You’re probably not shocked to find out that tech companies have dominated the startup game so far this year. Canada is, fortunately, becoming a burgeoning environment for entrepreneurship and technology.  These five companies appeared on several lists of top startups in Canada in 2018:

Wealthsimple

If you haven’t heard or read the word “Weathsimple” in the past year, odds are you live under a rock. This investment company was advertised and marketed on bus shelters, between TV shows, on billboards, and before YouTube videos. Weathsimple aims to, you guessed it, make wealth management simple for its customers. They do this by automatically and affordably building well-rounded portfolios for investors. With this unique approach to investing, they’ve disrupted the big banks’ system which has led them to manage approximately two billion dollars for over 75,000 clients in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

Coinsquare

Cryptocurrency is all the rage but can be confusing and intimidating for beginners. Coinsquare makes it easier for Canadians to buy and sell digital currencies by allowing them to use Canadian dollars directly. The start-up additionally created a wealth management business specifically for cryptocurrency that curates investment products for customers. Increasing accessibility to the exciting world of Bitcoin, Ethereum and more is a fantastic business model.

Element AI

Element AI boasts the biggest privately-owned Artificial Intelligence research and development lab in Canada despite only being two years old. The start-up uses the information it gathers to help businesses create better e-commerce product recommendations and streamline hiring processes. This Canadian company is still growing but already competing with heavyweights like Google and IBM. We can’t wait to see what 2019 has in store for them.

League Inc

The health and wellness industry has been booming in the last few years with mental illnesses finally being viewed as legitimate health concerns. League Insurance is working to improve the health benefits market. They want to help companies save money and ensure employees are getting properly reimbursed. The digital platform allows clients to customize their own healthcare plans and gives them options that they wouldn’t normally have like art therapy or gym memberships. The Toronto-based start-up has already expanded in the U.S. and will launch in the E.U. and U.K. next year.

Kira Systems

This computer software start-up cuts document review time in half for law firms and corporations. The technology analyzes lengthy legal documents and highlights key concepts and clauses. Gone are the days of law firm interns pulling all-nighters and poring over pages. Kira Systems help immensely with merger-and-acquisition, lease agreements and due diligence.

If you have an idea for a start-up and need somewhere to meet with your team, try a community-based co-working space like Project Spaces. You’ll be able to network with other entrepreneurs, freelancers and digital nomads and give each other feedback and advice. Book a tour today. Who knows? You may end up on the list of top start-ups in 2019.

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