the alarm clock: Canada’s TOP Web 2.0 startups
In a great tip to Canadian technology and entrepreneurs, the alarm clock published a list celebrating top up and comers and current success stories. With the assistance of B5’s Mark Evans – these are the companies to watch!
Toronto’s Extend media (video ASP)
Kelowna’s Club Penguin (tween social net)
Vancouver’s EQO (mobile IM)
Montreal’s Weblo (virtual world economy)
Montreal’s OZ (mobile messaging)
Guelph’s GeoSign (web publisher)
Vancouver’s Plenty of Fish (dating)
Toronto’s FreshBooks (online invoicing)
Runner’s Up:
Toronto’s QuickPlay (mobile video)
Vancouver’s Marqui (public relations / marketing)
Montreal’s Airborne (aggregator)
Montreal’s NuVu.tv (Global broadcast network)
Montreal’s Tungle (meeting organizer)
Quebec’s Inpowr (personal empowerment)
Toronto’s Peekamo’s (mobile social net)
Vancouver’s Mixpo (personal publishing)
Sudbury’s Conceptshare (social whiteboard)
Toronto’s OurFaves (Toronto things to do)
Ottawa’s Cluztr (clickstream log)
Vancouver’s Sxip Identity (identity management)
Winnipeg’s Blockrocker (classifieds)
Vancouver’ Bryght (open source Drupal)
Toronto’s b5 Media (publishing)
Toronto’s Qumana (blog tools)
Vancouver’s Now Public (citizen journalism)
The SAD part about this list is the sole Ottawa entry. Do we lack 2.0 entrepreneurs? Our various camps over the past year would say NO. But a common longstanding issue in this city is a lack of business and marketing talent. Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver may own the bulk of the alarm clock list – but at least Ottawa gets a chance at the Stanley Cup!
[tags]the-alarm-clock, mark-evans[/tags]
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Hey Mitch,
Thanks for the mention about Cluztr. You’re gith, Ottawa’s Web2.0 scene is a little lonely.
Geosign isn’t really a Publishing company anymore. They pretty much axed the division earlier today to focus on making SEO’d Google fodder. More then 1/5th of their staff was downsized.
There’s two pities here – The big one is only one Ottawa company in the list.
Over the past year we’ve tried to do our bit building a Web 2.0 community. My sense is that it’s a bit more vibrant – but when you compare it to Toronto – and more recently what’s happening in Montreal it’s clearly quieter than it’s population warrants. How would we chand that?
The other pity is that I haven’t heard of Cluztr until your post. Got to get in touch with them.
Hey Peter – it’s not for you not trying! After you and your team organizing a bunch of successful camps – and the upcoming CommunityCamp and DemoCamp5… we know there’s lots of Ottawa 2.0 talent.
Maybe we should gang up on Mark Evans and show them what’s going on here!
Personally I put it to funding – both TO and Montreal have angels who have invested and exited – Ottawa -not so much.
The other is that Ottawa E’s may be a bit older – though with 2 universities that shouldn’t be the case.
Geography may also play a part – with both having a concentration in the core that Ottawa doesn’t seem to have.
Still when you look at TO Camp scene – spawned Mesh, Enterprise Camp, 12 Demo Camps, Transit Camp, Co-working, Dupal Camp etc there has been an explosion – which is fitting because it has become silicon Valley North – in diversity of businesses and in culture.
You’re right – both Toronto and Montreal have exploded! I talked to TO’s David Crow 2 years ago – and he found Toronto’s scene abysmal… how things change quickly!
More Ottawa 2.0 coming soon, stay tuned
Well, c’mon Graham – spill it!