The 7th annual Start Alberta Tech Awards was a night to remember. The Awards Ceremony took place on November 20 at Studio Bell in Calgary and honoured the remarkable achievements of some of Alberta’s most innovative founders and startups.
This year, we celebrated a diverse array of individuals and organizations with awards in 11 different categories, recognizing the contributions they have made to Alberta’s growing tech community.
Here’s a recap of the 2024 winners – congratulations to each of you!
2024 Start Alberta Tech Awards Winners
Ha Nguyen – Ecosystem Supporter of the Year
Awarded to an individual or organization known for its dedication to helping startups, scaleups, and entrepreneurs grow in Alberta.
Ha Nguyen has been a driving force in making Alberta’s tech ecosystem more accessible to diverse entrepreneurs. In addition to being a Partner at McRock Capital and a Director on the board of the Venture Capital Association of Alberta, she has also co-founded Migr8.
Migr8 is creating a comprehensive support system for immigrant innovators, combining venture capital funding with specialized resources.
“I wanted to create a system to welcome brilliant entrepreneurs from all over the world, making them feel valued and supported, just as I have felt since coming here,” explains Ha. “In Alberta, diversity may not be the first thing people see, but it’s here and it’s powerful.”
Toast – Digital Talent Champion presented by ProFound Talent
Awarded to a company, program or individual who has demonstrated outstanding commitment and leadership in developing the talent ecosystem, growing the digital talent pool and accelerating innovation and diversification in Alberta.
Founded by April Hicke and Marissa McNeelands, Toast is a platform that empowers women in tech to develop their skills, connect with sponsors, and receive support from a community of peers. They offer weekly workshops, career coaching, personalized job recommendations, and a collective of 1,500 women in tech.
Toast’s Women in Tech Summit in Calgary attracted over 500 women from across the province this September, and their recruitment platform has established partnerships with over 110 clients worldwide – including Google, Cohere, and PwC.
“Calgary is the fourth most diverse city in Canada,” explains April. “I love being able to work with organizations and teams that really understand that diversity brings innovation.”
Verano.ai – A100 One to Watch presented by A100
Awarded to an Alberta early-stage company that is “most likely to succeed”, as nominated by the Alberta tech community and chosen by A100 Charter Members.
Calgary-based Verano.ai, founded by Clay Swerdelian and Hugo Kiqumoto, simplifies regulatory compliance and ESG for highly regulated industries with AI. Since last year, the company has gained traction with a number of industry leaders, including Deloitte and ServiceNow.
Recently, Verano.ai announced a strategic partnership with SCCG Management to integrate AI into regulatory processes for gaming, and also completed the CDL-Rockies accelerator program.
“Alberta, and Calgary in particular, is a hot spot for technology now. We’re seeing that the tech ecosystem in Calgary has really blossomed and grown in a big way,” explains. “Winning the A100 One to Watch award means that people are noticing what we’re doing. We’ve done a very good job in the last 12 to 14 months, trying to be anywhere and everywhere we can. We’re on a pretty quick trajectory.”
Pierre Lemire – Leader of the Year Award presented by Edmonton Unlimited
Awarded to an executive-level individual (Founder, CEO, COO, CTO, President, Vice-President, etc.) who has not only had a significant impact on the success of their organization but also serves as an inspiration to their colleagues/teams, customers, and throughout Alberta’s tech and innovation community.
Pierre Lemire is the CEO of Kent Imaging, which was awarded Medical Imaging Technology Developers of the Year (Canada) for its fourth consecutive year in 2024. Pierre brings over 35 years of experience in technology commercialization to his role at Kent Imaging, where he has led the company into its next growth phase, including an expansion into Europe and new distribution deals with Australia and Israel.
“I’m excited to share this with my team at Kent who are pushing the envelope to bring really innovative solutions to the global market. Our team has a very pioneering spirit,” Pierre explains. “What I’m really excited about is how Alberta companies are willing to collaborate together to help each other succeed, to break down barriers together and share knowledge so that we can try to accelerate how we bring our innovative solutions to market.”
Dr. Jana Rieger – Woman in Tech
Awarded to a founder recognized for her entrepreneurial success and ability to launch a venture-backable technology-focused company in Alberta. This individual has also demonstrated a passion for supporting gender equity and promoting women’s advancement, making a lasting impact on Alberta’s technology ecosystem.
Dr. Jana Rieger is the CEO and Co-Founder of True Angle, a MedTech company that develops innovative wearable solutions to enhance health and wellness through biofeedback technology.
“Alberta has incredible strengths in areas like artificial intelligence, biotech, health tech, quantum computing,” Dr. Rieger explains “All these things are coming together to really create a vibrant and innovative tech hub for people.”
True Angle’s first product, Mobili-T, empowers people with swallowing disorders to complete therapy remotely and has been implemented in over 50 US clinics, including Stanford University, UCLA and the Mayo Clinic. Their latest product, Breth, combines haptic technology and smart sensors to personalize breathwork sessions.
ZayZoon – Scaleup of the Year presented by Osler
Recognizes one of Alberta’s scaling/later-stage companies that is having a positive impact on the Alberta tech ecosystem.
ZayZoon, a Calgary-based FinTech company, has gained significant traction for their Earned Wage Access Services software in the US and is now expanding to Canada. Founded by Darcy Tuer, Tate Hackert, and Jaime Ha, ZayZoon’s leadership has made significant contributions to Alberta’s tech ecosystem, through mentorship and speaking engagements at organizations like A100 and Platform Calgary. Their current focus includes building a diverse workforce to build a team that reflects the diversity of the communities they serve.
