10 Famous Young Entrepreneurs In Canada
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Though not as famous as their neighbours’ next door (read: USA), Canada has recently started making strides in startup and entrepreneurship, with many young Canadian entrepreneurs building large and successful Canadian businesses and startups.
In fact, young entrepreneurs between 24-35 years are taking the lead and have occupied a third of entrepreneurship in Canada since 2018.
They are the reason for the new revival in the nation’s entrepreneurship. (Source: BDC Study)
In this blog, we look at the journey of famous young Canadian entrepreneurs who have built successful startups.
Before I forget – this article follows our series of young entrepreneur articles
a. Young Entrepreneurs in India
Daniel Eberhard
Company Name: Koho
Company Position: CEO and Co-founder
Year of Birth: 1987
Year founded: 2014
Company Estimated Wealth: $130 Million
Sector: Fintech
Topping our list is no other than Daniel Eberhard, the CEO and Co-founder of Koho Financial Inc.
Apart from Koho, Daniel also serves as the Vice president of Kineticor Renewables Inc.
Daniel sits on top of our list because of his insight and ability to create mission-driven companies that are scalable.
Some of these companies feature in the list of Top Canadian Employers on our website.
In 2010, he co-founded Kineticor Renewables, a wind energy firm that developed at least $50 million in wind projects.
The following year, Algonquin Power acquired the company, but that only gave Daniel the time he needed to travel through Europe to compare its banking system with that of Canada.
Then in 2014, he founded Koho Financial as the first challenger bank in Canada to tackle the country’s banking oligopoly and its inequalities.
Koho has raised over $130 million since its inception. (Source: FintechConnect)
Koho offers digitally-enabled banking that offers a prepaid Visa, a spending account, and a fully integrated app that helps its users track spending and save automatically from the comfort of their phones. (Source: MaRS)
“Daniel loves exploring new opportunities and breaking new grounds. We can’t wait to see the next big project he hops on.”
Eva Wong
Company Name: Borrowell
Company Position: COO and Co-founder
Year founded: 2014
Company Estimated Wealth: $92 Million
Sector: Fintech
Eva Wong is the Co-founder and COO of Borrowell.
She was also among the 20 tech startup founders elected by Twitter Canada to offer her wealth of knowledge to the Smith School of Business advisory board. (Source: Twitter)
Eva’s business development and management consulting background equipped her to work in nonprofit and private sectors in Canada and other countries.
She received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019 in Ontario. (Source: Borrowell)
Eva has worked at Maple Leaf Foods, the OTF Group, Oliver Wyman, and UNDP.
Eva spent some time in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, the US, and Asia studying or working at some point. Eva made it to the list of outstanding women in Fintech Powerlist in 2018. (Source: LinkedIn)
Borrowell has raised $92 million in funding and is funded by 25 investors, with Kensington Capital Partners and BDC Capital leading the list. The latest funding was in February 2021. (Source: Crunchbase)
“Eva is known for her public speeches. She has received many accolades with Twitter Canada naming her as one of the 20 Canadian tech startup founders to look out for.”
Sachin Aggarwal
Company Name: Think Research
Company Position: CEO
Year founded: 2010
Company Estimated Wealth: $68 Million
Sector: Healthcare
Another famous entrepreneur worthy of making it to this list is Sachin Aggarwal.
Sachin is the CEO of Think Research, a knowledge-based tool that is very useful for clinicians.
Sachin first joined the company as Chief Operating Officer before becoming the CEO.
In a bid to organize health knowledge and make it easily accessible so that people get the best care, Sachin led his team at Think Research to come up with cloud-based data in 2010.
This singular move made the company a leader in the area of health data globally. (Source: ThinkResearch)
With Think Research, health professionals can turn best practices and evidence-based research into actionable insights. It also makes it possible for handwritten notes to be turned into digital checklists, among other functions.
