On November 20, 2024, Clay Swerdelian of Verano.AI was recognized with the Most Promising Founder Award as part of the 2024 Start Alberta Tech Awards. The Most Promising Founder is awarded to a founder recognized for their coachability, community involvement, and ability to launch a tech-focused company in Alberta.
Clay is a 5-time startup founder and the President and Co-Founder of Verano.AI, an AI company focused on automating and streamlining regulatory compliance workflows.
Reflecting on his path as an entrepreneur, Clay says, “I think the number one reason I do what I do, or I like to do what I do, is I just like building and creating things. For me, it’s just a matter of finding unique problems and solving them with unique challenges. Sometimes you just fall into things by accident.”
He says Verano.ai represents a new phase of his journey where he’s thinking bigger than he had in the past: “Before, I was thinking quite small. And now we’re thinking big, we could be a unicorn company. And so we see that we can scale this in a way that we haven’t had the chance to in previous companies that I’ve founded or co-founded.”
The company has swiftly gained traction, earning the attention of major industry players such as Deloitte and ServiceNow, investors, and consumers alike. This rapid growth is a testament to the culture of creativity, collaboration and resilience Clay has helped foster.
Clay says, “I’m constantly growing, learning, and I think that’s important. If you stop learning, I think you stop growing. And for me, whether that’s podcasts, whether that’s videos, talking to people, there’s probably someone that’s been there, done that, and I want to learn from them.”
Those working with Clay note he takes a visionary approach and is an exceptional leader in the Alberta tech ecosystem, with a collaborative style that has shaped his impact throughout his journey as an entrepreneur.
A defining aspect of Clay’s commitment to giving back is his dedication to cultivating innovation; he is an A100 Associate Member and a member of the Global Entrepreneurship Network. Under his leadership, Verano.ai also received the 2024 Start Alberta’s A100 One to Watch award.
Keep track of Clay Swerdelian and Verano.ai in the Start Alberta database.
The Most Promising Founder Award is generously sponsored by Platform Calgary. Platform Calgary is a non-profit, member-based organization that brings together the resources of Calgary’s tech ecosystem to help startups launch and grow at every step of their journey, from ideation through to scale.
Since 2018, the Start Alberta Tech Awards have recognized individuals and organizations for their contributions to Alberta’s innovation ecosystem and those significantly impacting the province’s tech sector. The Start Alberta Deal Flow Platform is the most comprehensive database on startups and funding in the province, providing real-time data for founders, investors, corporates and government stakeholders. Start Alberta offers insights on the health of the regional innovation economy while showcasing Alberta’s tech and innovation ecosystem to the world.
View the full list of 2024 Tech Award winners.
