Built here, from the ground up.

Productivity · Whitby, ON

HunchSelf-funded

A free, open-source Mac agent that does tasks in the background using your existing Claude or ChatGPT plan while you keep working.

Why it’s goodIt runs in the background without taking over your screen, adds no usage fees and publishes its code and benchmarks.

Built by Prithvi Seran2026-08

Developer tool · Toronto, ON

OpenOTPSelf-funded

A free, open-source Mac app that reads your mail locally and autofills email verification codes, with no server involved.

Why it’s goodA 14-year-old's tidy native Swift fix for a daily annoyance, built privacy-first from the start.

Built by Jenin (jeninh)2026-07

Education · Toronto, ON

KnowableSelf-funded

A free Mac AI tutor that watches your rough work on paper through the webcam and offers hints instead of answers.

Why it’s goodIt keeps students doing the thinking on paper, which is the opposite of the copy-the-answer chatbots, and the code is open source.

Built by Samuel Xu2026-06

Small business · Toronto, ON

IndiebooksSelf-funded

Bookkeeping for Canadian freelancers that sorts GST/HST, PST and QST by province and carries the totals into T2125 prep.

Why it’s goodMost bookkeeping apps treat Canadian sales tax as an afterthought; this one starts from it, with a free tier.

Built by Max (Indiebooks Inc.)2025-10

Consumer app · Toronto, ON

SnapEntrySelf-funded

A virtual concierge that answers your apartment buzzer and lets couriers, guests and family in with one-time codes.

Why it’s goodMissed deliveries are a daily condo-life headache, and this fixes it with software and no new hardware.

Built by Whyle Labs Inc.2025-05

Housing · Toronto, ON

ProtobuzzSelf-funded

Makes an apartment or condo buzzer smart with no rewiring, so you can let guests and couriers in from anywhere.

Why it’s goodIt fixes a daily condo-life annoyance with a virtual number instead of hardware the building would have to approve.

Built by Amal Parameswaran2025-05

Education · Mississauga, ON

YekolaEarly backing

An app for learning and preserving African and Indigenous languages through community stories, live content and cultural archives.

Why it’s goodIt treats heritage languages as living community property, not a flashcard deck, which is what diaspora families actually need.

$10K Equal Slice grant (2025); U of T Black Founders Network

Featured byStartup Canada, Startup Canada, University of Toronto Entrepreneurship

Built by Merveille Mukoko2025-04

Health · Toronto, ON

ToothpodEarly backing

A chewable, remineralizing dental tablet with natural ingredients for cleaning teeth on the go, no brush or water needed.

Why it’s goodA U of T student project that dentists now recommend, built on a modest angel raise rather than a big VC round.

About $450K raised from angels incl. League of Innovators (2025–26)

Featured byStartup Canada, BetaKit, U of T Magazine

Built by Vishar Yaghoubian, Brian Webb2025

Family · Toronto, ON

KindervillageSelf-funded

A searchable directory of licensed daycares, kids' activities and caregivers for Canadian parents, built on public registry data.

Why it’s goodDaycare hunting is stressful and opaque; putting licensed options on one map gives parents back time and leverage.

Built by Chris Kim2024-10

Civic data · Toronto, ON

Project HammerSelf-funded

An open database of historical grocery prices from eight Canadian chains, free for researchers, journalists and policymakers.

Why it’s goodGrocery competition debates need evidence, and one person built the dataset the industry never published.

Built by Jacob Filipp2024-09

Consumer app · Toronto, ON

ImmiGreatSelf-funded

A free CRS score calculator and guide to Express Entry draws and provincial nominee programs for people immigrating to Canada.

Why it’s goodIt puts scattered immigration rules and draw results into one plain tool for newcomers who can't afford a consultant.

Built by The ImmiGreat App Inc.2024

Health · Toronto, ON

trustiEarly backing

At-home rapid STI testing for Ontarians, with results and follow-up support, designed to be private and stigma-free.

Why it’s goodTwo founders frustrated by clinic wait times built the test they wanted, and it feeds anonymized data back to public health.

$300K pre-seed (2025)

Featured byStartup Canada, Startup Canada

Built by Serina Ahmad, Ella Farlinger2024

Food · Toronto, ON

Rude Mama Hot SauceEarly backing

Handcrafted Vietnamese-style hot sauces made in Toronto with Canadian-grown ingredients, now in major grocery chains.

Why it’s goodA family-style Vietnamese sauce that went from small batches to national grocery shelves in a couple of years.

Futurpreneur startup loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur, Futurpreneur

Built by Viet Anh Nguyen2024

Fashion · Toronto, ON

el&elleSelf-funded

Moissanite engagement rings and fine jewellery sold online at fair prices, with free worldwide shipping.

Why it’s goodA small Toronto brand making the sparkle affordable and inclusive, without the mined-diamond markup.

No outside funding on record

Featured byStartup Canada, Style.ca

Built by Justin De Bernardi, Louis De Bernardi2023-12

Family · Toronto, ON

JoeydollsEarly backing

Dolls that celebrate Asian cultures, each designed around a real cultural identity so kids can see themselves in play.

Why it’s goodA mom built the doll she couldn't buy, and a wholly family-owned brand has since shipped more than 25,000 of them.

Pitch prizes only: $15K Startup Global 2nd place (2025)

Featured byStartup Canada, Startup Canada

Built by Samantha Ong2023

Food · Toronto, ON

WhipddEarly backing

Flavoured whipped butters, from herb-and-garlic to chili-lime, sold in Canadian grocery stores.

Why it’s goodNewcomer founders who took a simple pantry staple and built a grocery brand around it in about two years.

Futurpreneur startup loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur, Canadian Grocer

Built by Akshay Kalekar, Shruti Priya Agarwal2023

Family · Toronto, ON

Sprout FamilyEarly backing

A fertility and family-building benefit that employers offer staff, with guidance on IVF, adoption and surrogacy plus a fund to help pay for them.

Why it’s goodIt makes a costly, confusing path to parenthood something a mid-size Canadian employer can actually offer.

Pre-seed, $1.7M led by StandUp Ventures (2024–25)

Featured byBetaKit

Built by Jackie Hanson, Suzanne Mason2023

Beauty · Toronto (North York), ON

Gleam & GlowEarly backing

Organic, plant-based and cruelty-free skin creams in recyclable packaging.

Why it’s goodA small North York skincare line built around clean ingredients and recyclable packaging.

Futurpreneur startup loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Camilia Destteffano2022

Food · Whitby, ON

One More CocoaEarly backing

Handmade gourmet chocolate bars and bonbons inspired by Jamaican cocoa tea, sold online and from a Downtown Whitby shop.

