Despite fears of slower global growth, innovation marches onward. The record clip of fundraising and investing in 2018 shows no signs of slowing. Technology now represents nearly one-third of the value of the S&P 500 Index. As innovation creates new markets ― both geographically and across industries ― the growing diversity of companies simply adds to tech’s resiliency.

Investors agree that some of the best opportunities are in the US ecosystem. Appetite for innovation returns remains robust. Successive fund raises by venture firms are larger than ever, and family offices and private equity firms are eager to participate. But exciting prospects also exist overseas and north of the border, where Canada is capitalizing on its leadership role in artificial intelligence.

Yet high-growth companies have never been without risk, and rising political and regulatory scrutiny could slow tech’s velocity. And while we advocate for a healthy dialogue about the US tech giants’ unchecked power and the foreign ownership of cutting-edge technologies, we also believe that the innovation economy is positioned to forge ahead.

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