MintList is revolutionizing how Canadians buy, sell, and trade-in cars, and is proud to be the first autotech startup to pledge equity in support of two important charities through the Upside Foundation

VANCOUVER – July 20, 2022 – MintList announced today that it is pledging equity in its business to two Canadian charities through The Upside Foundation. MintList is the first automotive technology trade and sales platform to make an equity pledge to The Upside Foundation, joining more than 355 other early-stage companies that have made the same commitment. As a company that is changing how Canadians buy, sell, and trade-in cars, MintList has chosen to have the cash proceeds of its donated equity directed to support Kars4Kids and Kidney Car in the event of a liquidity transaction. 

The Upside Foundation is dedicated to introducing corporate social responsibility (CSR) to the technology start-up community. The organization enables founders of early-stage, high-growth Canadian companies to build CSR into their business by pledging equity to the Upside Foundation to benefit a charity of their choosing and joining a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. 

“At MintList we are fixing an outdated, broken sales model by offering vehicle buyers and sellers a level playing field and competition,” said Mike Wood, co-founder and CEO of MintList. “It was especially important to me and my co-founder to integrate CSR into our company DNA, and this is one of the many ways we plan to do that. Kars4Kids and Kidney Cars are two very important Canadian charities that do incredible work in their respective markets. As their approach to fundraising is linked to our industry, choosing them as our charity of choice was an easy decision.”

The Upside Foundation was founded by investors and leaders in the Canadian tech community to enable start-up companies to give back from day one. Since its inception, 16 Upside members have experienced liquidity events, resulting in almost $3M donated to 27 Canadian charities.

“We are pleased to welcome MintList to the Upside Foundation,” said Maria O’Reilly, General Manager of the Upside Foundation. “By pledging early in the start-up phase of their company, MintList has reinforced that CSR will play an important role in their corporate culture. We look forward to supporting Mike and Mehrsa as they execute on their vision and grow a socially responsible business.”

By pledging to the Upside Foundation, MintList is joining a prestigious community of companies that share a vision of giving back to the community and using their success to do good.

About the Upside Foundation
The Upside Foundation enables founders of early-stage, high-growth Canadian companies to build social responsibility into their business by pledging equity to the charity of their choice and join a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. The Upside Foundation was co-founded by Robert Antoniades, General Partner of Information Venture Partners; Mark Skapinker, Managing Partner at Brightspark Ventures; and consultant Janie Goldstein. The founders were searching for a way to encourage their portfolio companies to give back, noting that this generation of entrepreneurs strives to make an impact. Drawing on the experience of similar organizations, such as Israel’s Tmura and Silicon Valley’s Entrepreneurs Foundation, the trio designed a model built by Canadians for Canadians to enable ambitious entrepreneurs to give back to their communities.

About MintList
MintList is an AI-powered platform for buying, selling, and trading cars. In addition to providing the easiest, fastest, and safest way for owners to sell their vehicle for the best possible price, MintList also enables consumers to leverage the value in their existing vehicle to trade up to another new or used vehicle while saving thousands of dollars on taxes. The MintList business model uses advanced technology, instead of expensive physical infrastructure, to deliver the best solution for both automotive dealers and consumers. For additional information, visit MintList.com