Aquanow is a Vancouver-based digital assets infrastructure company that also operates as a strategic corporate investor. Founded in 2018, the company built its reputation as a business-to-business liquidity provider, helping banks, fintechs, and crypto platforms access digital asset markets without building their own trading infrastructure. Over time, Aquanow extended its footprint by taking minority stakes in early-stage projects aligned with its institutional infrastructure thesis.
The company is privately held and has not disclosed assets under management or total capital deployed. Its investment activity appears strategic rather than fund-driven – Aquanow backs companies where a commercial relationship already exists or where portfolio synergies with its core liquidity and settlement infrastructure are clear. This corporate venture approach is common among fintech infrastructure firms in Canada, where regulatory clarity has attracted institutional-grade digital asset businesses.
Aquanow is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, and its geographic focus spans North America with reach into global institutional markets. The company has partnerships with regulated financial institutions across Canada, the United States, and Asia-Pacific, reflecting an interest in jurisdictions with workable digital asset regulatory frameworks.
Notable Investments
Public information about Aquanow's specific investment portfolio is limited. The company has disclosed a portfolio count of approximately five companies, but deal names, ticket sizes, and terms have not been made public as of mid-2026. Aquanow's investments are understood to concentrate on:
- Digital asset infrastructure – settlement, custody, and payments rails for institutional clients
- Compliance and RegTech – tools that help financial institutions meet evolving crypto regulations in Canada and the US
- Liquidity and market structure – platforms that extend access to crypto markets for non-native financial firms
No confirmed portfolio company names are available from public sources as of this writing. The company does not maintain a publicly accessible portfolio page. Data aggregators including Crunchbase list Aquanow primarily as a company that has received funding, with limited detail on outbound investments.
Team
Phil Sham serves as CEO and co-founder. He previously worked in institutional equity and fixed-income trading before pivoting to digital assets. His background in traditional capital markets shaped Aquanow's positioning as a bridge between legacy financial infrastructure and crypto-native systems. Public information about other founding partners and the broader investment team is limited.
Recent Activity
In 2024 and into 2025, Aquanow focused on expanding its white-label infrastructure product for banks and credit unions seeking compliant on-ramps to digital assets. Canada's crypto regulatory environment – shaped by the Ontario Securities Commission and FINTRAC – tightened significantly after 2022, and Aquanow positioned itself as a compliant conduit rather than a speculative trader, which helped it weather the post-FTX institutional confidence crisis better than many peers.
No major acquisitions, fund closes, or high-profile strategic pivots have been publicly announced in the 18 months prior to mid-2026. The company has maintained a low public profile, consistent with its focus on institutional clients who generally prefer discretion.
Aquanow occupies a narrow but defensible position in the Canadian digital asset ecosystem. Its corporate investment activity remains modest relative to dedicated crypto venture firms, and its five known portfolio stakes appear to function primarily as strategic relationships rather than financial bets. For investors and founders evaluating Aquanow as a backer, the primary value proposition is likely distribution and liquidity access rather than capital alone.