Why it’s goodA Caribbean family memory turned into a chocolate brand that started online and grew into a main-street shop.

Futurpreneur loan with mentorship

Featured byTown of Whitby (Downtown Whitby), Durham Region, Futurpreneur

Built by Kenesha Lewis2021-05

Home · Toronto, ON

Pinky Swear & Co.Early backing

Toronto-made clean-burning coconut-soy candles in long-lasting, sustainably sourced blends.

Why it’s goodA Toronto candle maker built around cleaner wax and sustainable sourcing.

Futurpreneur startup loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Alexander Farrow2021

Legal · Toronto, ON

LawbrokrEarly backing

Digital intake and marketing tools that help small law firms turn website visitors into booked consultations.

Why it’s goodA Clio alum making it easier for ordinary people to actually reach a lawyer.

Pre-seed, $785K SAFE led by Bryker Capital (2021)

Featured byBetaKit

Built by Daniel Steinberg2021

Beverage · Toronto, ON

QuvéEarly backing

Toronto wine agency curating small wineries for younger, more diverse drinkers, with releases at LCBO Vintages.

Why it’s goodOpening up a traditionally closed wine trade to new drinkers and a more diverse industry.

BDC and Futurpreneur business loans

Featured byFuturpreneur, Startup Canada

Built by Debbie Shing2020-03

Fashion · Toronto, ON

Roncy PacksEarly backing

Repairable, small-batch fanny packs and bags sewn at home in Roncesvalles from reclaimed leather and textile offcuts.

Why it’s goodA grandmother's pandemic hobby became a family business with more than 6,000 handmade packs and zero new fabric.

$10K Startup Canada Equal Slice grant (2025)

Featured byStartup Canada, blogTO

Built by Le Ching Vuong, Kim Nguyen, Lyli Vuong2020

Home · Toronto, ON

The Give and GrowSelf-funded

Planters made from repurposed basketballs, with sales funding wellness workshops and mentorship for young women in sport.

Why it’s goodA clever upcycle that pays for real community programming, run by a youth basketball coach.

No outside funding on record

Featured byWomen Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, blogTO

Built by Olivia Ho2020

Food · Mississauga, ON

Comeback SnacksSelf-funded

Gourmet small-batch popcorn from a founder who started the recipe in prison, now sold in more than 1,300 stores.

Why it’s goodA second-chance brand that hires and advocates for formerly incarcerated people while competing on taste alone.

No outside funding on record

Featured byStartup Canada, Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, Maker House

Built by Emily O'Brien2020

Small business · Pickering, ON

TilausSelf-funded

Cloud software that helps small CPA firms compile financial statements and manage quality-control files for their clients.

Why it’s goodBuilt by a practising CPA who knew the paperwork pain first-hand, for firms too small for enterprise tools.

No outside funding on record

Featured byWomen Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub

Built by Jennifer O'Neal McCann2020

Home · Toronto, ON

MararamiroEarly backing

Toronto home-decor brand that began as Canada's first shoppable photography studio, renting styled space to creators and selling the decor.

Why it’s goodA clever hybrid of rental studio and storefront that started in Leslieville before opening a west-end shop.

Futurpreneur loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Tanya Tessier2020

Wellness · Toronto, ON

MarlowEarly backing

Organic period care, including the first lubricated tampon, designed to make insertion more comfortable without harsh ingredients.

Why it’s goodFounded in Ottawa and now based in Toronto, it turned a common complaint into a patented product sold at Shoppers Drug Mart.

$3.4M raised to date, plus a CBC Dragons' Den deal (per OBJ, 2026)

Featured byOttawa Business Journal / Invest Ottawa, WEKH

Built by Nadia Ladak, Harit Sohal, Kiara Botha2020

Legal · Toronto, ON

WillfulEarly backing

Online wills and powers of attorney built with estate lawyers, so Canadians can finish a legal will at home in about 20 minutes.

Why it’s goodIt took a task most Canadians put off and made it cheap, plain-spoken and fast, on a lean founder-led raise.

$800K seed (2020) plus $750K bridge incl. Michele Romanow (2021)

Featured byWomen Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, Startup Grind Eastern Ontario, BetaKit

Built by Erin Bury, Kevin Oulds2017

Food · Toronto, ON

Guilt Free TakeoutSelf-funded

Every Toronto restaurant that advertises halal, vegan or gluten-free food, mapped neighbourhood by neighbourhood with filters and verified picks.

Built by Dave Bussell

Civic data · Calgary, AB

CharityVerifySelf-funded

Search any of 130,000+ registered Canadian charities and get an independent trust grade built from 15 years of CRA filings.

Why it’s goodDonors get a plain verdict from public data that was technically available but practically unusable until someone cleaned it up.

Built by Rick Buchler2026-02

Health · Calgary, AB

TheralistSelf-funded

A free directory that helps Canadians find a therapist by specialty, client age, language, gender and city.

Why it’s goodFinding the right therapist is a filtering problem, and Theralist puts the filters people actually care about up front.

Built by Mike Anderson, Lisa Pascal2025-01

Personal finance · Calgary, AB

Waypoint BudgetSelf-funded

A budgeting app made for Canadians, with TFSAs and RRSPs built in, for tracking every dollar and working toward savings goals.

Why it’s goodTwo developers built the Canadian YNAB they wanted for themselves, and Reddit users started paying for it.

Bootstrapped; built nights and weekends, no outside funding on record

Featured byCalgary.tech, Platform Calgary Launch Party Top 10 (via Calgary.tech)

Built by Florencia Chomski, Ahmad Jamal2025

Housing · Calgary, AB

PickYourPlaceSelf-funded

Compare Canadian neighbourhoods on value, safety, flood risk, schools and commute times before you choose where to live.

Why it’s goodListings sites show houses; this shows the neighbourhood around them, using municipal and census data most buyers never see.

Built by Abraham Poorazizi2024-10

Family · Airdrie, AB

LiiT Care ConnectEarly backing

A marketplace connecting parents with verified babysitters, dayhomes and on-site event childcare, booked as easily as a ride.

Why it’s goodBuilt by a former dayhome operator who knew first-hand how hard it is for shift-working and newcomer parents to find care.

Futurpreneur-supported; no equity round on record

Featured byFuturpreneur, Innovate Calgary, Airdrie Life

Built by Lulu Mashonganyika2023-10

Fashion · Calgary, AB

Warm Social Co.Early backing

Calgary outerwear and merino brand that donates a winter coat to someone in need for every coat sold.

Why it’s goodAn Indigenous former counsellor using a one-for-one model to tackle a very Canadian problem: going through winter without a coat.

