Welcome to the growing list of Ottawa company success stories! Here you’ll find many answers to the question “Why Ottawa?” as well as the many reasons Ottawa talent and companies are succeeding on a global basis.
From new equity financings and IPOs to exciting new discoveries and patents to high-growth business models – the innovation from the Ottawa Region will amaze you. Dive in and explore your possibilities with Ottawa!
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Sir Terry Matthews
Sir Terry Matthews, Founder and Chairman of the investment group Wesley Clover, discusses why he thinks Ottawa is a great place to run a technology business and the value to be gained by locating in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. (En Français)
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Snowedin Studios
Jean-Sylvain Sormany, President of Snowedin Studios, a video game and interactive media developer in Ottawa, talks about the advantages offered by the high quality of life in Ottawa and the ease of collaboration in the community which is important to their network. (En Français)
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Impakt Protective
Danny Crossman, CEO, Impakt Protective, discusses how the technology base in Ottawa — companies, executives, support organizations and angel investors — make it the ideal place for a tech-based company to start and grow a business. (En Français)
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SLALOM
Marie-Pierre Gariepy, president of SLALOM production house, talks about the diverse areas of expertise in the city, the natural attractions offered by the city’s proximity to waterways and ski slopes and that she lives in a beautiful and bilingual city. (En Français)
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TrueNorth Avionics
TrueNorth Avionics builds cabin communications and WiFi equipment for business jets. Founder, President and CEO, Mark van Berkel, discusses the wealth of innovation coming out of the many R&D labs in Ottawa and the culture of incubation for small business in the city. (En Français)
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Shopify
Shopify’s Chief Platform Officer, Harley Finkelstein, discusses how the company is building the world’s best ecommerce platform for online retailers and why Ottawa’s vibrant culture makes it easy for them to recruit talent from around the world. (En Français)
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Bridgehead Coffee
Tracey Clarke the Managing Director of Bridgehead Coffee, a speciality coffee roastery and retailer in Ottawa offering fair-trade organic coffee from small-scale farmers, talks about the diversity of the communities in Ottawa, the quality of life provided by the city and the sense of community amongst the city’s entrepreneurs. (En Français)
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Giatec Scientific
Aali Alizadeh, CEO, Giatec Scientific, whose company provides advanced concrete testing solutions to the construction industry, discusses how Ottawa’s vast network of support organizations makes it a great place for young entrepreneurs to start and grow a business. (En Français)
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RocketOwl
Graeme Barlow, co-founder and CEO of RocketOwl, a mobile and social game developer in Ottawa, discusses their growth from five employees to eighteen over the course of the last year and the benefits of starting a business in Ottawa. (En Français)
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Energate
Niraj Bhargava, co-founder and CEO of Energate, discusses how the depth of local talent and R&D expertise in hardware, software, telecommunications and home controls made Ottawa the location of choice for Energate’s home energy management solution. (En Français)

