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Venture Fund

Canadian Tire’s History of Innovation

From its origins as a single auto garage to a national chain of over 1,700 retail stores and gas outlets, Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) has proudly served customers across Canada for 100 years. As it grew, CTC was consistently at the forefront of retail innovation, with products and services designed to make life in Canada better for customers from coast to coast.

Roller Labs Ventures is the next step in CTC's history of innovation.

Canadian Tire

Introducing Roller Labs Ventures

In 2022, Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) announced the formation of its new Corporate Venture Capital Fund, Roller Labs Ventures.

Roller Labs Ventures is named in honour of two of Canadian Tire's earliest innovations. In 1937, Canadian Tire stores were counter-service only, and clerks had to make long, repeated trips back and forth to shelves to grab products for eager customers. Ready to take risks, Canadian Tire founders A.J. and J.W. Billes saw an opportunity for innovation: they designed and outfitted clerks at one of the original Toronto Canadian Tire stores on Yonge Street with roller skates and drastically reduced wait times for their customers. Soon, the efficiency spread, and even warehouse workers were wearing rollers.

Financed solely by CTC, and as part of its multi-billion dollar Better Connected strategy, Roller Labs Ventures is a fund that will provide early-stage investments into strategically aligned companies. By supporting Canadian entrepreneurs and working closely with the venture capital community, Roller Labs Ventures will honour and support CTC's 100-year history of product innovation and operational efficiency. As digitization accelerates and Canadians' shopping habits continue to evolve, Roller Labs Ventures is one of the many ways CTC plans to maintain its focus on competing in a dynamic consumer market.

For more information, visit the Roller Labs Ventures website

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