Futurpreneur Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program loan

Featured byFuturpreneur, CTV News Calgary

Built by Jordan Britton2023

Fashion · Calgary, AB

PrévoirEarly backing

Fashion analytics for retailers: reads product images, links attributes to sales and inventory, and flags which styles are trending.

Why it’s goodA small Calgary team giving independent fashion buyers the trend data that only big chains could afford.

Pre-seed, $750K from AltaML (Jan 2026)

Featured byBetaKit

Built by Courtney Kos2023

Food · Calgary, AB

Knead TechnologiesEarly backing

Software that matches surplus food from businesses with food banks and shelters, then routes volunteers to pick it up.

Why it’s goodIt deals with food waste at the hand-off, where good food usually gets thrown out.

Pre-seed, $800K led by BDC Capital Thrive Lab (Dec 2024)

Featured byBetaKit, MaRS, Calgary.tech

Built by Lourdes Juan, Brad Rougeau2022

Health · Calgary, AB

Possibility NeurotechnologiesEarly backing

Think2Switch turns an off-the-shelf EEG headband into a thought-controlled switch, so people with severe disabilities can use apps and smart-home devices.

Why it’s goodIt grew out of a children's hospital program and uses inexpensive consumer hardware for independence that used to cost thousands.

University of Calgary spinout; CDL Rockies and SPARK Alberta support, no priced round disclosed

Featured byBetaKit, Calgary.tech

Built by Dion Kelly, Adam Kirton2022

Small business · Calgary, AB

KibbiEarly backing

A multilingual hiring app and branded job boards that connect local employers with ready-to-work newcomers through settlement agencies and colleges.

Why it’s goodStarted by a newcomer who lived the job-hunt maze, on a modest pre-seed.

$895K pre-seed (The51, Viewpoint, angels) plus grants, $1.1M total (2023)

Featured byStartup Canada, BetaKit, Avenue Calgary

Built by Hong Phuc Nguyen2020

Beverage · Calgary, AB

XhAle Brew Co.Early backing

Alberta's first all-female and queer-founded craft beer company, brewing small-batch ales that fund community causes.

Why it’s goodA contract-brewed beer brand that turned a $9,000 microloan into a six-figure seller with a clear social mission.

$9,000 Momentum microloan plus Futurpreneur loan

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Christina Owczarek2020

Small business · Calgary, AB

WaitWellEarly backing

Virtual queuing and appointment booking for busy service counters, so customers wait on their phone instead of in line.

Why it’s goodBuilt by a couple who ran an Alberta registry office and needed a better waiting room during COVID-19.

Seed, $1.5M co-led by Graphite Ventures and Accelerate Fund III (2023)

Featured byBetaKit

Built by Steve Vander Meulen, Shannon Vander Meulen2020

Small business · Calgary, AB

Village WellthSelf-funded

A platform for buying a small business, with verified listings, deal analysis, financing prep and advisors all in one place.

Why it’s goodMany small-business owners are retiring, and this helps the next owner actually close the deal.

No outside funding on record

Featured byCalgary.tech

Built by Elizabeth Macrae, Joshua Dias, Gisele Savoie, Robert Irwin2020

B2B services · Calgary, AB

Cellar InsightsEarly backing

Remote monitoring of temperature, humidity and CO2 in potato storage to flag rot and shrink risk early.

Why it’s goodCo-founded by a sixth-generation potato grower solving a problem he lived.

Built by Terry Sydoryk, Ross Culberson2023

Travel · Calgary, AB

Taste the CitySelf-funded

Self-guided, prepaid restaurant tasting nights across 3-4 walkable restaurants, booked online with no guide needed.

Why it’s goodTwo childhood friends who built a Calgary dining experience from a beta to a Dragons' Den appearance.

Built by Joanna Pariseau, Melissa Ninaber2023

Health · Calgary, AB

Possibility NeurotechnologiesEarly backing

Maker of Think2Switch, a brain-computer interface app that turns brain signals into simple actions for controlling connected devices.

Why it’s goodA University of Calgary spinout bringing brain-computer interface tech to people with severe physical disabilities.

Built by Dion Kelly, Adam Kirton2022

Consumer app · Ottawa, ON

PenguinSelf-funded

A community app for single people, not a swiping app, that opens city by city once enough people join, with safety at its core.

Why it’s goodTwo friends from Preston Street are trying to make dating less transactional, starting with a race between cities to reach critical mass.

No outside funding on record

Featured byOttawa Business Journal

Built by Louis Yoon, Edward Kan2026

Developer tool · Ottawa, ON

ColocatairesSelf-funded

Small-scale server colocation and VPS hosting in an Ottawa rack, aimed at self-hosting hobbyists and small projects.

Why it’s goodIt gives Canadians an affordable, friendly on-ramp to real datacentre space with their data kept in Canada.

Built by Pawan Dubey, Aaron Brady2025-12

Food · Ottawa, ON

Twish CartEarly backing

Neighbourhood group-buying pools for groceries: join a pool, and bulk discounts unlock for everyone once it fills.

Why it’s goodIt gives car-free households the savings of bulk buying without a warehouse membership or a full pantry.

Incubator support only (McMaster Forge, Innovation Factory); no round disclosed

Featured byStartup Canada, The Forge (McMaster)

Built by El Gibbor Djiki2025

Small business · Ottawa, ON

CrewdEarly backing

Lets construction contractors borrow vetted, idle tradespeople from other trade firms on short notice, with matching and scheduling handled.

Why it’s goodTurns benched crews into income for trade firms and fills gaps for small contractors without a staffing agency's markup.

$10K grant, Invest Ottawa Immigrant Catalyst pitch win (2025)

Featured byOttawa Business Journal / Invest Ottawa

Built by Johny Camara, Hashir Imam, Marco Tan2025

Small business · Ottawa, ON

OnikSelf-funded

Enter a website address and Onik keeps checking its speed, broken parts and accessibility, with plain fixes and alerts. No plugins needed.

Why it’s goodA two-person team giving small businesses the site monitoring that usually only big companies pay for.

No outside funding on record

Featured byOttawa Business Journal / Invest Ottawa

Built by Rob Villeneuve, Jeremy Francis2023

Family · Ottawa, ON

GoKiduSelf-funded

A platform for known sperm, egg and embryo donation that connects families with verified donors and provides legal tools and community support.

Why it’s goodA safer, more affordable option than sperm banks or anonymous forums for LGBTQ+ families and single parents by choice.