“Winning Scaleup of the Year Award is such an honour, because we’ve been inspired by the startups and scaleups that came before us, like Solium and Benevity, explains Darcy. “They inspired us to take a risk. So by way of winning this award, we hope that we’re inspiring future entrepreneurs to do the same.”
ClearSky Global – Deal of the Year presented by AEC
Awarded to the tech company that has raised the largest publicly announced capital in its most recent fundraising round, between October 1, 2023 and September 30, 2024.
ClearSky Global is a company focused on scaling and commercializing economically viable, low carbon alternative fuels. In June 2024, it raised $168M USD in early-stage funding for their first three production facilities, working with industry leaders to scale production for aviation and diesel fuel with fewer harmful particulates and higher combustion rates.
“It’s really humbling to get an award…this is the capstone of three and a half years of hard work that we’ve been in for some time now,” explains Clark Grue, President and CEO of ClearSky Global. “It’s really just the starting point for us, so it’s a very nice milestone to start our journey ahead for the next 15 years.”
Clay Swerdelian – Most Promising Founder presented by Platform Calgary
Awarded to a dynamic early-stage founder recognized for their coachability, community involvement and ability to launch a technology-focused company in Alberta.
Clay Swerdelian is a 5-time startup founder and is currently the President and Co-Founder of Verano.ai, a company that leverages AI to streamline regulatory workflows. His commitment to giving back is evident in his involvement in Alberta’s innovation community as an A100 Associate Member and member of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, where he cultivates innovation by supporting other startup founders.
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.”
Pierre Doyon – VCAA Rod Charko Service Award presented by the VCAA
Awarded to an individual who has gone above and beyond for the technology ecosystem in Alberta.
As a founding member of the Venture Mentoring Service of Alberta (VMSA), Pierre has played a pivotal role in Alberta’s tech ecosystem since 2014. VMSA surrounds scale-up founders in Alberta with teams of experienced business leaders, providing ongoing guidance to build effective leaders – a mission Pierre has exemplified across at least ten mentorship teams over the past decade. Beyond his direct mentees, Pierre has become a trusted advisor to fellow VMSA mentors
Pierre explains how this multiplier effect strengthens Alberta’s entire entrepreneurial community: “We give back. They give back. We grow this economy. We grow the ecosystem together. And it’s a lot of fun… When I think about the award, I think in the context of what we’ve done internally, in terms of the structure, the system, the processes that have helped to build that foundation.”
Jacques LaPointe – Investor of the Year presented by AEC
Presented to an individual or investment firm that has displayed the best investment acumen over the last year in Alberta’s tech sector.
Jacques LaPointe is the Co-Founder and Director of Metiquity Ventures, a pre-seed venture fund focused on companies at the commercialization stage, bridging an important gap in pre-seed funding in Western Canada. With over 25 years of experience in Alberta’s technology ecosystem, Jacques has led or co-led over $40 million of investments in early-stage technology companies. Mequity Ventures’ investments include Calgary-based startups Sylvester.ai, Arolytics, WaitWell, Sawback Technologies, Takemetuit and Helm.
“We’re doing this because we’re passionate about helping tech startups grow, succeed and make money. We see the opportunities, we see the local talent, and we see financial success ahead,” explains Jacques. “I’ve been a part of the Alberta tech ecosystem all of my career…I believe it couldn’t be a better time to build a tech startup.”
Christa Hill – Impact Award
Awarded to the tech company or organization that demonstrates their commitment to Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) standards, or through their products and services, assists other companies or society, in general, to make improvements in one or more of Environment, Social (diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging) or Governance areas.
Christa Hill is a champion of diversity in Alberta’s tech ecosystem. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Tacit Edge, she takes an active role in helping shape a more linear and inclusive pathway to product management careers for women and visible minorities. She has collaborated with multiple organizations in Alberta’s tech sector to create a formal product management curriculum, helping diverse candidates break through systemic bias and achieve a lucrative career in tech.
“What I do personally is I try to walk through this world every day, trying to advance the rights and opportunities of those around me. It’s a blue ocean of opportunity for meaningful work, meaningful change,” explains Christa. “We’ve proven, and the math dictates, the more equitable you can be in your hiring practices, the more valuable your company is, the faster you’ll exit. It’s a time to be very loud about how we feel about equitable rights for everyone in this country.”
Final thanks and outlook for 2025
Finally, we’d like to thank the generous sponsors who made the 2024 Start Alberta Tech Awards possible. A big thank you to AEC, A100, the Venture Capital Association of Alberta (VCAA), Platform Calgary, Edmonton Unlimited, Osler and Profound Talent and for supporting the individuals and organizations that enrich our tech ecosystem.
Alberta’s tech sector saw significant milestones in 2024, surpassing BC in venture capital investments in the first half of the year. Alberta is now home to 58K tech sector jobs, with multiple businesses that have scaled to hundreds of employees and achieved unicorn status.
As Alberta’s tech sector continues to thrive, Start Alberta strengthens our innovation ecosystem by connecting founders, investors, and stakeholders through comprehensive data and industry recognition.
Want to get involved? Claim your company profile and keep your data updated in the Start Alberta database. By helping Start Alberta keep a current, accurate pulse on the economic and innovative significance of our sector, we attract talent, capital and support to grow to our full potential.
See you next year for the 2025 Start Alberta Tech Awards!
