The Vancouver-based telecom said the Pollinator Fund for Good will invest in early-stage companies that drive social innovation and economic growth in transforming health care, enabling inclusive communities, supporting responsible agriculture and caring for the planet. (The Logic)

Talking point: Telus has so far put $45 million into the fund, and Blair Miller, the fund’s managing partner, told BetaKit it plans to provide the additional $55 million over the next decade. (At this point, Telus is the fund’s only limited partner.) The fund will invest between $500,000 and $2 million into companies, and announced three initial investments: $2 million each in Windmill Microlending and Rhiza Capital, and US$1 million in Tidal Vision. Windmill is a registered charity that offers low-interest microloans to help skilled newcomers to Canada continue their careers. Rhiza is an investment fund based in B.C.’s Sunshine Coast and Tidal is an American company that developed a process for turning crustacean shells into a multiuse biopolymer. “The investments made by the Telus Pollinator Fund for Good aren’t restricted to Canadian-based companies driving social innovation; it’s open to entrepreneurs worldwide looking to scale and grow their impact in Canada,” Miller said in a press release.