No outside funding on record

Featured byOttawa Business Journal / Invest Ottawa

Built by Puja Pachchigar2023

Small business · Ottawa, ON

DownpaySelf-funded

Lets Shopify shops take deposits and partial payments on custom or made-to-order products, a modern layaway with no loans or credit checks.

Why it’s goodA bootstrapped Ottawa team serving more than 1,100 merchants with a simple fix for selling big-ticket custom goods.

Bootstrapped (per OBJ/Invest Ottawa profile, 2025)

Featured byOttawa Business Journal / Invest Ottawa

Built by Diana Birsan, Denis Zgonjanin2022

Home · Gatineau, QC

PlantaformEarly backing

A countertop smart indoor garden that grows herbs and leafy greens without soil.

Why it’s goodBrings vertical-farm tech into the kitchen, built across the river from Ottawa.

About $500K seed plus $250K angel investment (reported)

Featured byInvest Ottawa (Path Fund)

Built by Alberto Aguilar2020

Fashion · Ottawa, ON

Kokom ScrunchiesSelf-funded

Handmade scrunchies sewn from kokom-style floral fabric, each named after an Indigenous woman who inspires the young Algonquin founder.

Why it’s goodStarted at age nine, it is a youth-led business that carries culture between generations, now sold through its own vending machines.

No outside funding on record

Featured byStartup Canada, Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, Ottawa Business Journal

Built by Mya Beaudry2019

Investing education · Toronto, ON

Be The PuckSelf-funded

Runs 100 published trading plays from 81 named analysts on 377 stocks, funds and coins every night, with nine crash gauges and a paper-trading game.

Built by Dave Bussell

Outdoors · Ottawa, ON

Pecker & JaySelf-funded

Enter your town or postal code for a local, seasonal guide to gardening, fishing and foraging: frost dates, hardiness zone, what's biting and what's in season.

Built by Dave Bussell

Home energy · Ottawa, ON

AuditYourHomeSelf-funded

Helps Canadian homeowners find NRCan-registered energy advisors, compare real prices and see which rebates are actually live in their province.

Built by Dave Bussell

Health · Ottawa, ON

LoonSelf-funded

AI platform that automates systematic literature reviews and clinical evidence analysis to inform drug reimbursement and market access decisions.

Why it’s goodA Bootstrap Awards 2026 winner (Bootstrap Capital award) built by a former Canada's Drug Agency leader, selling to pharma and health systems without large outside funding.

Built by Ghayath Janoudi, Mara Rada

Health · Ottawa, ON

BioThera SolutionsSelf-funded

Biotech making extracellular vesicles from medicinal plants at scale, starting with an aloe-derived anti-aging skincare serum approved for cosmetic use by Health Canada.

Why it’s goodA uOttawa spinout that stayed bootstrapped while patenting its product and building a manufacturing platform for regenerative medicine.

Built by Frédéric St-Denis-Bissonnette, Karan Mediratta

B2B services · Ottawa, ON

Vigilant AISelf-funded

Builds the Vizschön platform, which uses agentic AI to extract evidence from documents, link it to transactions and flag errors across audit data.

Why it’s goodBootstrap Awards 2026 winner (AI in Action) with a focused product built for auditors by auditors.

Built by John Craig2021

Health · Ottawa, ON

Sielo RoboticsEarly backing

Makes Arlo, an AI-assisted robotic arm that mounts on a power wheelchair to help users eat, reach and open doors without a caregiver.

Why it’s goodFounded at the University of Ottawa, Founder of the Year at the 2026 Bootstrap Awards, with clinical partners and a home beta planned.

Built by Evan Zeglinski-Spinney, Rafaël Hébert, Laila Burns

Education · Vancouver, BC

A Parent's Guide to AISelf-funded

A free, plain-language guide that helps B.C. parents understand the AI tools their kids meet at school and at home.

Why it’s goodWritten by a security engineer when the Vancouver School Board rolled out Copilot, it answers parents' real questions without hype.

Built by Yvan Boily2026-06

Consumer app · Vancouver, BC

TribelaSelf-funded

A social app with no endless scroll, autoplay or public like counts, where you choose who sees each post and follow interests, not virality.

Why it’s goodA former producer and parent is building the social app she would actually let her own kids use.

No outside funding on record; incubated at Oxford University Innovation

Featured byBetaKit Most Ambitious 2026, Techcouver

Built by Natalie Boll2026

Education · Vancouver, BC

CodeSprintSelf-funded

A typing trainer that drills real LeetCode-style code snippets so students build speed and fluency writing algorithms.

Why it’s goodA 15-year-old Vancouver student built a sharp, open-source tool that turns interview prep into muscle memory.

Built by cwklurks2025-11

Local services · Vancouver, BC

InstaParkrSelf-funded

Find free and paid street parking in Vancouver and North Vancouver, built from the cities' own open data.

Why it’s goodIt goes deep on one city's messy parking rules instead of offering thin, outdated coverage everywhere.

Built by Aneesh Devasthale2025-05

Retail · Vancouver, BC

TryCanadianSelf-funded

A researched directory of Canadian alternatives to American brands, showing who owns each company and where products are actually made.

Why it’s goodOne person doing the slow ownership research that maple-leaf labels skip, and showing his sources.

No outside funding on record; founder calls it a hobby project

Featured byTechcouver

Built by Tomas Svec2025

Wellness · Vancouver, BC

BaroShiftSelf-funded

A forearm wearable and app that guide an eight-minute daily breathing session paced to your own heart rhythm to train stress recovery.

Why it’s goodThe Semios founder built this after his own back injury, and it gives people a daily routine to practise instead of another stress score.

No outside funding on record

Featured byTechcouver

Built by Michael Gilbert2025

Food · Vancouver, BC

OHME! FoodsEarly backing

Freeze-dried fruit snacks and yogurt crunch bites made from ripe fruit with no added sugar, sold online and in Canadian grocers.

Why it’s goodTwo health-care workers turned a farmers'-market experiment into a shelf brand that is now spreading across Canada.

Futurpreneur-supported; no equity round on record

Featured byFuturpreneur, Small Business BC Awards (2024 nominee)

Built by Han Yue2023

Fashion · Vancouver, BC

Risa VancouverEarly backing

Sister-run Vancouver label selling upcycled-leather handbags made with women artisans in India, at accessible prices.

Why it’s goodAffordable leather goods with an upcycling and fair-work story, sold direct by two sisters.

Futurpreneur startup loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Rid and Sal Sayyal2023

Family · Vancouver, BC

BroodSelf-funded

Insurance-eligible in-home doula, sleep and postpartum care across BC and Alberta, led by women and queer caregivers.

Why it’s goodIt made doula care something employers' benefit plans can cover, and built an inclusive agency around it.

