestmentssignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearly decade-long partnership where Lankin Investments works with Waverley to expand access to alternative investments for Canadian investors. Waverley has contributed to the growth of the Lankin brand.
• North America Home Finance Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on housing fund business expansion. Working with Waverley has enabled the company to expand project base, fund new housing communities, and offer families options to build equity toward homeownership.
• Scott McGillivray Real Estate FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaverley is collaborating with the Scott McGillivray Real Estate Fund to establish a residential development pool across Southern Ontario, focusing on multi-family housing investments.
• Millennial DevelopmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWaverley serves as the Exempt Market Dealer for Millennial Developments' award-winning projects including Five Crossings and Revo Kelowna. Millennial Developments earned 8 CHBA Award nominations in 2025.
• Olympia TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWaverley is a proud sponsor of the Olympia Trust Golf Classic, a networking and relationship-building event in the financial industry.
• Wellspring Chinguacousy Cancer Support CentreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWaverley sponsored a fundraising event helping to raise $160,000 for the cancer support centre which offers free programs and services for people living with cancer and their families.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Haywood Securities: Canadian independent investment dealer active in private placements and exempt market financings, particularly in real estate and resource sectors. Comparable Canadian mid-market dealer profile.
• Leede Jones Gable: Canadian independent investment dealer with exempt market dealer operations serving small and mid-cap issuers. Directly comparable business model and Canadian client base.
• PI Financial Corp: Canadian independent full-service investment dealer with exempt market and private capital markets activity. Comparable in scale and Canadian mid-market focus.
• Eight Capital: Canadian independent investment dealer with active exempt market and private capital markets business. Comparable business model and Canadian mid-market issuer/investor focus.
• Echelon Wealth Partners: Canadian exempt market dealer and investment dealer focused on private placements and exempt securities. Closely comparable to Waverley in serving small/mid-cap issuers and accredited investors across Canada.
• Canaccord Genuity: Canadian investment dealer with a significant exempt market and private capital markets practice. Directly comparable as a Canadian-based dealer intermediating private market financings for issuers and investors.
• Research Capital Corporation: Canadian independent investment dealer active in exempt market and private placement financings. Comparable in serving Canadian issuers seeking to raise capital from accredited investors.

Emerging players

• FrontFundr: Canadian online private capital markets platform enabling exempt market financings and investor access. Comparable as an emerging fintech-enabled EMD/platform serving Canadian issuers and investors, though more focused on equity crowdfunding.

Broad incumbents

• Industrial Alliance Securities: Canadian dealer subsidiary of iA Financial Group with broader retail and exempt market offerings. Comparable as a Canadian exempt market participant but operates as part of a much larger financial services group.

Others

• DealPoint: Calgary-based fintech (2023 Digital Commerce Calgary Fintech Award winner) that digitizes investor onboarding and investment execution for private capital markets. Comparable as a technology enabler for EMDs; Waverley is a partner.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waverley-corporate-financial-services-ltd-
• Instagraminstagram.com/waverleycf
• Xx.com/burntorangeit

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Waverley Corporate Financial Services