The Globe and Mail reports in its Monday, Nov. 17, edition that Staircase Ventures founder Janet Bannister has raised $32-million for the second seed-stage fund of her firm, two years after topping out at $34-million for her inaugural fund. The Globe's Eric Adams writes that Ms. Bannister says her firm aims to raise $40-million for the second fund by early 2026, despite ongoing fundraising challenges in the Canadian venture-capital sector. Returning investors Royal Bank of Canada and Northleaf Capital Partners are anchoring the fund, which seeks to initially invest $1-million to $2.5-million in primarily Canadian software start-ups with early customers and clear market traction. Others backing Staircase for a second time include Mike Wessinger, co-founder and executive chairman of PointClickCare, one of Canada's largest private technology companies, and ex-Shopify chief product officer Craig Miller -- both advisers to Staircase. Tim McGuire, former leader of McKinsey & Co.'s global retail practice, who has known Ms. Bannister since she worked for the consulting giant, is also an investor.