No outside funding on record

Featured byStartup Canada, Startup Canada, Vancouver Magazine

Built by Lizzy Karp, Emma Devin, Gillian Damborg2022

Pets · Vancouver, BC

The Great Canadian Dog CakesEarly backing

Queer-owned Vancouver dog bakery delivering wholesome dog-food cakes, cupcakes and cookies for pet celebrations.

Why it’s goodNewcomers who launched during the pandemic and built a delivery business around celebrating dogs.

Futurpreneur startup loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur, Vancouver Magazine

Built by Olga Vernev, Natasha Vernev2021-03

Fashion · Vancouver, BC

DOUBLEarly backing

Made-to-measure bras built from your own body proportions instead of standard cup sizes.

Why it’s goodTwo founders who lived the fit problem themselves and are rebuilding sizing from measurements up.

Futurpreneur-supported; any outside round undisclosed

Featured byFuturpreneur, BC Business (Youth Entrepreneur of the Year 2023)

Built by Jessica Bosman, Bryn Davis Williams2020

Home · Burnaby, BC

TeabocoEarly backing

Leak-proof, reusable glass tumblers built for bubble tea, coffee and other drinks, designed to replace single-use cups.

Why it’s goodA women-owned brand going after the plastic waste from Vancouver's bubble-tea habit.

Futurpreneur-supported; no equity round on record

Featured byFuturpreneur, Small Business BC Awards (2023 nominee)

Built by Julianne Nieh2020

Local services · Halifax, NS

Halifax Fire AlertsSelf-funded

A live feed of every Halifax-area fire and emergency dispatch, plus burn restrictions, road closures and transit, on iOS, Android and web.

Why it’s goodBorn from the 2023 Tantallon wildfire, it gathers scattered official feeds into the one place residents check in a crisis.

Built by HCEZ Care Link2026-07

Outdoors · Halifax, NS

PartnRSelf-funded

A free golf app for finding playing partners and open rounds, with GPS scorecards and a passport of more than 2,000 Canadian courses.

Why it’s goodA geologist taught himself to code over one summer so no golfer in Canada has to play alone.

No outside funding; founder built the app himself

Featured byEntrevestor

Built by David Sears2026

Small business · Fall River, NS

Pricing2ProfitEarly backing

A guided pricing calculator that shows service businesses their real costs and the minimum they should charge to make a profit.

Why it’s goodMany small firms set prices by guessing, and this replaces the guess with a 15-minute calculation.

$50K ACOA REGI grant (2026)

Featured byEntrevestor

Built by Katy Baker2026

Wellness · Halifax, NS

mindcombEarly backing

A short daily audio routine designed by a psychiatrist that walks you through calming your body, clearing your mind and choosing a next step.

Why it’s goodFifteen years of clinical practice turned into a five-minute daily method, not another meditation library.

$30K non-dilutive, Invest Nova Scotia Accelerate (2026)

Featured byEntrevestor

Built by Lesley Kirkpatrick2025

Small business · Dartmouth, NS

Train With UsEarly backing

A community app for independent gyms where members see who's coming, message each other and join events, which helps gyms keep members.

Why it’s goodIt is built on the idea that people keep going to a gym because of the people they meet there.

$30K non-dilutive, Invest Nova Scotia Accelerate (2026)

Featured byEntrevestor

Built by David Rafuse, Kimberley Kidd2025

Climate · Halifax, NS

AlaagiEarly backing

Home-compostable food packaging film made from seaweed that runs on existing plastic packaging lines and holds up in the freezer.

Why it’s goodA Saint Mary's student started this in his kitchen and already has pilots with Sobeys and High Liner.

$165K non-dilutive funding; no equity round on record

Featured byEntrevestor, Entrevestor (Rookie All-Stars)

Built by Sheheryar Khan2025

Education · Halifax, NS

LearnigenceEarly backing

Teaches students and founders to turn hunches into testable assumptions, run small experiments, and show educators a clear record of what they learned.

Why it’s goodIt teaches people to test an idea before they spend money on it, and that habit outlasts any single course.

$30K non-dilutive, Invest Nova Scotia Accelerate (2026)

Featured byEntrevestor

Built by Luke DeCoste2025

Retail · Halifax, NS

Cahier Stationery & Life GoodsSelf-funded

Independent stationery and hobby shop for journaling, letter-writing and handcraft, online and on Agricola Street in Halifax's North End.

Why it’s goodA pop-up that grew into a real storefront within a year, selling slowness in a scrolling world.

No outside funding on record

Featured byStartup Canada

Built by Ashley Corbett2024

Local services · Halifax, NS

SudDropEarly backing

Laundry pickup and delivery: book online, a driver collects it, and it comes back washed and folded the next day.

Why it’s goodA Saint Mary's basketball player turned his own laundry problem into a service now growing beyond Halifax.

$36K ACOA REGI grant (2026); no equity raised on record

Featured byEntrevestor, Entrevestor

Built by Jayrell Diggs2023

Education · Halifax, NS

Writing BattleSelf-funded

Timed short-story and screenplay contests with surprise genre prompts and peer feedback, for writers who need deadlines and a community.

Why it’s goodA Navy veteran with no web background built a writing league that more than 15,000 writers have joined.

No outside funding on record

Featured byEntrevestor (Rookie All-Stars)

Built by Max Bjork2021

Climate · Halifax, NS

Clean ValleyEarly backing

Algae biofilters and containerized oyster hatcheries for land-based fish farms, offered as hardware-as-a-service.

Why it’s goodTackles the costly, overlooked water-treatment problem holding back onshore aquaculture, from a Nova Scotia team.

$580K friends-and-family round plus Futurpreneur BESP loan (reported)

Featured byFuturpreneur, Entrevestor

Built by Nicholas LaValle, Hunter Bishop, Timothy Edmonds2018

Consumer app · Halifax, NS

BesszongSelf-funded

Atlantic Canadian indie game studio working on Out of Office!, a cooperative party game, and taking contract work meanwhile.

Why it’s goodFounded by laid-off Ubisoft Halifax developers working part-time to rebuild the region's games scene.

Built by George Greer2026

B2B services · Halifax, NS

FloqerEarly backing

AI data-enrichment platform that gathers and cleans customer data for CRMs and sales teams.

Why it’s goodA Halifax startup that grew from a Chrome extension into a data engine for sales teams.

Built by Shivam Mahajan, Zaaheda Islam2024

Local services · Montréal, QC

Collecte MTLSelf-funded

Type any address on the island of Montréal and see your garbage, recycling, food-waste and bulky-item pickup days, on web and iPhone.

