Kayla Isabelle
CEO, Startup Canada
Have you been to a hospital recently? Checked LinkedIn or posted on Facebook? Used your banking app? If so, you’ve experienced the power of big data and artificial intelligence at work.
Big data and AI have accomplished global recognition as a catalyst for innovation, expanding into almost every industry and becoming a driving force for development in the 21st century. With AI technologies being implemented into almost every aspect of our lives — from finance to healthcare — it’s indisputable that big data will alter our society as we know it.
Canada has become a world leader in AI — acting as a seedbed to a number of startups in the field across the country. The tremendous efforts and vision of investors, academics, deep-learning pioneers, and supporting networks have made it possible to position Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and other Canadian cities as key players in the global AI landscape.
Throughout 2020, Startup Canada has had the opportunity to serve and connect with entrepreneurs working in data and AI through the Canadian Export Challenge, CANIE Awards, and our regular digital programming. Aware of the importance to give visibility to these businesses and elicit conversations surrounding the field’s challenges, ethical dilemmas and social impact, Startup Canada is dedicated to amplifying key entrepreneurial voices within Canada’s data industry.
A few examples of entrepreneurial disruptors making waves in Canada’s big data and AI field include:
Hassan Murad & Vivek Vyas, Intuitive AI
2020 Regional CANIE Award Winner
Founded in 2017, Intuitive AI is revolutionizing building safety by automating waste collection and tracking. The company’s flagship product, Oscar Sort, is a retrofittable device that can be attached to any multi-stream recycling bins in a public facility. The device guides users to recycle correctly by scanning items and making informed decisions based on local regulations and user habits. Oscar has gamified waste collection for its users — leading to a 300% increase in recycling where the device is used.
Maayan Ziv, AccessNow
SDG Impact Icon
Based in Toronto, AccessNow is on a mission to make the world more accessible one pin at a time. The mobile app uses crowdsourcing data in an effort to collect, map out, and share accessibility information for people with disabilities.
Patrick Walther and Robert Saik, AGvisorPRO
2020 CXC Regional Winner
AGvisorPRO, based in Red Deer, aims to connect the agricultural community across the globe. The company’s app utilizes AI and machine learning to offer instant connectivity to industry experts across all areas of crop and livestock management.
Zainab Muse, Wingd
Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Spotlight
Founded in 2013, the award winning creative digital agency Wingd is revolutionizing intelligent digitization methods. Through scientific process design the company helps other businesses create more effective content and processes that lead to optimized services and growth.
Solon Angel, Mindbridge AI
2020 Startup Podcast Guest
Founded in 2015, MindBridge Ai helps organizations deliver rapid value to their clients with deeper insights and higher risk assurance for 100% of their data. MindBridge AI Auditor is the world’s first AI-powered auditing solution, allowing organizations to augment human capacity to establish confidence in their financial data.
Big data and AI have caused a tidal wave of change in our collective society, both within business spaces and our private lives. Together, let’s celebrate the incredible accomplishments of the entrepreneurs across Canada who are revolutionizing these fields in an effort to make the world a better place for all of us.
