What are the best Canadian startups to work for in 2022?
The pandemic has had a profound impact on the way people across the world work, and Canada has experienced its fair share of Covid disruptions. For many professionals, this period has given rise to career reflection, and as in the United States, the so-called Great Resignation is apparent in Canada.
Being a careers focused platform, LinkedIn has access to vast quantities of careers and employment data. Each year, they compile a hot list of potential startup employers per country. The companies that make it onto these lists typically continue to attract investment, employees and attention during the year under review.
In order to be eligible for inclusion In the LinkedIn Top Startups Canada List, companies must be at least 7 years old, employ 50 or more employees, and must be privately held and headquartered in Canada.
The rankings methodology looks at factors such as employee growth, jobseeker interest (in the employer brands, on LinkedIn), LinkedIn user engagement with the employer brand and its employees, as well as the extent to which these employers were able to attract talent from companies featured on the LinkedIn Top Companies List.
In combination, these metrics support the creation of a data-driven list of the best Canadian Startups to work for in any given calendar year. Let’s get into the Top Startups List for 2021 below…
STARTUP | Description………………….. | Most Common Skills | Most Common Job Titles | Headquarters | Headcount | Jobs | Glassdoor Reviews | Founders | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Wealthsimple | The online brokerage – described by Bloomberg as “a more reserved, Canadian version of Robinhood Markets” – offers zero-commission investing services for stocks and ETFs. | JavaScript, SQL, Cascading Style Sheets | Software Engineer, Engineering Manager, Team Lead | Toronto | 700 | Open Positions | Click Here | Brett Huneycutt, Michael Katchen, Rudy Adler | |
2. Clearco (formerly Clearbanc) | A lending platform for startups that provides unique financing products and services for founders of all stages. | Social Media Marketing, Data Analysis, SQL | Investment Analyst, Scout, Senior Software Engineer | Toronto | 450 | Open Positions | Click Here | Andrew D’Souza, Ben Sanders, Charlie Feng, Ivan Gritsiniak, Michele Romanow, Pavel Melnichuk, Tanay Delima and Olivier Grinda. | |
3. NUDESTIX | Cruelty-free, vegan makeup products that enhance natural beauty for a fresh-faced, nude look. | Social Media Marketing, Data Analysis, Brand Development | Digital Marketing Manager, Packer, Merchandise Manager | Toronto | 60 | Open Positions | Click Here | Jenny Frankel and Ally Frankel | |
4. Neo Financial | The company aims to simplify spending, savings and rewards. Recently announced plans for a second headquarters in Winnipeg, which should add about 300 new jobs. | SQL, Python, JavaScript | Customer Specialist, Software Engineer, Product Manager | Calgary and Winnipeg | 360 | Open Positions | Click Here | Andrew Chau
and Kris Read |
|
5. Bonsai | Originally a men’s streetwear shopping and news app, Bonsai seeks to reimagine the future of e-commerce for publishers and media companies. | JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Python | Full Stack Engineer, Customer Specialist, Product Designer | Toronto | 75 | Open Positions | N/A | N/A | |
6. Koho | The financial services app offers clients a no-fee spending and savings account, and recently launched a benefit that gives employees on-demand access to their pay cheques. | JavaScript, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) | Software Engineer, Agent, Data Analyst | Toronto | 224 | Open Positions | Click Here | Daniel Eberhard | |
7. Borrowell | The fintech company offers various financial services, including credit scores, education, personal loans, mortgages and digital tools. | JavaScript, SQL, Java | Full Stack Engineer, Inside Sales Representative, Engineering Manager | Toronto | 127 | Open Positions | Click Here | Andrew Graham
and Eva Wong |
|
8. ApplyBoard | The EdTech company, which helps foreign applicants seek higher education in the US, UK, Australia and Canada, has grown its headcount by 100% in under a year, as per Forbes. | SQL, Data Analysis, Java | Application Specialist, International Recruitment Manager, Software Engineer | Kitchener | 1,000+ | Open Positions | Click Here | Martin Basiri, Massi Basiri, Meti Basiri | |
9. Onlia | Onlia offers digital insurance coverage for cars and homes in Ontario, and recently added a new group offering for employers. | SQL, HTML, Insurance | Customer Representative, Claims Adjuster, Customer Specialist | Toronto | 60+ | Open Positions | Click Here | N/A | |
