Donato Sferra

Donato Sferra is a Toronto-based investor and business executive. He currently serves as
Managing Partner at Hillcrest Merchant Partners, a Toronto-based merchant bank and venture
capital firm focused on early stage and mid-market growth companies, which he co-founded
along with managing partner, Mark Attanasio.

Donato Sferra has an extensive background in the financial service industry with a specialization
in corporate cannabis deals. Prior to establishing Hillcrest Merchant Partners, Donato was the
Managing Director of Investment Banking at Eight Capital, where he led the company’s
cannabis investment banking team.

Donato’s interest in the corporate cannabis business first sparked while working at Dundee
Capital Markets, first as Director of Institutional Sales from 2011 to 2013, then as Managing
Director of Investment Banking from 2013 to 2016. In addition to cannabis, Donato also
became involved with business deals surrounding electric metals, mining, gaming and tech.
Before Dundee Capital Markets, Donato spent two years at Toronto’s Macquarie Group as
Director of Institutional Sales. He also served as Vice President of Investments at Pinetree
Capital Ltd., a small, cap-focused, buy-side firm and angel investor focusing on mining, energy
and tech investments. Donato served as a member of the executive management team at
Pinetree Capital, where he was involved in the evaluation and management of the company’s
investment portfolio.

Prior to Pinetree Capital, Donato served as an equity research analyst at TD Securities,
specializing in auto parts, solar and automation. Donato also practised as a chartered
accountant and senior auditor at Arthur Andersen for four years.
Donato Sferra studied accounting at the Schulich School of Business at York University in
Toronto. He is a chartered accountant and holds the chartered accountant (CA) and Chartered
Financial Analyst (CFA) designations.