Avenue Intelligence wants to help cities understand how people move — without compromising their privacy.
The Vancouver-based startup, nominated as a BC Tech Company of the Year – Startup finalist, is on a mission to deliver real-time pedestrian insights to communities and businesses of all sizes.
“Cities and businesses rely on accurate data about how people move through spaces for everything from traffic planning and economic development to staffing and site selection,” says co-founder Jake McGregor. “But collecting reliable pedestrian data is a challenge. Many existing solutions are expensive, intrusive, difficult to deploy, and raise serious privacy concerns.”
Avenue’s solution is designed to be different.
Their hardware sensors can be installed in under 20 minutes without hard-wired infrastructure and can run up to five years on a single battery. Once installed, they anonymously count foot traffic and feed data into the company’s software platform, Avenue Insights.
“What truly sets us apart is our customer-first software platform, which turns raw foot traffic counts into meaningful insights,” McGregor explains. “Beyond pedestrian counts, we layer in contextual data like weather, nearby points of interest, and even retail sales when available, so users can explore the why behind the what.”
Since launching in 2023, Avenue Intelligence has grown from a living-room prototype into a team of professionals serving customers across Canada. Today, over 150 sensors are deployed in cities coast to coast, helping 12 municipalities, main street associations, and retailers make more informed decisions. This summer, Avenue will install its first sensors in the U.S.
The company has attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars in non-dilutive funding from NRC IRAP and Innovate BC to fuel its growth. But getting here wasn’t without hurdles.
“As a small, early-stage team, building a hardware product from scratch was tough,” McGregor says. “From sourcing components and managing supply chains to field testing through Canadian winters, it’s been a steep learning curve. We overcame these challenges by staying close to our users and iterating quickly.”
Being rooted in B.C. has shaped Avenue’s trajectory and culture.
“B.C. has been the foundation of our success,” says McGregor. “We got our start through Entrepreneurship@UBC’s Hatch accelerator, and we’ve grown within the supportive BC Tech ecosystem. The community here has helped us punch above our weight.”
For Avenue Intelligence, the BC Tech Award nomination is more than just recognition — it’s validation.
“Innovation can often feel like a solitary pursuit,” McGregor reflects. “So to be recognized like this is a powerful reminder that we’re not alone and that what we’re building matters beyond our walls and beyond our industry. We’re proud to be one of the companies helping shape the future of smart, livable cities — right here in our home province.”
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