In honor of Canada Day, we used CB Insights’ database to compile a periodic table of 150 notable tech companies, the most active venture capital and corporate investors, and the top exits of Canada’s private company tech scene.
On an annual basis, 2018 saw overall funding to VC-backed Canadian companies increase to $3.5B, with deal activity up 30% YoY, according to the 2018 Money Tree Canada Report from PwC Canada and CB Insights.
The startups selected for inclusion in the table below are all VC-backed technology companies with at least $1M in equity funding, and have obtained equity funding since 2015. The companies were highlighted for analysis using CB Insights data on funding and company health, including momentum, as captured by our proprietary Mosaic algorithm.
Startups headquartered in the Toronto metro area dominate the table, with over 50 tech companies based in the area featured. Vancouver and Montreal came in second and third, respectively, with over 10 featured startups headquartered in each of the two cities.
We expect that this cohort will change over time as new entrants emerge and gain prominence and others falter or exit.
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NAVIGATING THE PERIODIC TABLE OF TECH IN CANADA:
The top 7 rows of the table lists private, investor-backed companies in select industries, as well as notable VC and corporate investors in Canada. The bottom two rows outline notable exits of Canada-based companies.
We broke Canadian tech down into the following categories:
Companies: This category includes 108 privately-owned technology startups headquartered in Canada across 23 sub-categories. These startups have raised equity funding and show significant momentum within their respective category.
Venture Capital: This category encompasses the most active Canadian venture capital firms by number of deals to tech companies globally since the start of 2017.
Corporation/CVC: These are the most active Canada-based corporations, and their corporate venture capital (CVC) arms, making investments in private tech companies around the world since the beginning of 2017.
Notable Exits: This includes Canada-based tech companies that have exited in the form of an M&A transaction or an IPO since 2014, including the USD $1B+ exits of Lightspeed POS and Shopify, among others.
Company sub-categories:
Ag Tech: Agriculture tech companies, such as Farmers Edge, provide agribusinesses with tools and services to help identify, map, and manage farms.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Companies in this category are applying artificial intelligence across various sectors. Kira, for example, is an AI platform which identifies and extracts information from contracts. Also included is Element AI, a company that helps organizations embrace AI, which raised $102M in a Series A round in 2017.
Auto Tech: Startups include Mojio, which provides an open platform for connected cars, as well as LeddarTech, which is developing LiDAR sensing technology.
Blockchain: Blockchain companies featured in the table include startups like Coinsquare, which operates a platform to buy, sell, and trade commodities like bitcoin, ethereum, and gold.
Clean Tech: Clean tech companies are companies aimed towards using technology to further sustainability efforts across industries. The only company featured in our table is MineSense Technologies, which provides a platform for analyzing low-grade ore with the aim of helping to improve sustainability in mining.
Cloud Computing: Companies in this category include Auvik Networks, which looks to help service providers improve the efficiency of their managed cloud services.
CPG & Retail Innovation: These companies are applying technology to retail and e-commerce. Tulip Retail, for example, provides a mobile platform for retail store workers which helps them to view customer preferences, complete sales, and communicate with clients. Tulip has raised over $42M in funding.
Cybersecurity: Startups in this category include SecureKey Technologies, which develops products for authenticating online transactions. Others include eSentire, which offers threat management services for the hedge fund industry.
Data Management & Warehousing: Companies in this category include PHEMI, a big data warehouse company that aims to let organizations access and mine a variety of data to help provide insights.
Digital Health: These startups include Figure 1, a mobile-first network of healthcare professionals. Others include Deep Genomics, which uses deep learning technology to sift through genetic mutations with the goal of identifying potential causes of disease.
E-Commerce: This category includes Elastic Path, which builds e-commerce software to help businesses sell products online. Others include Flipp, which offers a digital platform used by retailers.
Ed Tech: Startups in this category include learning management system Absorb Software and mobile-based classroom response company Top Hat.
Fintech: The financial technology category has the greatest number of startups in our table. Among these is Clearbanc, which provides growth capital for companies using business data instead of a traditional credit score. It has raised $120M in disclosed funding. Also in this category is Vena Solutions, which offers a platform that aims to automate financial and other spreadsheet-driven processes.
HR Tech: Human Resources technology companies include Benevity, a social enterprise that offers a platform to help companies improve the social impact of their programs.
IoT: These are companies developing products or solutions in the internet of things (IoT) space. Companies include ecobee, which builds home automation products and has raised $192M in disclosed equity funding.
On-demand: This category includes companies which offer on-demand services for customers, often connecting businesses with end users. Breather, for instance, offers its members an on-demand network of private rooms which can be accessed via its app.
Quantum Computing: The startups in this category are working on quantum computing applications across a number of industries. D-Wave Systems develops quantum computing systems for commercial use in sectors such as logistics, quantitative finance, and electronic design.
Reg Tech: Regulation technology companies in this year’s table include Assent Compliance, a SaaS platform which helps companies to manage supply chains and product compliance. Another company in the space is Galvanize, a cloud platform which offers services for functions such as security, risk management, and audits.
Restaurant Tech: This category includes companies that provide technology-driven products for services such as restaurant management, bookings, staffing, and inventory management. For example, Toronto-based TouchBistro offers a tablet-based point-of-sale system. It has raised $90M in disclosed equity funding.
Robotics: Clearpath Robotics, a company developing automated robots for a range of industries, falls into this category. Another example is Ontario-based Avidbots, which makes floor cleaning robots for commercial buildings.
Social: This category includes messaging service Kik Interactive, which has a unicorn valuation, and story-sharing platform Wattpad.
Travel Tech: These are tech-enabled companies offering services and products focused on tourism. Hopper, for example, is a mobile application that uses big data to predict airfares. Another startup in the space is CrowdRiff, an AI-powered content marketing platform targeted towards the travel and tourism industry.
Wearables: These companies develop hardware or software for wearable consumer electronics. One startup in the space is InteraXon, the creator of Muse, which offers brainwave-measuring headsets with the aim of helping to guide meditation.
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