19 Famous Young entrepreneurs canada
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.
Consider this:
– In 2023, Canadian startups raised over $9.7 billion in venture capital funding, demonstrating continued investor confidence.
– The number of active startups in Canada surpassed 3,500 in 2024, with a notable increase in companies founded by entrepreneurs under 35.
The progress we’ve made has only been possible with government support, such as the Startup Visa program, which has attracted over 1,000 immigrant entrepreneurs to Canada between 2023-2024.
Initiatives like the Innovation Superclusters Initiative have also expanded, investing an additional $1.2 billion in emerging tech sectors since its inception.
These efforts have led to a startup ecosystem that is helping the Canadian economy grow organically.
For example, the tech sector, largely driven by startups, contributed approximately $136 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2023.
Additionally, startups founded by entrepreneurs under 35 created over 50,000 new jobs in Canada between 2022-2024.
Young Canadian entrepreneurs are playing a crucial role in driving innovation, creating jobs, and positioning Canada as a global tech leader.
Their contributions are reshaping industries and attracting international talent and investment to the country’s thriving startup ecosystem.
In this blog, we look at the journey of famous young Canadian entrepreneurs who have built successful startups.
Some of these companies feature in the list of Largest Canadian employers on our website.
Before I forget – this article follows our series of young entrepreneur articles
Here are 10 famous young entrepreneurs from Canada who have made significant strides in the last 5 years:
Tobias Lütke
Company: Shopify
Position: Co-founder and CEO
Year founded: 2006
Company estimated value: $35.85 billion (as of October 2024)
Sector: E-commerce
Awards/About: Named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2019
Tobias Lütke, who was born in 1981, is an entrepreneur from Germany who later became a Canadian citizen and transformed the world of e-commerce with Shopify.
Originally, he developed the platform to sell snowboards on the internet, but he soon recognized its ability to serve other businesses.
With Lütke at the helm, Shopify has expanded to become one of the most valuable technology companies in Canada, providing millions of merchants around the globe with opportunities.
Michele Romanow
Company: Clearco (formerly Clearbanc)
Position: Co-founder and President
Year founded: 2015
Company estimated value: $2 billion (as of 2023) (Source: Forbes)
Sector: Financial Technology
Awards/About: Named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2017 (Source: wekh.ca)
Michele Romanow, who was born in 1985, is recognized as a serial entrepreneur and TV personality.
She is a co-founder of Clearco, a company that offers revenue-based financing for e-commerce businesses.
Known for her innovative contributions to fintech, Romanow holds the distinction of being the youngest dragon on CBC’s “Dragons’ Den.”
Joshua Landy
Company: Figure 1
Position: Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer
Year founded: 2012
Company estimated value: Over $2.6 billion (as of 2024)(Source: Stock Analysis, CNBC)
Sector: Healthcare Technology
Awards/About: Named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2018
Dr. Joshua Landy is a co-founder of Figure 1, a platform that has been likened to “Instagram for doctors.” This innovative platform enables healthcare professionals to securely share and engage in discussions about medical cases.
Dr. Landy’s creation has had a significant impact on medical education and collaboration on a global scale.
Michael Hyatt
Company: BlueCat Networks
Position: Co-founder and Executive Chairman
Year founded: 2001
Company estimated value: Over $700 million (acquired by Madison Dearborn Partners in 2017)(Source: BetaKit)
Sector: Enterprise Technology
Awards/About: Named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2011
Michael Hyatt is a co-founder of BlueCat Networks, a company that offers solutions for DNS, DHCP, and IP address management. He played a pivotal role in leading the company to become a prominent global leader in this industry, ultimately resulting in its acquisition.
Following this success, Hyatt has transitioned into a prominent figure in the Canadian tech ecosystem, where he serves as an angel investor and mentor.
Mallorie Brodie
Company: Bridgit
Position: CEO and Co-founder
Year founded: 2014
Company Estimated Value: Over $100 million (as of 2021)
Sector: Construction Technology
Awards/About: Named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in 2020 (Source: Bridgit)
Mallorie Brodie is one of the co-founders of Bridgit, a company that specializes in construction management software.
Although Bridgit has not yet reached unicorn status, it has demonstrated considerable growth and promise.
Brodie’s leadership has been instrumental in fostering innovation within the construction industry.
“Mallorie has changed the narrative that the construction business is solely for men.”
Daniel Eberhard
Company: Koho
Position: CEO and Co-founder
Year founded: 2014
Company Estimated Value: $589 Million CAD (as of 2024) (Source: Informa connect)
Sector: Fintech
Daniel Eberhard is known for creating mission-driven, scalable companies.
He co-founded Kineticor Renewables in 2010, which was later acquired by Algonquin Power. In 2014, he founded Koho Financial, Canada’s first challenger bank, which has raised over $130 million since its inception.
“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: Borrowell
Position: COO and Co-founder
Year founded: 2014
Company Estimated Value: $90.5 Million(Source: CB Insights)
Sector: Fintech
Eva Wong received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2019 in Ontario(Source: Borrowell). She was named one of the outstanding women in the Fintech Powerlist in 2018 and was among the 20 tech startup founders selected by Twitter Canada to offer expertise to the Smith School of Business advisory board.
