Be audacious.

That was the message Yobie Benjamin had for Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs when he delivered the keynote address at the Engage 2015 Conference in Halifax this week. The celebrated entrepreneur and funder called on East Coast startups to be as audacious as possible, because it’s the only way to grab the attention of major venture capital investors.

“You need to have audacity – the crazier the better,” he said.

Benjamin gained recognition this year when he was awarded the 2015 Technology Pioneer award from the World Economic Forum, best known for hosting the Davos Conference in Switzerland each February.

But that was simply one chapter in a remarkable career that has included founding startups that have raised millions, a fascinating career as an investor, even the head of IT at Citigroup ICG/GTS. And his central message when he spoke at the two-day conference for entrepreneurs was to be bold because VC investors are drawn to entrepreneurs with huge ambitions.

“One thing about venture capital is that it’s different,” said Benjamin. “People in venture capital are not interested in small returns. If it’s not going to return, say, $500 million or above, it’s a waste of time.”

He also noted the opportunities that are abundant in consumer technology and media, citing data showing that these segments will increase by $500 billion in the next five years. In fact, he said the average American spends more time using technology and media that he or she does working or sleeping. The idea is to capture some of that time.

“If I could capture less than a minute a day of your time, I would create a billion-dollar company,” he said.

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Clad completely in black, Benjamin delivered rambling talk and gave clear demonstrations of some of the “audacious” companies he had worked on or invested in.

One company he is involved with is Avegant, which has created the Avegant Glyph - The Smart Headphone. It’s a headphone that also produces high-resolution images for the wearer without producing exterior heat or light. The product, which has military applications, raised $1.5 million on Kickstarter and $49 million in VC financing.

The companies he has invested in include Orphidia, which uses microfluidics to test a single drop of blood for 50 different conditions in real time anywhere. It does all of this free to the patient. The company is able to this by selling the data the tests produce to pharmaceutical companies.

“The lesson from Orphidia is the business model,” he said. “It’s about doing something to help a lot of people and make money doing it.”

Benjamin also presented the Skully motorcycle helmet, which he invented to help make improve safety for bikers. The helmet provides a 360-degree view of the bikers’ surroundings on a screen in front of their eyes so they never have to turn their head. It raised $3.2 million in crowdfunding.

Benjamin said there is a world of potential in Atlantic Canada – he was especially impressed with GreenNexxus of Fredericton, whose Sustainability Engagement Systems help communities engage people in green projects. Yet he believes the companies on Canada’s East Coast need to be more ambitious to grab more investment from international investors.

“Atlantic Canada is a very rich region,” said Benjamin. “There’s capital here but the capital here but the capital doesn’t seem to want to deploy.”