Why it’s goodIt turns the city's own open data into the one answer residents actually need, free and ad-free, for 19 boroughs at once.

Built by Sébastien Castiel2026-07

Education · Montréal, QC

ClassGenieSelf-funded

Language-teaching tools that adapt to each student's pace and give instant feedback, with Quebec student data kept in Quebec.

Why it’s goodBuilt by teachers for fluency rather than drills, and it takes Quebec's Law 25 data rules seriously from day one.

Built by Gabriel (Merlingo Education)2025-10

Consumer app · Montréal, QC

HorizonSelf-funded

Private, ad-free file and image hosting, an Imgur alternative that doesn't sell your data.

Why it’s goodA teenager's long-running answer to ad-stuffed image hosts, with incentives aligned with users instead of advertisers.

Built by James (http.james)2024-07

Small business · Montréal, QC

Happly.aiEarly backing

Free matching for grants, tax credits and other non-dilutive funding, with one-click applications for founders, nonprofits and towns.

Why it’s goodA grant-finding tool from founders who kept hitting the funding wall themselves, and it has stayed lean while winning pitch after pitch.

Pitch prizes only ($20K INNOVATEwest 2024, US$5K embassy prize); no external round on record

Featured byStartup Canada, Startup Canada, BetaKit

Built by Thierry Lindor, Donavan Brown2021

Health · Montréal, QC

KnowMediQEarly backing

Montreal platform coordinating verified home-care workers, caregiver respite and wellness providers, with data hosted in Canada.

Why it’s goodA one-stop way for Quebec families to find vetted care at home, in several languages.

Futurpreneur Black Entrepreneur Startup Program loan

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Margarettha Pierre2020

Outdoors · Montréal, QC

Timber & FinsEarly backing

Heirloom-quality leather and wood fly-fishing gear handmade in small batches in a Montreal workshop.

Why it’s goodA fly-fisher who couldn't find gear built to last, so he started making it himself.

Futurpreneur loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by David-Alexandre Chabot2020

Fashion · Montréal, QC

Aim ColoursEarly backing

A thin, battery-free film inside accessories like press-on nails that changes colour with one tap from a phone.

Why it’s goodA chemistry PhD's doctoral research turned into fashion: you buy one accessory and change its colour whenever you want.

FounderFuel accelerator ($120K, 2023) and $20K Startup Montréal Revelations grant

Featured byBetaKit

Built by Alejandra Huerta2020

Home · Montréal, QC

Kisina DécoEarly backing

Montreal brand selling colourful African-inspired cushions and home decor handmade by artisans in Senegal.

Why it’s goodBrings colour and West African craft into Canadian homes while creating work for artisans abroad.

Futurpreneur Black Entrepreneur Startup Program loan

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Prima Mabonzo2018

Fashion · Montréal, QC

WearshopEarly backing

Montreal leather handbag brand for women on the go, each bag made in Canada and signed by its artisan.

Why it’s goodKeeps leather-goods manufacturing local, with Italian design influence and visible craftsmanship.

Futurpreneur loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Gabriella Salvi2018

Beverage · Edmonton, AB

Tomato WheelsEarly backing

Indigenous-owned independent wine label selling a chilled sparkling Lambrusco from a fourth-generation Italian family vineyard.

Why it’s goodOne of very few Indigenous-owned wine labels in Canada, built by a founder with a chef's palate.

Futurpreneur startup loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur, Futurpreneur, Avenue Calgary

Built by Moirae Choquette2022

Retail · Edmonton, AB

Indigenous BoxEarly backing

Build-your-own gift boxes filled with products from more than 400 Indigenous businesses, artists and makers across Canada.

Why it’s goodA pandemic kitchen-table idea that turned corporate gifting budgets into steady orders for Indigenous makers.

$5K startup pitch prize; no investors on record

Featured byWomen Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, Startup Canada, Canada Innovation and Entrepreneur Awards

Built by Mallory Yawnghwe, Kham Yawnghwe2021

Food · Edmonton, AB

7 Summits SnacksEarly backing

Functional superfood chocolate bars made for hikers, climbers and endurance athletes, sold in 200+ Canadian retailers.

Why it’s goodTwo sisters turned a family loss on Everest into a trail snack that actually tastes like a treat.

$10K Startup Canada Equal Slice grant (2025)

Featured byStartup Canada, Startup Canada, Explore Magazine

Built by Kristyn Carriere, Leanna Carriere2019

Food · Edmonton, AB

Kind Ice CreamSelf-funded

Neighbourhood ice cream shops in Edmonton making dairy and vegan scoops by hand with local cream and house-baked mix-ins.

Why it’s goodA women-, queer- and Indigenous-owned shop that grew from one Ritchie storefront by being the place neighbours meet.

No outside funding on record

Featured byWomen Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub

Built by Candyce Morris2019

B2B services · Edmonton, AB

SenseHuman AIEarly backing

AI-powered smart hardhats that detect nearby heavy equipment and hazards and alert workers, with a dashboard for safety managers.

Why it’s goodUniversity of Alberta researchers turning construction-safety research into a product, backed by an industry association.

Built by Adil Muhammad, Qipei (Gavin) Mei, Vicente Gonzalez, Gaang Lee2025

Housing · Victoria, BC

à portéeSelf-funded

Maps walking time to groceries, pharmacies, playgrounds and other amenities for every block in Canada, based on the ones you choose.

Why it’s goodIt lets anyone choosing a home check the walkability that matters to them, using open StatCan and OpenStreetMap data.

Built by Christian (cjlm)2026-07

Travel · Victoria, BC

HeyYa CartsSelf-funded

Street-legal electric cart rentals for exploring downtown Victoria and Vancouver, picked up at transit and cruise hubs.

Why it’s goodIt cleared municipal red tape to give tourists a low-carbon, genuinely fun alternative to tour buses.

No outside funding on record

Featured byStartup Canada, CFAX 1070

Built by Tasha Maynard2025-05

Beverage · Victoria, BC

Smart Sip Cream Co.Early backing

A Canadian-made powdered coffee creamer with chicory-root fibre: 3 g fibre, 25 calories, no sugar, in three flavours.

Why it’s goodA one-woman Vancouver Island brand with hundreds of reorder reviews, taking healthier coffee into a category owned by giants.

$8,500 Startup Global pitch prize (2026)

Featured byStartup Canada

Built by Ashlyn Newlove2025

Health · Victoria, BC

joniEarly backing

Plant-based, compostable pads and tampons sold online and at Costco, with a give-back model that tackles period poverty.

Why it’s goodA six-person Victoria team got sustainable period care onto big-box shelves without a venture mega-round.

