The Vancouver-based investor relations agency, irlabs, has been acquired by shareholder engagement and advisory company, Alliance Advisors. The acquisition is set to extend irlabs’ influence across North America and internationally.
Founded in 2021 by Alyssa Barry and Caroline Sawamoto, irlabs has grown to 25 employees and is recognized for its innovative business model and customer service. Both founders logged about 15 years doing in-house IR for various public and private companies prior to launching their firm.
“Alliance Advisors is a perfect partner to elevate our offering and continue our expansion. It’s an exciting time in the capital markets, and we are thrilled to be part of Alliance’s vision for the future,” said Alyssa Barry.
- Founders Caroline Sawamoto and Alyssa Barry
Many Canadian tech-focused companies, including Beyond Oil (CSE:BOIL), ecologyst, HEMPALTA (TSXV:HEMP), ReGen III Corp. (TSXV:GIII), Rakovina Therapeutics (TSXV:RKV), DeFi Technologies (Cboe CA:DEFI), MineHub Technologies (TSXV: MHUB), HeyAuto, and Charli AI, have engaged irlabs to enhance investor engagement and communication strategies.
Speaking exclusively to Techcouver, Barry noted, “We’ve been fortunate to work with many companies across the tech sector, from fintech, cleantech, foodtech, and crypto and bitcoin. We are drawn towards companies with a clear purpose and a robust market opportunity.
“We love helping companies grow. Taking them from private to public is what our team does best. We are often brought in to develop strategy, assist in building their board and governance frameworks, support their capital markets and fundraising efforts, and ultimately introduce our clients to the investment community.”
Caroline Sawamoto added, “We have the best team that we’ve assembled carefully over the past few years. Everyone brings unique backgrounds and experiences that have shaped their journey to where they are today. We’re thrilled to expand our team further through this acquisition, further enhancing our collective expertise and capabilities.”
“Working on some of the hottest deals in the U.S. as a Canadian team is incredibly humbling. Just this month, one of our companies rang the bell at NASDAQ with some of our team members present. We’ve also supported a group of decorated U.S. military veterans building a real estate platform with a tech angle. This highlights that our industry is borderless and showcases the exceptional talent we have in Canada.”
As a part of the acquisition, Barry will take on the role of President of Alliance’s IR practice, while Sawamoto will become Chief Operating Officer. Together, they will steer the expansion of Alliance’s IR services, drawing on their expertise in activism, public relations, media, governance, ESG, and capital markets.
The acquisition marks a significant milestone for the irlabs team and the two Vancouver founders, positioning the firm for expansion and enhanced service capabilities for its clients.
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