What is StartupIndex?

StartupIndex.ca is an open, community-managed and free startup tracking database for the Canadian startup community. This is Version 1, and we will be putting a lot of work into it over the next few weeks and months.

Who made StartupIndex?

StartupIndex was created in Django by Chris Long with contributions from Ali Asaria, Jevon MacDonald, and Jonas Brandon.

Why are we doing this?

Most of us have a pretty good idea of what is going on in our own city. We get to hear about new startups, rumors of the latest deals are always flying around and we have some idea of who the best entrepreneurs are, but the truth is you don't have to travel very far before things become less obvious. From Vancouver to Victoria, Toronto to Waterloo, Ottawa to Montreal, Halifax to Moncton, we can make a very short trip but still not know who's who and what's new.

By tracking startup activity nationally we can start to build more awareness of which startups are worth watching, we can also quickly find out which Investors are doing deals and which ones are less active. The "Wheat from the Chaff" as they say.

A lot of startup activity and almost all of the funding activity in Canada is actively tracked. These databases are closed off from the public and charge access fees nearing $10,000 (that is seed funding for some companies!). They also offer no value back to the very community that needs this data the most. Startups and Investors, who are the basis of the data being captured, either have to pay the subscription fee or live without the data.

We believe that this data should be free and that it is a liability if startups and Investors do not have a clear and concise place to access this information. We are betting that our open, accessible and equal approach will bring more value to more people, and that is something we think is worth doing.

The Future

We will be adding new features, such as ratings, email subscriptions and commenting in the short term, and we want your help in building this as it grows.

Feedback/Comments

If you have any ideas or problems with StartupIndex.ca, let us know! We'd love to hear any feedback you have. Email us at info@StartupIndex.ca.