Hootsuite Seen Leading Canada Technology IPO Rebound

Social media and online-education startups are poised to lead a resurgence in technology initial public offerings in Canada as investors burned by a slump in the commodity industry turn to more lucrative markets.

Hootsuite Media Inc., Desire2Learn Inc. and Vision Critical Communications Inc. are among technology companies that will be ready to go public within two years, according to John Ruffolo, who has invested in all three through the venture capital arm of the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System pension fund. Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. forecasts that more than $400 million will be raised through technology IPOs in Canada this year, which would be the most for the industry in more than a decade, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.