6 min read
Ready to Rocket, a business recognition program for British Columbia’s technology industry that showcases the “Revenue Growth Leaders of Tomorrow,” featured 5 members of our Vancouver chapter on their list of emerging companies. These innovators are solving problems and building solutions that make for a cleaner world, web and ecommerce experiences that you can trust, actionable data to enhance injury recovery, and a more optimal personalized patience outcome. Congratulations to our highlighted Vancouver startup founders!
Read on to learn more about these 5 founders making waves in Vancouver’s vibrant tech startup scene.
Mark Rabin
Founder & CEO
Portable Electric
Founders Network Jan’18 Cohort
Mark Rabin is a seasoned energy expert and entrepreneur who raised $700,000 for 2 energy startups, and currently growing Portable Electric. Prior to raising $450,000 for Portable Electric, he was the CEO of an earlier venture that provided clean, on demand energy to the developing world. His current company Portable Electric builds upon that momentum by offering an innovative portable battery electric generator for events, festivals, job-sites, emergency response, film and any remote power needs. It makes no noise (keeping the atmosphere enjoyable) and it produces no fumes or pollution (again, keeping the atmosphere enjoyable).
Portable Electric’s VOLTstack product series are the most robust, reliable, and fast charging power stations in the world. It has solar PV charging capabilities, charges in a swift 2.5 hours, and offers full wireless monitoring and data collection. If you’d like to chat about entrepreneurship in the clean energy space, reach out to Mark.
Lucas-Karim Merhi
Founder & CEO
BioInteractive Technologies Inc.
Founders Network Jan‘17 Cohort
Lucas-Karim Merhi is an entrepreneur in the medical wearables space. BioInteractive Technologies Inc is Lucas’ 2nd startup in healthcare. He’s has previously raised $200,000 for his first venture. Lucas and his team are developing TENZR, the only accurate, camera-free, wrist-worn hand-tracking device. TENZR helps people prevent and recover from hand-injuries and control the world around them using hand gestures.
TENZR helps people who’ve suffered a stroke, or suffer from a repetitive strain such as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome recover their hands faster. The wearable tracks the number of times you flex and extend your wrist throughout the day and tells you the duration that you’ve held your wrist in flexion and extension. I think that we can all agree that strains and discomfort can sneak up on us after a long day on our computers – which points to BioInteractive Technologies’ broad audience of potential customers. Chat with Lucas about raising early stage funding in Canada, biomedical technologies, and commercial R&D.
Bernadette Butler
CEO & Co-Founder
StoryTap
Founders Network March ‘17 Cohort
Bernadette Butler is an adtech visionary who has 20 years experience in advertising and marketing, and has raised $300,000 at StoryTap. Her industry knowledge and observations led her to an idea that she turned into StoryTap: video review technology for businesses that turn their real customers into influencers, driving unmatched awareness and sales, authentically.
In the age of YouTube reviews and “unboxing” videos, it’s clear that consumers are demanding video reviews and there’s no shortage of those who want to review products and services with video. A whopping 30% of written reviews are fake, and customers are looking for more engaging reviews that actually put a face to a reviewer and most importantly can see the product in use and hear an authentic review about it. StoryTap’s video technology automates the collection and distribution, including video SEO and more, with customer video reviews. Connect with Bernadette to discuss fundraising and entrepreneurship, the advertising technology space, and video marketing.
Ben Britton
Co-Founder & CSO
Ionomr
Founders Network Sept‘16 Cohort
Ben Britton is the CEO turned CSO of Ionomr, where he led the team through initial development, IP acquisition, and initial $3.2 million in funding. Ionomr develops the world’s most advanced ion-exchange membranes and polymers. The implications of these technologies are far-reaching: the resulting hydrocarbon backbone provides a platform that enables simultaneous performance and life cycle improvements across the industry in water and energy, while reducing products’ environmental impact.
This groundbreaking work is a result of research by the Holdcroft Lab at Simon Fraser University, where Ben’s PhD project explored these advanced materials. Talk to Ben about clean technology, navigating IP, and fundraising.
Dr. Alexandra Greenhill
Founder, CEO, & CMO
Careteam Technologies
Founders Network March‘15 Cohort
Dr. Alexandra Greenhill is a medical doctor and serial entrepreneur who has launched 5 startups with $3 million in successful exists, hired 100’s of people, and has raised $20 million through her impressive career launching and building successful companies. She is founder and CEO of Careteam Technologies, which is an enterprise software platform that enables patient-centered care collaboration for complex, chronic diseases.
Alexandra’s deep healthcare background and experience led her to build a digital platform that synchronizes the many moving parts of caring for someone with a chronic health condition – patients, their families, and health professionals – achieve the best possible outcomes while also reducing costs and efforts. Reach out to Alexandra if you’re looking to gain expertise and knowledge in healthcare technology, how technology can optimize patient outcomes, and building successful companies. Alexandra is also our Vancouver Regional Director – is there anything she cannot do?
“In Africa, there is a saying: ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.’ The great thing about the Founder’s Network is that it’s not an either/or! We go together farther AND faster, and actually it’s way more fun.”
– Dr. Alexandra Greenhill, Founder & CEO of Careteam Technologies
We are thrilled that our Vancouver startup founders are thriving and solving problems. Here at Founders Network, we facilitate and champion founders helping founders— because success is not a zero sum game.
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