And during the COVID-19 breakout, the company translated clinical recommendations that were being developed into checklists and tools. (Source: MaRS)
Sachin’s Think Research has garnered the sum of $68 million in funding from 6 investors. Kayne Partners and LVL1 Group are the latest investors. (Source: Crunchbase)
“Leading the healthcare system through a strategic transition isn’t an easy feat. Sachin has proven that with the right mindset and a strong team, anything is possible. Because of him, many healthcare patients can now access quality health service.”
Shahrzad Rafati
Company Name: BroadbandTV
Company Position: Founder and CEO
Year founded: 2005
Company Estimated Wealth: $65 Million
Sector: Media
Moving into the media world, we found an active investor and a progressive entrepreneur in the person of Shahrzad Rafati.
Shahrzad is the CEO and founder of BroadbandTV (BBTV), a media-tech company set to advance the world through its creation, management, distribution, and monetization of its contents.
BroadbandTV is the world’s second-biggest video property, with over 554 million viewers and billions of views every month. (Source: LinkedIn)
Although born in Iran, Shahrzad migrated to Canada as a teenager and became a citizen.
Shahrzad set up BroadbandTV in 2005, and in 2013, he attracted RTL Group, which garnered him an investment of $36 million.
In October 2020, his company was listed on TSX for its initial public offering. (Source: Wikipedia)
In 2015, BroadbandTV acquired YoBoHo and had raised the sum of $65 million in funding. (Source: Crunchbase)
“Shahrzad loves to multi-task. He is not only leading BroadbandTV but is also a board member of various organizations including Hootsuite.”
James Novak
Company Name: Fiix
Company Position: CEO
Year founded: 2008
Company Estimated Wealth: $60 Million
Sector: Tech
Number 5 on our list is James Novak, seasoned sales executive and CEO of Fiix.
Fiix creates intelligent, easy-to-use asset maintenance and management software that helps industrial companies carry out their operations in a modernized way. (Source: Fiix)
Since taking over the helm of affairs at Fiix, James and his team have raised $60 million in venture capital in 3 rounds (2016-2020).
James and his team grew the company’s revenue by over 1000 percent, increasing returns for shareholders.
This move has earned the company a position as one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies multiple times. (Source: LinkedIn)
“James boasts of his company reaching 3000 clients (in 3 years) with presence in 90 countries, and we agree that that is no easy feat.”
Corey Gross
Company Name: Sensibill
Company Position: Founder and CEO
Year founded: 2013
Company Estimated Wealth: $57.4 Million
Sector: Fintech
Corey Gross is a thought leader and an entrepreneur who loves exploring the world of business financial management and digital banking.
Corey is the CEO and founder of Sensibill, a data services and receipt management provider to financial institutions.
Corey oversees the strategic direction, management, and investor relations at Sensibill. He has years of extensive experience relating with banks, retailers, POS providers, and other people in the value chain. (Source: DC Finance)
Like most Fintechs, Sensibill offers solutions for digital banking that aid small businesses, retail customers, business travelers, and small businesses check their spending and stay in control of cash flow and expenses.
The company has partnered with over 80 financial institutions in Canada and across the US and UK. (Source: MaRS)
Corey’s efforts at Sensibill have helped the company raise a total of $57.4 million in funding in more than six rounds.
These funds are from 18 investors, with CIBC Innovation Banking and FedDev as the latest investors. (Source: Crunchbase)
“Corey believes that anyone can achieve financial wellness when given the right means and given the right tools to do so. And that is what he is doing with Sensibill.”
Jason Tham
Company Name: Nulogy
Company Position: CEO and Co-founder
Year founded: 2002
Company Estimated Wealth: $28.6 Million
Sector: Packaging
Next on the list is Jason Tham, the CEO, and Founder of Nulogy, who also spearheads the executive leadership, corporate development, and clients’ evolving landscape at Nulogy.
