The STARTUP 50 winners were announced earlier this week and have been profiled in the October issue of Maclean’s magazine and online at CanadianBusiness.com. PROFIT and Canadian Business identified companies on the STARTUP 50—which serves as a companion to our PROFIT 500 ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies—by ranking businesses based on two-year revenue growth.
According to contest organizers, the bright young businesses on the 2017 STARTUP 50 ranking of Canada’s Top New Growth Companies have not only brought great concepts to market, they have also found people—lots of people—to buy what they’re selling.
In order to be eligible, a company must have been founded and started generating revenue between July 1, 2011, and early 2014. From there a shortlist of companies based was created based on revenue figures supplied by ballot, then verified through detailed questionnaires and reviews of financial statements. A minimum revenue requirement of $1 million in the most recent fiscal year applied to all firms. Growth rates were calculated using a base-year minimum of $200,000.
Out of the 50 incredible startup companies selected, three Okanagan-based startups landed in the top 20. The top 20!
“It’s fantastic to see Strawhouse on the top of this list! With Refresh, a fin-tech company, also in the top 20, it’s a huge sign of the strength of the Okanagan tech sector.” says Andrew Greer, Program Strategist with AO. “5 Point Operations, also showing up in the top 20 is a very welcome sign of the diversity in the growing local economy. This sort of recognition is a big boost for the community; it gives us a collective sense of pride. It will also help attract more talent and capital to the region.”
Here is a little more intel on these three home-grown success stories.
No. 1 — Strawhouse Inc
Strawhouse is a collective of marketers, creators, technologists and divergent thinkers. Through a mix of proprietary data, human talent, in-house software, and financial resources, they support with customer acquisition for high-growth companies. They have successfully driven over $600 million in revenue for their clients and worked to scale over 100 companies worldwide. Strawhouse has developed industry-leading technology that allows them to generate market insights almost presciently resulting in unparalleled ROI.
No. 12 — 5 Point Operations
5 Point Operations manage and provide custom solutions for thousands of properties across western Canada. General contracting, facility site management, snow removal, ice control, landscape construction and concrete processes are all areas of expertise. Their team of 153 full-time employees includes skilled consultants, tradespeople, and professionals. 5 Point provides many of Canada’s leading property management companies, including facilities such as airports, government sites, shopping centers, office towers, sports facilities, educational institutions and retail stores.
No. 19 — Refresh Financial
Refresh Financial helps customers (even those with low credit or no credit scores) boost credit, build savings, and get approved so they can take control of their own financial future. The team, just over fifty people in size, also creates tools and content to coach Canadians on financial literacy and programs offered are designed to build credit safely so life goals can be achieved in a more flexible and attainable way.