Early angels plus FrontFundr equity crowdfunding (2021); six staff

Featured byStartup Canada, Capital Daily, Royal Roads University

Built by Linda Biggs, Jayesh Vekariya2020-03

Civic data · Victoria, BC

Bridge Impact AISelf-funded

Indigenous-led platform with tools for organizations and individuals to plan, act on and track reconciliation, with an app in beta.

Why it’s goodA Victoria social-impact venture funded by revenue and donations, guided by Indigenous advisors.

Built by Laurel Anne Stark

Home · St. John's, NL

OmaScanEarly backing

Scan a home in 3D with a phone or iPad, then get measurements, paperwork and quotes for accessibility renovations in minutes.

Why it’s goodMemorial engineering students replacing tape measures and paper forms so people can stay safely in their homes sooner.

$25K Mel Woodward Cup prize (2026); Genesis Residency

Featured byEntrevestor (Rookie All-Stars), Entrevestor

Built by Rohith McKim, Liam French, Jordyn O'Brien2025

Fashion · St. John's, NL

merniniEarly backing

Stylish long raincoats, vests and rain hats designed in Newfoundland for sideways rain and wind.

Why it’s goodA product born from one wet dash across a parking lot, now proof that a St. John's brand can sell weather-proof style nationally.

Dragons' Den royalty deal with Arlene Dickinson, $500K (2025)

Featured byStartup Canada, CBC News

Built by Maria Halfyard2020

Family · St. John's, NL

NewbornlanderEarly backing

Social enterprise handmaking baby hats and accessories in Newfoundland while employing and training refugee and newcomer women.

Why it’s goodTurns slow-made baby gear into steady jobs for women starting over in Newfoundland.

Futurpreneur-supported; no equity round on record

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Constanza Safatle2018

Small business · Winnipeg, MB

OutreachGeniusEarly backing

Answers missed calls for plumbers, roofers and HVAC firms, qualifies the lead and books the appointment before the customer calls a competitor.

Why it’s goodBuilt by a former student painting franchisee who kept losing jobs because he couldn't answer the phone from a ladder.

$1.7M CAD raised (company announcement), including a $200K Black Innovation Summit prize (2025)

Featured byNorth Forge

Built by David Owasi, Pasha Khoshkebari2023

Education · Winnipeg, MB

TeqareEarly backing

Digital-literacy and scam-prevention workshops built for First Nations communities and Elders across Canada.

Why it’s goodA Lac Seul First Nation founder filling a gap he saw daily behind a phone-store counter: Elders being left behind and scammed.

Futurpreneur Indigenous Entrepreneur Startup Program loan

Featured byFuturpreneur, Global News

Built by Darion Ducharme, Brett Ducharme2021

Beverage · Winnipeg, MB

Patent 5 DistillerySelf-funded

Estate-grown Manitoba distillery making whisky, rum and gin from grain grown, mashed, distilled and bottled in the province.

Why it’s goodA rare grain-to-bottle distillery, built by an IT worker who spent six years writing the plan.

No outside funding on record

Featured byExchange District BIZ

Built by Brock Coutts2018

B2B services · Winnipeg, MB

TetraGen RoboticsEarly backing

Autonomous welding robots that use AI and 3D vision to generate robot programs automatically for heavy equipment, agriculture, trailers and structural steel.

Why it’s goodA Manitoba manufacturing-tech startup with a real shop in Winnipeg and OEM partners, still at seed stage.

Built by Matt Khoshdarregi2022

B2B services · Winnipeg, MB

ConstructionClockEarly backing

Automatic GPS time-tracking app for construction crews that clocks workers in and out at job sites and exports to payroll tools.

Why it’s goodA tradesman-founded app, built by a former subcontractor, that grew from a Winnipeg start to customers in several countries.

Built by David Peters, Dominique Smith2022

Health · Cambridge, ON

RizzFitSelf-funded

Free fitness and nutrition calculators that show the formula behind every number, with no signup, plus an adaptive training app.

Why it’s goodCiting the formula treats calorie and macro numbers as estimates you can check, not magic.

Built by Orbitly (one-person studio)2026-09

Personal finance · ON

Cadence MoneySelf-funded

A privacy-first budgeting app for Canadians, with Canadian banks supported first, no ads, no data selling and no built-in AI.

Why it’s goodCanadians have long been second-class users of US budgeting apps; this one is built by an ex-1Password lead for Canadian accounts first.

Built by Travis Hogan2026-07

Civic data · Niagara Region, ON

TellMyMPSelf-funded

Enter a postal code to find your MP and email or call them about a bill in under a minute, with no account.

Why it’s goodIt removes every step between caring about a bill and contacting your MP, and sends the email from your own device.

Built by Braunson Yager2026-06

Small business · ON

BUS CoreSelf-funded

Free, open-source, local-first inventory, production and audit-trail software for small manufacturers, print farms and maker shops.

Why it’s goodIt fills the gap between spreadsheets and costly ERP while keeping a small shop's records on its own computer.

Built by True Good Craft Inc.2026-02

Personal finance · Waterloo, ON

LoonieFiSelf-funded

Free, private calculators for Canadian CPP/OAS, EI parental leave, child benefits, RESP and income tax that run entirely in your browser.

Why it’s goodIt answers what-if questions the government portals hide behind a login, and it is updated for the new CPP rules.

Built by The LoonieFi team2025-12

Family · Paris, ON

Take CareEarly backing

A secure online binder where families record medical wishes, accounts and key documents before a crisis hits.

Why it’s goodBuilt by an ER doctor who watched families scramble at the worst moment, it makes planning ahead feel caring rather than morbid.

$10K Equal Slice grant (2025); McMaster Forge incubator

Featured byStartup Canada, Startup Canada, The Forge (McMaster)

Built by Laura Shoots2025

Health · Cornwall, ON

Cntrl+Early backing

A reusable, Health Canada-approved bladder support that prevents stress incontinence leaks, as an alternative to pads and rigid pessaries.

Why it’s goodA small Eastern Ontario team taking on a problem that affects one in three women, now with manufacturing in Ottawa.

$1M pre-seed and $1.4M seed (per OBJ, 2026)

Featured byOttawa Business Journal / Invest Ottawa

Built by Karen Brunet2020

Home · Quinte West, ON

Canadian HandywomanEarly backing

DIY home-repair coaching, courses and 'DIY Like a Girl' workshops that teach women to fix things themselves.

Why it’s goodWhat began as a one-woman repair service in rural Ontario became a confidence business for women locked out of the trades.

