Bootstrap Awards 2025
This year's Awards Ceremony was conducted on
May 6th at Tech Tuesday.
The Annual Bootstrap Awards celebrate self-capitalized businesses that have “bootstrapped” their growth with limited outside funding and achieved commercial success. The awards were created to recognize the outstanding achievements of early stage companies in all industries, both for-profit and non-profit, and across a range of distinct criteria-based categories. The awards are proudly presented by The Ottawa Network.
The Bootstrap Awards are given to founders and entrepreneurial businesses who have demonstrated innovation and creativity in growing their self-funded start-ups and early-stage companies in all industries, both for-profit and non-profit, and across a range of distinct criteria-based categories. Each winner is an entrepreneur or company from Eastern Ontario or Western Quebec who has been in business for less than seven years operating successfully without having received more than $500,000 in outside funding (excluding non-convertible debt and grants).
This year’s Bootstrap Awards ceremony will be held as part of Tech Tuesday at The Brookstreet in Kanata through generous support from event sponsor Wesley Clover.
Award Categories
GREEN AWARD The winner demonstrates how their company or organization is striving to improve the environment or contribute to environmental health or awareness through a combination of environmental and economic (commercial) sustainability.
INNOVATION AWARD The winner demonstrates how their company has applied scientific and/or engineering expertise and technology to solve a problem in a way that is unique and innovative.
SAAS AWARD The winner demonstrates how their company uses Software as a Service to provide a product that has customer uptake and enthusiasm as shown in number of customers and/or growth.
MARKETING AWARD The winner demonstrates how they used innovative marketing strategies to attract media attention and stakeholder involvement while cost-effectively acquiring customers and clients.
BOOTSTRAP CAPITAL AWARD The winner demonstrates their ability to self-finance and “bootstrap” their enterprise with limited or no help from Angel or Venture Capital investors, and grow their business while remaining economically viable and profitable.
DISRUPTOR AWARD The winner demonstrates how they are boldly trying to turn a business or paradigm on its head or changing an industry and have received some early traction from supporters. This award celebrates those who have a big vision and are taking a risk to make their vision a reality.
COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD The winner demonstrates how their efforts or organization has had an impact on the community in terms of social good by improving diversity, providing a service or product to an under-served community, raising awareness of a cause or initiative through a unique event, campaign, or fundraising program and by using innovative and/or entrepreneurial techniques. This award may be given to an individual entrepreneur or company.
FOUNDER OF THE YEAR AWARD This winner demonstrates exceptional leadership and ability to grow their company and build their business through stakeholder engagement and networking, and/or shown themselves to be a leader and influencer in the business community, acting as a peer role model for other founders.
2025 Winners
Green Award | Green Carbon Products, Sal Masad
Innovation Award | Neuralign, Ingrid Poupart & Erika Poupart
SAAS Award | EXT.tech, Tom Murphy
Marketing Award | The Loudcup, Sarah Hertz
Bootstrap Capital Award | TACTIQL, Michael Nelson
Disruptor Award | H2 Analytics, Karl Payeur
Community Impact Award | My Personal Mentor, Chetanya Sharma
Founder of the Year Award | DownPay, Diana Birsan
2024 Winners
Green Award | The Aggressive Good, Geoffrey MacKay and Jennifer Look-Hong
Innovation Award | Novacene AI, Hengameh Hajipou
SAAS Award | Rain Technologies, Alexandre Labreche
Marketing Award | Vykon Inc.,Lisa Pitel-Killah
Bootstrap Capital Award | Constant Health, Jonathan Freedhoff and Lorne Segal
Disruptor Award | Impactor App,Urooj Qureshi
Community Impact Award | Quick Market, Kokouvi Assigno
Founder of the Year Award | Emma Brown, Whimble
2023 Winners
Green Award | RoCo Industries Inc., Roderick Costain
Innovation Award | Convergence Design Services, Ben Seaman
SAAS Award | CounterCrisis Technology, Don Williams, Melanie Williams
Marketing Award | FanSaves, Shannon Ferguson, Kris McCarthy
Bootstrap Capital Award | Northern Forge Studios, Nate Beacham, Jason Flick
Disruptor Award | MapSherpa Inc., Dave McIlhagga
Community Impact Award | STEM the Gap Academy, Ingrid Gayle
