Nearly 200 applicants were whittled down down to 12 finalists.
After three months of competition and mentorship, four financial technology startups won this year’s Digital Commerce Calgary Fintech Award, with three hailing from the Alberta region.
The second-annual award, this year expanded nationwide, recognized DealPoint, Blossom, Propra, and Elev as the top four winners—taking home prizes worth almost $400,000 combined in non-dilutive cash.
“The Digital Commerce Calgary Fintech Award embodies our belief in nurturing fintech disruptors,” stated Jeff Smith, CEO of Digital Commerce Group. “It’s not only about recognizing innovation but also about providing a springboard for growth through mentorship and workshops.”
The award sets the stage for entrepreneurs and innovations to reshape Canada’s fintech landscape and offers opportunities for startups to expand their operations, according to Smith.
“As the Canadian fintech industry matures, we’re proud to contribute to its evolution through initiatives like this,” he said.
The first place prize of $125,000 went to DealPoint, a platform for companies, venture funds, and angel networks to digitize investor onboarding and investment execution.
“This is validation—it gives our team the belief that what we are doing is working,” Sandi Gilbert, Founder of DealPoint, said of winning the award. “Now we have this opportunity to go get the market that is waiting for us.”
Vancouver-based “social brokerage” Blossom and automated property management platform Propra were both awarded second place prizes of $100,000.
The Community Builder Award of $50,000 went to Elev, which streamlines the off-campus living experience for students and landlords.
Last year’s winners included Fillip Fleet and Woveo, two startups that took home a grand total of $310,000 in non-dilutive cash to accelerate their businesses.
The chief executive of Platform Calgary says the city’s economy “has been built on local business leaders reinvesting in the community,” which the fintech award aims to achieve.
“The results in this space are already paying dividends in the local economy,” believes CEO Terry Rock. “We would like to thank industry supporters, our generous sponsors, our expert panel of judges, and all of the participants for making this second annual Digital Commerce Calgary Fintech Awards such a resounding success.”
“There has never been a better time to be in tech in Alberta,” affirmed Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation in Alberta. “Alberta’s Fintech sector is filled with exciting companies that are helping to bring our financial sector into the modern age.”
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