10. Drop | The personalized commerce platform matches consumers with brands through a mobile app, allowing customers to earn points for purchases that can be redeemed for rewards. | JavaScript, SQL, Python | Software Engineer, Data Scientist, Advisor | Toronto | 86 | Open Positions | N/A | N/A | |
11. Viral Nation | A global digital marketing agency specializing in influencer marketing, talent representation, and social media marketing. | Account Coordinator, Executive, Supervisor, Talent Coordinator, Graphic Designer | Social Media Marketing, Digital Marketing, Influencer Marketing | Mississauga | 50 | Open Positions | Click Here | N/A | |
12. League | League is a healthtech startup that helps consumers access, navigate and pay for healthcare. | Java, JavaScript, SQL | Software Engineer, Engineering Manager, Product Designer | Toronto | 330 | Open Positions | Click Here | N/A | |
13. APOLLO Insurance | Apollo is an online insurance marketplace offering multiple insurance companies on one integrated online platform. | Insurance, Commercial Insurance, Risk Management | Business Development Manager, Insurance Advisor, Broker | Vancouver | 80 | Open Positions | N/A | N/A | |
14. Clutch Automotive | Clutch is a Canadian online retail platform seeking to disrupt the used car market in the country. | SQL, Cascading Style Sheets, JavaScript | Software Engineer, Manager Strategy Operations, General Manager | Toronto | 115 | Open Positions | N/A | N/A | |
15. Ada | Ada is an AI-powered chatbot provider that helps customers return packages, change flights or answer sales and service questions. | SQL, Data Analysis, Python | Back End Developer, Business Development Representative, Consultant | Toronto | 343 | Open Positions | Click Here | Mike Murchison and David Hariri |
How many unicorn startups are there in Canada?
As of December 2021, Canada is home to these 10 startups with a valuation of over $1 billion:
COMPANY | Valuation | Description | Founded | Founders | Headquarters | Headcount |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Shopify | $182.4 billion (January 2021) | Canadian multinational e-commerce company that owns a proprietary e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. | 2006 | Scott Lake, Tobias Lütke and Daniel Weinand | Ottawa, Ontario | 7,000+ |
2. PointClickCare | $4 billion (January 2021) | Leading provider of web-based software and management services for long-term care facilities. | 1995 | Dave Wessinger and Mike Wessinger | Mississauga | 1,000-5,000 |
3. WealthSimple | $5 billion (May 2021) | An online investment manager offering powerful, intuitive financial tools to help customers become more financially secure for life. | 2014 | Brett Huneycutt, Michael Katchen, Rudy Adler | Toronto | 250-500 |
4. BlockStream | $3.2 billion (August 2021) | A leading global fintech/DeFi startup specialising in Bitcoin and blockchain technology. | 2014 | Matt Corallo, Alex Fowler, Erik Svenson, Gregory Maxwell, Jonathan Wilkins, Jorge Timón, Mark Friedenbach and Pieter Wuille | Victoria | 50-100 |
5. Dapper Labs | $2.6 billion (March 2021) | Consumer-focused crypto startup that builds blockchain games and supports digital collectables (NFTs). | 2018 |
Mack Flavelle, Dieter Shirley and Roham Gharegozlou |
Vancouver | 100-250 |
6. Clearco | $2 billion (April 2021) | A lending platform for startups that provides unique financing products and services for founders of all stages. | 2015 | Andrew D’Souza, Ben Sanders, Charlie Feng, Ivan Gritsiniak, Michele Romanow, Pavel Melnichuk, Tanay Delima and Olivier Grinda. | Toronto | 250-500 |
7. ApplyBoard | $3.2 billion (June 2021) | A platform that’s transforming the way students find and apply for student exchange programs abroad. | 2015 | Martin Basiri, Massi Basiri, Meti Basiri | Waterloo | 500-1,000 |
8. Coveo | $1.7 billion (November 2021) | A contextual, intelligent search platform that delivers impactful search and predictive insights. | 2005 | Laurent Simoneau, Marc Sanfacon, Richard Tessier | Quebec | 250-500 |
9. Ada | $1.2 billion (May 2021) | Ada is an AI-powered chatbot startup that helps customers return packages, change flights or answer sales and service questions. | 2016 | Mike Murchison and David Hariri | Toronto | 343 |
10. Hopper | $1 billion (March 2021) | A travel app that analyzes millions of flights to recommend the best times to book a flight based on your priorities. | 2007 | Frederic Lalonde and Joost Ouwerkerk | Montreal | 250-500 |