James is active at Nulogy and is also a thought-provoking speaker who has spoken at various events like the symposium held by Gartner Supply and Contract Packaging Association, among others. (Source Nulogy)
Nulogy optimizes manufacturing operations, handles end-to-end packaging contracts, and ensures smooth collaboration between contract packaging providers and consumer goods companies with a cloud-based artificial and machine learning intelligence to improve the digital supply chain continuously. (Source: LinkedIn)
According to Crunchbase, Nulogy’s total funding amounts to $28.6 million in about six rounds.
Eight investors raised this funding with Tola Capital and FedDev as its latest investors. (Source: Crunchbase)
“Jason’s experience at Kellogg’s and R&D’s highly automated manufacturing and quality packaging facilities has seen him soaring high and taking Nulogy to enviable heights.”
Jodie Morgan
Company Name: GreenMantra Technologies
Company Position: CEO/President
Year founded: 2010
Company Estimated Wealth: $27.6 Million
Sector: Recycling
Recognized for her gigantic moves in the recycling industry, Jodie Morgan is the CEO/President of GreenMantra.
Jodie has managed the turbulence of plastic waste and instead capitalized on it for market opportunities.
Jodie has continuously demonstrated her strength in recognizing issues, creating a pathway, and committing to positive changes in the recycling industry and beyond. (Source: LinkedIn)
GreenMantra is involved in making use of chemical recycling to restructure plastics that are hard to recycle and turn them into polymer additives, synthetic waxes, and other chemicals which can be used for various purposes. (Source: MaRS)
In its ten rounds, GreenMantra has raised a total of $27.6 million from 9 investors. FedDev is among its latest investors. (Source: Crunchbase)
“Jodie has since 2010 positioned her company to tackle the menace of plastics filling up landfills, waterways, and littering environments. She is indeed a trailblazer who has carved a niche for herself in the much-needed plastic waste innovations.”
Mallorie Brodie
Company Name: Bridgit
Company Position: CEO and Co-founder
Year founded: 2013
Company Estimated Wealth: $17.2 Million
Sector: Construction
The name Mallorie Brodie rings a familiar bell in the construction industry. She is the CEO and Co-founder of Brigit, where she has successfully led the launching of 2 great software tools (Brigit Field and Brigit Bench) for the benefit of the construction industry. (Source: Bridgit)
In 2020, Mallorie was named as one of the top 20 Canadian entrepreneurs to look out for.
In the same year, she made it to Autodesk Construction Cloud’s ‘top 50 influencers in construction’ list.
Forbes and Techvibes have also recognized Mallorie for her achievements. (Source: AutoDesk Construction and Brigit)
Brigit helps people in the construction industry to maximize their profits. It has raised a total of $17.2 million in funding from 21 investors. (Source: Crunchbase)
“Mallorie has changed the narrative that the construction business is solely for men.”
Jon Lipinski
Company Name: Ecopia.AI
Company Position: President and Co-founder
Year founded: 2013
Company Estimated Wealth: $6.7 Million
Sector: Fintech
Jon Lipinski is the President and Co-founder of Ecopia.AI, a company set to digitize the world with the help of advanced AI technology. Ecopia.AI maps provide accurate digital maps that are helpful in decision-making in various industries. (Source: Fintech Global)
The company has earned various recognitions by CIX award, named one of Canada’s future economic stars, and an award for being a top growing company in Canada. (Source: MaRS)
Jon’s co-founded company, Ecopia.AI, has raised $6.7 million in funding from 3 investors. (Source: Crunchbase)
“The efforts put in by Jon and his team have helped in creating maps that have been used in the production of vaccines, training of self-driving cars, and reconstruction after hurricanes, to mention a few. His company has successfully mapped all the buildings in the US and is now making its way to cover the continent of Africa.”
Conclusion:
And there you have it!
Canada may not be the hub of entrepreneurs, but it sure has promising young men showing how rewarding entrepreneurship can be.
Now, it’s your turn to join the movement and become the next Canadian entrepreneur. There is no limit to what you can achieve if you set your mind to it and work towards it.
We can’t wait to hear your success story!
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