Capital is hard to come by. The economy is in flux. And yet B.C. entrepreneurs are finding traction amid the turmoil.
Tech companies specializing in everything from capturing carbon dioxide to smart glasses, and from beauty brands to farm automation have been leading an unprecedented tech stampede for the local economy.
We have much to look forward to across the province in 2024 and what better way to kick off the calendar year than to highlight 10 homegrown startups Techcouver will be watching closely this year.
Arca
Previously known as Carbin Minerals, this startup with UBC roots is working to stop–and reverse–climate change by capturing carbon dioxide from the air and transforming it into rock. Arca is collaborating with 11 mining companies and has pre-sold over $1 million worth of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) credits to companies like Shopify.
To date Arca’s technology has been recognized with a $1 million XPRIZE Award for Carbon Removal, a Foresight50 award, and an SDTC Seed Fund grant.
Blanka
Blanka allows anyone to launch a new beauty brand in under an hour, for less than $200. Founded in 2021 by Kaylee Astle, Doug Long, and Adam Chuntz, Blanka has been collecting prizes in high-profile award programs including the Startup of the Year award at BC Tech’s Technology Impact Awards.
This past summer Blanka raised a $2.7 million seed round after 12 months of steady growth. Blanka now has thousands of brands subscribed to the platform, fuelled entirely by organic marketing and strategic integrations with partners like Shopify.
Browse AI
Described as a next-generation data company, Vancouver’s Browse AI is drawing attention for its software-as-a-service platform. Browse AI’s no-code web data extraction platform allows non-technical users to train AI agents that can turn a website into a spreadsheet or data pipeline in minutes.
Founded in 2020 and now profitable, Browse AI raised almost USD $3 million in 2023 and gained nearly a quarter million new users within the past half year.
Orca Water
Burnaby’s Orca Water is tackling the problem of water scarcity through development of a versatile monitoring system that empowers property managers to track water use while also serving as a predictive leak detection platform. Orca’s eco-conscious efforts landed the startup in the top 10 of this year’s New Ventures BC competition.
Orca’s breakthrough technology utilizes ultrasonic sensing and machine learning to generate comprehensive insights into water consumption, down to individual fixtures and appliances, providing new levels of understanding and control over water usage.
Otter
Founded in 2023 by repeat entrepreneurs Kevin Sandhu, Andrea McDonald, and Josh Barnes, Otter is revolutionizing accounting and financial management for startups, small businesses, and solo business owners. With tech and finance backgrounds, the founders are leveraging software including generative AI paired with dedicated finance experts to offer comprehensive bookkeeping, tax, and CFO services to growing businesses.
Otter’s unique approach empowers small businesses with big-company capabilities, providing accurate financial records and critical business insights. Otter is hoping to become the de facto finance team for growing businesses across Canada over the coming years.
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RetreatsAndVenues
RetreatsAndVenues offers a meticulously curated online marketplace featuring over 4,200 retreat venues spanning across 120 countries. Founded by Cory Sivell, Mike Tan, and Matt Oakes, the platform wants to revolutionize the corporate retreat and offsite venue booking experience.
The North Vancouver startup outlasted 203 other startups en route to earning $110,000 and the title of the province’s top startup in the 2023 New Ventures BC Competition.
Seleste
The only wearable tech startup on the list, Seleste has developed smart glasses for the blind and visually impaired. Seleste features include Call a Friend, which grants someone remote the ability to see through the glass camera what the blind person is looking at.
Without a person on hand, AI can still navigate the world with scene description, as well as identify objects with recognition functionality, and also read out text—from small newsprint to giant billboards. Seleste won the Luminaries Diamond-in-the-Rough Award at the 2023 New Ventures BC Competition.
Unblocked
Unblocked increases productivity for software development teams by providing helpful and accurate answers to questions they have about their codebase. Instead of having to bother a coworker with a question, software developers use Unblocked to get an immediate, contextualized response to help them with their work.
Unblocked was founded by Dennis Pilarinos, an experienced entrepreneur whose last company (buddybuild) was acquired by Apple. Strong out of the gate, Unblocked already has thousands of developers using it from companies like AppDirect, The San Francisco Giants, and Cribl. Unblocked recently raised a USD $8.3 million round led by Amplify Partners with participation from First Round Capital and XYZ Capital and angels including Vancouver’s own Stewart Butterfield.
Verdi
Precision agtech startup Verdi is building the world’s first truly scalable platform for farm automation. The Verdi platform is a digital interface utilizing specialized devices that sit on existing irrigation infrastructure within crop rows to control tiny valves for water and fertilizer.
In 2023 the UBC-incubated startup was named to the Foresight 50 and selected to participate in Cultivator’s Agtech Accelerator. Verdi works with some of the world’s largest food brands to grow better and more sustainable crops.
Withe
Hiring one person can be difficult, recruiting tens or even hundreds can be impossible—that’s where Vancouver’s Withe comes in. Withe is an on-demand video interview and hiring event platform designed to be the fastest way to interview qualified candidates at scale.
Withe makes it simple for teams to host seasonal and high-volume hiring events that hit recruitment targets in a matter of hours, instead of weeks. Co-founded by Dan Shalinsky and Liam Ross, Withe raised a USD $1.1 million pre-seed round led by San Francisco-based Focal in 2023. Now teams like Marriott International and Neo Financial leverage Withe to run hiring events that convert 23x more qualified candidates in less than half the time.
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