Branham300 Displays Canada’s Tech Prowess Over the Last Year
With the Canadian tech scene moving and evolving so quickly over the past year, it’s worthwhile to stop and look back on some of the best and most innovative companies that have helped shift worldwide focus onto the country.
The Branham300 has been listing Canada’s top information and communications technology (ICT) companies for the past 25 years now, and this year’s edition is particularly important as Canada continues its ascent as a global tech powerhouse. It is split into three major lists: the top 250 Canadian ICT companies, the top 25 ICT multinational companies operating in Canada, and the top 25 up and coming ICT Companies.
The data used in the rankings is collected through a submission process for private companies and through audited published financial statements for public companies. Revenue data for this edition is based off 2017 data.
Compared to 2016, revenue growth for the top 250 actually slowed quite a bit. From 2015 to 206, the sector grew almost $10 billion, but from 2016 to 2017, it grew under $2 billion. There’s a reason for this though.
“I want to emphasize that this slowdown in growth is not caused by weakness in either the ICT sector or the overall economy. It’s quite the opposite,” said Wayne Gudbranson, CEO, Branham Group. “We saw reduced growth because Canadian companies are so attractive that a number of large firms were purchased by Canadian or foreign buyers and were therefore no longer eligible for our ranking. Once again, Canada’s ICT professionals can be very proud of both the growth and the innovation they produced last year, and we are once again pleased to shine a congratulatory spotlight on this critical industry.”
Top 250
As the Branham300 covers every ICT company in Canada, it’s to be expected that the first spots on the top 250 will be occupied by some of the country’s largest companies.
With that in mind, it makes sense that telecom and communications companies dominate the top 10. Quebec’s BCE comes in at number one, followed by Telus, CGI, Rogers and Celestica to round out the top five. Shaw, OpenText and Videotron also land in the top 10.
Beyond the big telecom companies, looking further down the list shows off some of the country’s most innovative and impactful tech companies. Tech darling Shopify comes in at 21, moving up five spots from last year’s ranking, while Real Matters lands at 29. PointClickCare, Avigilon, Goldmoney and others also landed in the top 50.
Top 25 Multinational Companies
This list is the who’s-who of tech giants. Samsung tops the list, followed by Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and IBM. These five massive names show how Canada is, and will continue to be, a hub for international tech companies to set up new offices and hubs in.
Also in the top 10 is Facebook, Microsoft, HP, Dell, and Intel.
Top 25 Up and Coming
This list is where some of the country’s most innovative startups are featured. There is no real order as the list functions more of an awareness initiative to keep investors and others in the tech industry aware of the real movers and shakers.
Some of the companies included are BenchSci, who just raised $10.3 million to analyze antibodies with their AI platform; Hockeystick, who launched a comprehensive database of startups, investors and accelerators in Canada; Zoom.ai, who recently partnered with massive tech giant Microsoft and won the New Startup category at the Canadian Innovation Awards; and Maple, a healthtech company that raised $4 million this year to expand their virtual healthcare offering.
Overall, this may be the best list to pay attention to. It’s obvious that Rogers, BCE, Telus and others are doing pretty well for themselves, but to be recognized as an up and comer in the sector is much different and uniquely rewarding.