$10K Startup Canada Equal Slice grant (2025)

Featured byStartup Canada, Startup Canada, Frontenac News

Built by Tammy Watson2019

Education · BC

Bigfoot's British ColumbiaSelf-funded

A browser game where you roam British Columbia as a Sasquatch, discovering 30 historic towns, parks and wildlife along the way.

Why it’s goodIt makes provincial geography and small-town history genuinely fun to explore, for kids and road-trippers alike.

Built by Overseed AI (one-person lab)2026-07

Consumer app · Nelson, BC

Media DenSelf-funded

An iPhone vault for private photos and videos that encrypts them on the device and stores them in your own cloud.

Why it’s goodBring-your-own-storage with no company servers in the loop is a rare, honest design for a privacy app.

Built by Ryan (Greystone App Development)2026-04

Health · Kelowna, BC

PainTracker.caSelf-funded

A free, offline-first pain diary that keeps your symptom, medication and trigger logs on your own device and exports clinician-ready reports.

Why it’s goodPeople with chronic pain get a useful record for appointments without handing sensitive health data to a cloud service.

Built by CrisisCore-Systems2026-01

Consumer app · Galiano Island, BC

Simple Price Drop AlertSelf-funded

Emails you when a specific item in your size and colour goes on sale at stores like Patagonia, REI, Lee Valley and Blundstone.

Why it’s goodPay-what-seems-fair and built for buying less, more deliberately, instead of pushing more shopping.

Built by Curiositry (The Autodidacts)2025-11

Media · Parksville, BC

EH!Self-funded

A Canadian social network built around local groups, events and small businesses, with user data stored in Canada.

Why it’s goodA Vancouver Island founder betting that Canadians want a local feed more than a global one, and it already has more than 20,000 users.

No outside funding on record (TrailMix Technologies)

Featured byBetaKit Most Ambitious 2026, Techcouver

Built by Jessica Glowacki2025

Local services · South Shore, NS

When Should I Go to the Beach?Self-funded

Combines weather and tides to give a plain answer on the best time to visit South Shore beaches in Nova Scotia.

Why it’s goodA tiny, single-purpose tool that answers the one question beachgoers actually have, made by a local for locals.

Built by Bastian Gruber2026-08

Home · Windsor, NS

Woods(wo)man WoodworkingEarly backing

Queer-owned woodworking studio selling carved home goods and ornaments online, plus carving workshops and custom heirloom pieces.

Why it’s goodMakes room for queer and disabled makers in a trade that rarely shows them, and sells nationally from a small Nova Scotia shop.

Futurpreneur startup loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Jackie Toner2023

Travel · Moose Brook, NS

Ravens Rest RetreatSelf-funded

Rustic cabins and day-retreat experiences above Burntcoat Head on the Bay of Fundy, built for rest, yoga and farm time.

Why it’s goodTwo burnt-out career switchers bought land in three months and built the kind of quiet getaway rural Nova Scotia does best.

No outside funding on record

Featured byStartup Canada, Startup Canada

Built by Heidi Penning2021

Fashion · Saskatoon, SK

MAG ClothingEarly backing

Saskatoon fashion label making on-demand loungewear from pre-consumer textile waste, using AI to design only what customers want.

Why it’s goodA newcomer applying a career in Egypt's textile industry to the overproduction problem, from a city rarely on the fashion map.

Futurpreneur startup loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Mahmoud Gaber2024

Consumer app · Moose Jaw, SK

memoryKPREarly backing

A private storytelling app for collecting photos, video and voice into memory collections that families and event hosts can keep and share.

Why it’s goodBuilt in Moose Jaw by a former executive after losing a loved one's social-media memories, it keeps family stories off rented platforms.

Pitch prize only: $2,500 Startup Global People's Choice (2023)

Featured byStartup Canada, Startup Canada, DiscoverMooseJaw

Built by Jessica McNaughton2020

Food · Regina, SK

Dandy's Artisan Ice CreamSelf-funded

Small-batch artisan ice cream made in Regina with local ingredients, plus a sister line of handmade chocolates.

Why it’s goodIt opened in a February cold snap and still became a Saskatchewan destination scoop shop.

No outside funding on record

Featured byWomen Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, Tourism Saskatchewan, CTV News Regina

Built by Daniela Mintenko, Rob Mintenko2019-02

Food · Petty Harbour, NL

Brother SproutEarly backing

Shelf-stable, plant-based 'meats' with Newfoundland-flavoured names, eaten as jerky or rehydrated for cooking.

Why it’s goodA newcomer making shelf-stable vegan protein in an outport town, where fresh alternatives are scarce.

Futurpreneur startup loan instead of investors

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Li-an Delos Reyes2022

Fashion · Corner Brook, NL

Contour ClothingEarly backing

Sustainable women's clothing from upcycled and biodegradable fabrics, designed in Newfoundland with end-to-end production transparency.

Why it’s goodA former apparel product-development manager building a transparent fashion label from Corner Brook while doing a PhD.

Futurpreneur startup loan with mentorship

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Roshayne Mendis, Robin Mendis2020

Climate · AB

HumidSnapSelf-funded

Checks the coldest temperature in the next few days and tells you what indoor humidity to set before a cold snap hits.

Why it’s goodA predictive answer to window frost and hidden condensation that ordinary humidistats only react to after the fact.

Built by saikiran91 (HN)2025-12

Outdoors · La Broquerie, MB

Masagana Flower Farm & StudioSelf-funded

A small flower farm and natural-dye studio in southeast Manitoba offering u-pick blooms and 'Tinta' dye-your-own wearable art days.

Why it’s goodA Filipina newcomer turned a lawn into a farm-tourism stop an hour from Winnipeg, growing her own dye plants.

No outside funding on record; WECM business-planning support

Featured byStartup Canada, PrairiesCan, Destination Canada

Built by Lourdes Still2018

Beauty · Cowansville, QC

Cosmepharm (Radiant Skin)Early backing

Family-run Quebec maker of Radiant Skin, multitasking dermocosmetic creams and serums that treat several skin concerns in one product.

Why it’s goodA biochemist making affordable dermocosmetics in the Eastern Townships rather than importing them.

Futurpreneur DIY Marketing grant ($1,000); no equity round on record

Featured byFuturpreneur

Built by Oumar Bah, Fatou Diallo2021

Climate · Whitehorse, YT

Yukon PlasticsSelf-funded

Combs, soap dishes, rings and ornaments made at home in Whitehorse from the Yukon's own waste plastic.

Why it’s goodA mother-and-son shop that treats northern plastic waste as a local resource instead of shipping it thousands of kilometres south.

Kickstarter pre-sales only; no investors on record

Featured byStartup Canada, Sustainable Business News

Built by Janna Swales, Will Powell2022