Janet Bannister

Managing Partner

Janet is an experienced founder, operator, and investor. She has 9 years of experience investing in early-stage tech companies and building the Canadian tech ecosystem. Janet is also the founder of Kijijji.ca and was an early employee at eBay in Silicon Valley.

Janet Bannister is the Founder and Managing Partner of Staircase Ventures. Prior to launching Staircase Ventures, Janet was Managing Partner at Real Ventures, one of Canada’s largest and most active early-stage investors. Janet is very active in the Canadian tech ecosystem including being Co-Chair of C100 and on the Boards of Communitech in Waterloo, Vector Institute in Toronto, and Ivey Business School. She is also a mentor at Creative Destruction Lab. In 2004, Janet launched Kijiji.ca and grew it to become one of the most visited websites in Canada.

Janet has won numerous awards and recognition including Venture Capital Journal’s 2021 “Women of Influence in Private Markets”, Pitchbooks’ 2021 “Female Founders & Investors to Know”, and American Bankers’ 2019 “Most Influential Women in Payments”.

Janet spent four years at eBay in Silicon Valley where she helped transform eBay from a Collectibles to a mainstream marketplace. She started her career as a Brand Manager at Procter & Gamble and then joined McKinsey & Co. where she was an Engagement Manager. She also founded and built a successful consulting business and was CEO at a venture-backed start-up prior to joining Real Ventures.

Janet was a varsity long-distance runner and Canada’s National Triathlon Champion. She loves to cycle, hike, golf, and spend time with her husband and 17-year old son.