“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: Think Research
Position: CEO
Year founded: 2010
Company Estimated Value: $85 Million CAD (As of 2024) (Source: Canaccord Genuity)
Sector: Healthcare
Sachin Aggarwal led Think Research to become a global leader in health data. The company has developed cloud-based tools that turn best practices and evidence-based research into actionable insights for health professionals.
“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.”
Jason Tham
Company: Nulogy
Position: CEO and Co-founder
Year founded: 2002
Company Estimated Value: $100 Million CAD(As of 2024)
Sector: Packaging
Jason Tham is a thought-provoking speaker who has presented at various industry events. Under his leadership, Nulogy has raised $37.2 million in funding. (Source: RocketReach)
“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: GreenMantra Technologies
Position: CEO/President
Year founded: 2010
Company Estimated Value: $27.53 Million CAD (As of 2024) (Source: CB Insights)
Sector: Recycling
Since 2010, Jodie Morgan has been leading GreenMantra Technologies in its mission to combat plastic waste issues.
The company has successfully secured a total of $27.53 million in funding to support its innovative initiatives.
“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.”
Jon Lipinski
Company: Ecopia.AI
Position: President and Co-founder
Year founded: 2013
Company Estimated Value: $11.2 Million CAD (As of 2024) (Source: CB Insights)
Sector: Fintech
Jon Lipinski’s firm, Ecopia.AI, has been honored with different awards, such as the CIX award, and has been recognized as one of the future economic stars of Canada.
The company has effectively completed the mapping of all the structures in the United States and is currently broadening its coverage to include Africa.
“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.”
Mike Katchen
Company: Wealthsimple
Position: Co-founder and CEO
Year founded: 2014
Company estimated value: $2.2 billion CAD (as of 2024)(Source: decoder.ca)
Sector: Financial Technology
Awards/About: Named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in 2016
In 1988, Mike Katchen co-founded Wealthsimple with the goal of democratizing investing.
Since its inception, the company has experienced rapid growth, expanding its portfolio of financial services to include robo-advising, cryptocurrency trading, and tax filing.
Katchen’s innovative vision has revolutionized the approach to personal finance for Canadians.
Daniel Schreiber
Company: Lemonade
Position: Co-founder and CEO
Year founded: 2015
Company estimated value: $2.21 billion (as of 2024) (Source: Stock Analysis)
Sector: Insurance Technology
Awards/About: Named one of Fortune’s 40 Under 40 in 2020
Daniel Schreiber, although originally from Israel, has deep connections to Canada and is a co-founder of Lemonade.
Lemonade is known for utilizing AI and behavioral economics to deliver insurance services.
The company has introduced an innovative approach that has shaken up the conventional insurance sector by providing transparency and quick claims processing.
Michael Litt
Company: Vidyard
Position: Co-founder and CEO
Year founded: 2010
Company estimated value: Over $1 billion (as of 2023) (Source: BetaKit)
Sector: Video Technology
Awards/About: Named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2018
Michael Litt is a co-founder of Vidyard, a pioneering video platform designed specifically for businesses. Under Litt’s leadership, Vidyard has emerged as a frontrunner in the realm of video marketing and sales enablement.
Litt’s innovative approach to video analytics and personalization has been instrumental in driving the company’s growth and success.
Allen Lau
Company: Wattpad
Position: Co-founder and CEO
Year founded: 2006
Company estimated value: $600 million (acquired by Naver in 2021) (Source: Wattpad)
Sector: Social Storytelling Platform
Awards/About: Named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2012
Allen Lau is one of the co-founders of Wattpad, which is a global platform for storytelling that brings together readers and writers. Wattpad expanded to over 90 million users under his guidance before being purchased by Naver.
Lau’s innovative thinking changed the way stories are produced and enjoyed in the digital era.
Aidan Gomez
Company: Cohere
Position: Co-founder and CEO
Year founded: 2019
Company estimated value: $5.5 billion (as of 2024) (Source: Maginative)
Sector: Artificial Intelligence
Awards/About: Named one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in 2022
Aidan Gomez is a co-founder of Cohere, an AI company that specializes in natural language processing. The company rapidly reached unicorn status, demonstrating the increasing significance of AI technology.
Gomez, a co-author of the impactful “Attention Is All You Need” paper, is leading AI innovation in Canada.
Shahrzad Rafati
Company: BroadbandTV
Position: Founder and CEO
Year founded: 2005
Company estimated value: $65 Million
Sector: Media
Shahrzad Rafati is the founder of BroadbandTV, a leading digital entertainment company that has grown to become the world’s second-largest video property, boasting over 554 million viewers.
In 2020, the company achieved a significant milestone by being listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) for its initial public offering (IPO), marking a new chapter in its impressive growth and success.
“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: Fiix
Position: CEO
Year founded: 2008
Company estimated value: $50 Million CAD (As of 2024)
Sector: Tech
Under James Novak’s leadership, Fiix has raised $60 million in venture capital and grown its revenue by over 1000 percent. The company has been recognized as one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies multiple times.
Corey Gross
Company: Sensibill
Position: Founder and CEO
Year founded: 2013
Company estimated value: $50 Million CAD (As of 2024)
Sector: Fintech
Corey Gross has led Sensibill to partner with over 80 financial institutions across Canada, the US, and the UK. The company has raised a total of $51.39 million in funding. (Source: CB Insights)
“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.”
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!
