Industry · Construction & trades
Equity is bonding capacity. Our members have run bonded companies and know what the surety wants.
- GCs · subtrades · specialty
- Bonding & working capital
- Fleet, yard, crews
- Partner buyouts
Blue Ring Venture Capital members provide equity of $50K–$5M per company to construction and trades companies with $1M–$25M in revenue across Southwestern Ontario. Equity raises bonding capacity, carries the working-capital cycle on larger jobs, funds fleet and yard expansion and finances partner buyouts — with a board member who has run a bonded contracting company.
This page is an example, not a filter
Our members look at companies in most sectors; the short list of exceptions is in the FAQ. This page exists because several of them have run businesses in this industry, which is where they can help fastest and judge hardest. If your company is in something else entirely and not on that list, apply anyway — every application is read on its own numbers, its own plan and whether a member can genuinely be useful.
Why contractors stall
You can win the job. Can you bond it and carry it for 75 days?
A $3M-revenue subtrade gets invited to bid on a $1.5M institutional package. The surety looks at working capital and net worth and says the aggregate program is full. The bank looks at the same balance sheet and offers a slightly larger line — against a personal guarantee. The owner either passes or over-extends.
A $300K equity injection typically raises a contractor's aggregate bonding program by $2M–$4M and gives the company the working capital to carry progress billings and holdbacks. Members have sat across from sureties and understand WIP schedules, over- and under-billings and why a good year can still be a cash-poor one.
- Equity that stays on the balance sheet and counts for the surety
- A board member who can read a WIP schedule
- Structures with a dividend that flexes with the season
- Help with the second layer: estimator, project manager, controller
Members will ask
- Backlog by client and gross margin at bid vs at completion
- Holdback and retainage outstanding, by age
- Safety record and certifications (COR, ISNetworld)
- Who estimates, and what happens when they leave
- Fleet age and the replacement schedule
Signs of a contractor members lean into
- Three years of profitable operations with job-cost reporting
- A repeat-client base — 50%+ of revenue from clients you have worked for before
- Bonding history with no claims
- An estimator and a project manager who are not the owner
- Change-order discipline documented
- Fleet and equipment maintained with records
- A safety program that a prime contractor would accept
- A clear reason the next $1M of revenue is available to you specifically
Trades questions
We do residential service work, not bonded jobs. Does that fit?
Yes. HVAC, plumbing and electrical service businesses with recurring maintenance agreements are among the more predictable companies members see. The questions shift to technician retention, truck utilization and membership-agreement growth.
Can you help us buy out my partner who wants to retire?
That is one of the most common situations in trades. See the partner buyout page: a bank loan for part, a vendor note for part, member equity for the rest, and a board seat through the transition.
Do you take security on the equipment or the yard?
No. Equipment lenders and mortgage lenders do that. Members hold shares or a subordinated instrument and are paid from profits.
Will the surety accept an outside investor?
Sureties generally welcome equity and a stronger board; they will want to understand the shareholders' agreement and any dividend terms. Members have done this before and can join the conversation.
Talk to members who have run a business like yours
Fifteen minutes to apply. A named person replies within 48 hours.
Written by The Blue Ring Venture Capital team. Last reviewed .
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