Founder of the Year Award | Femade Inc., Anusha Gandhi
Green Award | Re4M Design and Fabrication, Heather Jeffery
Innovation Award | Braiyt, Warsame Ahmed, Tamey McIntosh, Gaston Barban
SAAS Award | Proxi.id, Ryan Peatt, Adam Januszkiewicz, Julian Eckhardt
Marketing Award | Bushbalm Skincare, David Gaylord, Rachel Kerr, Timothy Burns
Bootstrap Capital Award | Sidi.io, Riaz Sidi
Disruptor Award | SparkPath, JP Michel
Community Impact Award | Connected Canadians, Emily Jones Joanisse, Tasneem Damen
Founder of the Year Award | Evoke Health, Varsha Chaugai, Graham Fraser
Green Award: greenre President: Keith Loiselle
Innovation Award: CoGenerate Solar CEO: Ra'ed Arab CTO: Bruno Rocha
SaaS Award: Noibu Co-founders: Robert Boukine and Kailin Noivo
Marketing Award: Wicket Co-founders: Jeff Horne and Laura Mindorff
Bootstrap Capital Award: RedLore CEO: Niek Van Dierdonck
Disruptor Award: Extend Pharmacy Specialists Founder: Jason Wentzell Manager: Meghan Hayes
Community Impact Award: Treehouse Medical Founder: Julia Slanina
Founder of the Year: Jason Lee Company: SmartCone Technologies
Green Award: Backcountry Wok Founder: Melanie Ang
Innovation Award: Tungsten Collaborative Co-founders: Mike Brown, William Dicke, Dave McMullin
SaaS Award: Rilea Technologies CEO/CTO: Lisa Hallsworth, Rob Hallsworth
Marketing Award: Hit Point Press Founder: Ricardo Evangelho
Bootstrap Capital Award: Space Strategies Co-founders: Adre Dupuis, Maria Rey, Anne-Marie Dupuis
Disruptor Award: Lightship Security Directors: Jason Lawler, Brad Proffitt, Greg McLearn, Lachan Turner
Community Impact Award: Sprig Learning CEO/CTO: Jarrett Laughlin, Faud Khan
Founder of the Year: Meta Innovation Technologies Founder: Dr. Ellie Ardakani
Green Award: Ecovena Founder/CEO: Trevor Boicey
Innovation Award: The Growcer Co-founders: Corey Ellis, Alida Burke
SaaS Award: PartnerPortal.io CEO: Josh Garellek
Marketing Award: Desk Nibbles Co-founders: Cassy Aite and Emil Aite
Bootstrap Capital Award: Purecolo CEO: Rainer Paduch
Disruptor Award: Brokrete CEO: Jordan Latourelle
Community Impact Award: Thawrih CEO: Sarah Abood
Founder of the Year: Open Door Education Services Founder: Heather Desjardins
2018 Winners
Green Award: Riverwood Acoustics Founder/CEO: Ben Seaman
Innovation Engineering & Technology Award: SanEcoTec Founder/CEO: Els Vanbeckevoort
Best Mobile Application: GoFor Co-Founder/CEO: Brad Rollo
Best Guerilla/Social Marketing Campaign: Digitera Founder/CEO: Jordan St. Jacques
Bootstrap Capital Award: Spatial DNA Informatics Inc. Founder/CEO: Todd Lewis
Community Impact Award: KindVillage Founder/CEO: Tanya Woods
Founder of the Year: Welbi Technologies Co-Founder/CEO: Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau
2017 Winners
Green Award: Spectrafy
Innovation Engineering & Technology Award: iBionics
Best Mobile Application: award shared by Bluink & Punchtime
Best Guerilla/Social Matrketing Campaign: Grype
Bootstrap Capital Award: Ottawa Media Group
Community Impact Award: NuGrocery
Fastest Growing Startup Award: CanadaWheels
2012 Winners
Best Business Model – CanaFlora
Innovation in Engineering and Technology – Crack Semiconductor
Lead to Win for Women- Amanda R A Lunan | Auntie Loo’s Treats
Bootstrap Capital – Apption Corporation
Best Guerilla Marketing – Toletta
Community Impact – Shepherds of Good Hope
Green Award – Rumidifier Home Comforts Inc.
Best Mobile App/Website – Spoonity Inc.
Best Customer Service – Blue Rabbit Machines
Best Sales/Value Proposition – LavaBlast
People’s Choice – Dermis Advanced Skin Care
Fastest Growing Startup – Stoneshare
2011 Winners
Best Micro Business – FaveQuest
Best 20 and Under Startup – Jennifer Lee Promotions
Best website – Manpacks
Best Technique for Sales/Pre-Sales/Launch – Vertigrow
Best Value Proposition/Value Differentiator/Pixie Dust – Patientway
Most Innovative Source, Bootstrap Capital – IdeaVibes
Best Guerrilla Marketing Idea/Social Marketing – Zeebu Mobile
Most Innovative Social Enterprise Fundraiser – Ottawa Humane Society
Most Innovative Business Model -SokJok
Fastest Growing Startup – Inovatech Engineering
2010 Winners
New Micro Business of the Year – Network Hippo Inc.
20 and under Startup – Stewart Supreme Vending
New Web Site of the Year – Wedding Republic
Best Sales/Pre-Sales/Launch Clients – CrowdWave Games
Value Differentiation Technique – UCreate Media
Best Pixie Dust Technique of the Year – BSETC
Most Innovative Source of Bootstrap Capital of the Year – MartSmart Shopping Network
Best Guerrilla Marketing Idea or Campaign of the Year – Social Mention
Most Innovative New Bootstrap Business Model of the Year – Shopify
Fastest Growing Bootstrap Startup – Telepin Software
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