Top 10 Educational Technology start-ups in Canada

The world’s second largest country Canada, considers education as the top priority of its government and the organizations. The already advanced and developed structure of the EdTech market established there still has some room for improvements, with many enterprises taking advantage of the opportunities available for digitizing education in Canada. 

There are 652 EdTech start-ups in Canada let’s have a look at the Top 10 EdTech Companies in Canada:

1. Top Hat:

Founders: Mohsen Shahini, Mike Silagadze 

Founding Year: 2009 

Headquarters: Toronto, Canada

Funding received: USD 234.4 million 

Investors: Leaders Fund, Bank of Montreal, Union Square Ventures

About the Company: Top Hat is a higher education teaching application which makes learning  active in real time. It is a privately held organization operating under the computer software industry and deals with various specialties like classroom polling, e-learning, interactive content and real time feedback. Top Hat is basically an educational software which provides students to manage and supervise their classroom related content, attendance, assignments and other accessories. 

2. Apply Board:

Founders: Meti Basiri, Massi Basiri, Martin Basiri

Founding Year: 2015 

Headquarters: Kitchener, Canada

Funding received: USD 178.3 million 

Investors: Plug and Play Tech Center, Candou Ventures and INP Capital 

About the company: Apply Board is an online platform which empowers people to access education. The company’s primary aim is to support students around the world to access the best content out there. They streamline the application process ranging from enrolment to discovery and application helping thousands of students to pursue their goal of studying abroad. They operate and function in different fields which includes Canadian student visa application, language institutions, deep learning and computer software. 

3. D2L:

Founder: John Baker

Founding Year: 1999

Headquarters: Kitchener, Canada

Funding received: USD 168.5 million 

Investors: Four Rivers Group, Graham Holdings Co, Columbus Nova Technology Partners 

About the company: D2L is a e-learning based management system which is a learning solution for reporting, gamification, testing and web conferencing. The company is also considered to be the world’s first integrated learning platform. The organization aims to improve learning and the efficiency process through their data driven technology which provides the users to be a part of a personalised learning interface. 

4. Absorb LMS:

Founder: Mike Owens 

Founding Year: 2003 

Headquarters: Calgary, Canada 

Funding received: USD 59 million 

Investors: Silversmith Capital Partners

About the company: Absorb LMS is a learning management software for corporate employees. The application enables the clients to access various content management and course development courses. The organization sets new standards in the learning and technology sector fuelling companies to grow and develop by utilizing their software. They deal with various specialties like upskilling, compliance training and learning technology. 

5. Axonify:

Founders: Rebecca Short, John Short

Founding Year: 2011

Headquarters: Waterloo, Canada

Funding received: USD 35.2 million

Investors: Resolve Growth, MaRS Discovery District 

About the company: Axonify is a modern learning solution and communication system for all the corporate employees. It’s microlearning platform enables its clients to share and build employee training programs. Their specialties vary between gamified and blended learning combined with e-learning software and interval reinforcement solutions. The super high engagement supports their AI driven software to reinforce and develop the really important aspects using bit sized micro learning content. 

6. Thinkific:

Founders: Miranda Lievers, Matt Smith, Matt Payne and Greg Smith

Founding Year: 2015

Headquarters: Vancouver, Canada

Funding received: USD 22 million 

Investors: Rhino Ventures, VFF, Pallasite Ventures
About the company: Thinkific provides an interface which enables course creation with the help of audio, texts and video editing tools. They also provide marketing support. They provide analytical support for personalization and administration of teaching for each student. The enterprise operates on a premium model with revenue generated from subscription and transaction fees.

7. Fresh Grade:

Founders: Mark Payne, Steve Wandler, Lane Merrifield

Founding Year: 2012

Headquarters: Kelowna, Canada

Funding received: USD 16 million 

Investors: Social Capital, Reach Capital and Emerson Collective 

About the company: Fresh Grade is a learning portfolio platform which promotes parent engagement and student ownership. It is basically a mobile and web-based software which supports and develops parents, students and teacher’s interaction with each other through a digital interface. Students could also self-monitor their track records and assess their results. Parents also could directly interact with the teachers and take necessary feedback and communicate with them. They work in the education management sector and deal with parent communication, student assessment related aspects. 

8. Class craft:

Founders: Shawn Young, Devin Young, Lauren Young 

Founding Year: 2013

Headquarters: Quebec City, Canada

Funding received: USD 11.8 million 

Investors: ACET, Whitecap Venture Partners and MaRS Catalyst Fund

About the company: Class craft is a free online, educational gaming software which students and teachers play together in the classroom. The gaming platform provides students a different experience of learning and interacting with each other. The interface supports the idea of collaborative learning methods. This method has been implemented so far in over 20k+ schools. Students are being allotted a character and they level up based on the things conducted in the classroom for a better understanding and creative thinking approach. 

9. Destiny Solutions:

Founder: Shaul Kuper

Founding Year: 1995 

Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario

Funding received: USD 11 million 

Investors: Saratoga Investment, The Riverside Company  

About the company: Destiny Solutions provides customer life cycle management software developed for higher education providers. They offer solutions to help universities and colleges and maintain their non-traditional students. The association’s flagship product Destiny One allows the administration to handle enrolment, marketing, curriculum and system finance. They also handle specialties like university management software, higher education and workforce development software. 

10. Grade Slam:

Founders: Philipp Cutler and Roberto Cipriani

Founding Year: 2014

Headquarters: Montreal, Canada

Funding received: USD 9 million

Investors: Reach Capital, Real Ventures and Red House Education 
About the company: Grade Slam is a web and mobile based software which provides chat-oriented homework’s guidance from tutors present on the interface. Users could share documents, file and have live chat with tutors for better understanding of concepts and doubt clearance. The teachers present on the platform are highly qualified after a rigorous 5 step certification procedure.

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