Moncton-based startup hub Venn Innovation will lead an Atlantic Canadian delegation to the world’s largest fintech conference -- Money20/20 in Las Vegas.
The delegation is being backed by the governments of the four Atlantic Provinces and will include eight local fintech startups. Venn said in a press release that the purpose of the trip, which follows up on a 2019 mission also organized by the startup hub, is to help delegate companies find potential business partners, investors and clients.
Helping organize the trip will be industry group Atlantic FinTech, which was launched by Venn for the 2019 conference.
Venn said the ventures from the 2019 delegation had 85 meetings with senior management at companies including Mastercard and Texas-based software giant Oracle.
Jake Arsenault is the CEO of Black Arcs and was part of the 2019 mission. He’s back for a second round with this year’s trip.
"Atlantic FinTech and Alicia [Roisman Ismach, the organization’s head] were instrumental in giving us access to leaders and decision-makers in banking and fintech,” he said of the 2019 trip. “They also helped us recruit a fantastic board member.”
Money20/20 will be held in Las Vegas from October 24 to 27 and will feature speakers including Amazon Director of Payments Robert Abrams and Visa’s Global Head of Crypto & Fintech, Terry Angelos. The conference will also make a stop in Amsterdam later in the year, with dates yet to be announced.
Five of this year's delegate companies are from New Brunswick, which is emerging as a hub for cybersecurity and fintech startups, and one is from Ontario. Here’s a look at them:
Beauceron Security (Fredericton)
Beauceron sells enterprise software that trains employees to recognize and avoid cybersecurity threats that rely on poor security practices and “social engineering” -- behavioral manipulation techniques, such as phishing emails. Its annual recurring revenue increased by 60 percent in 2020, buoyed by more aggressive cyber-criminals and the specialized security needs of companies relying on remote work.
Black Arcs (Fredericton)
Black Arcs is a civic technology company that allows customers to explore the trade-offs being made in land use. Its cloud-based tool, CitiSketch, allows citizens and policy makers to visualize possibilities and test different strategies and planning decisions that shape neighborhoods and cities. In May, the company joined Scale-Up Hub: Atlanta -- an accelerator that helps Atlantic Canadian businesses increase their sales in the United States.
Dunbridge Financial (Oakville, ON)
Dunbridge offers a suite of services for companies doing business across international borders, including invoicing, payment automation and the ability to transact in foreign currencies. In June, the company announced that it had closed a sales deal with Timber Mart -- a buying group for independent building material and hardware sellers.
Gray Wolf Analytics (Fredericton)
Gray Wolf is aiming to use the behavioral and transactional patterns of cryptocurrency users to identify potential cases of money laundering -- a process similar to how conventional banks spot bad actors in the realm of fiat currencies -- while preserving the anonymity of legitimate users. In September, the company raised $500,000 of equity funding and $700,000 of non-dilutive funding.
PayTic (Charlottetown)
PayTic sells software to automate digital payment processes and consolidate tasks that would otherwise require multiple computer programs or have to be done manually, such as chargebacks and fraud monitoring.
PropertyGuys.com (Moncton)
PropertyGuys.com is an online real estate marketplace for people who want to buy or sell homes without a realtor, which can reduce transaction costs. The company runs on a franchise model, with franchisees as far away as South Africa.
SnapAP (Moncton)
SnapAP has developed a solution that automates the accounts payable process by which a company pays the money it owes to customers and lenders. The software also helps companies reduce costs and improve efficiency in other payment processes, such as invoicing. Like Black Arcs, the company joined Scale-Up Hub: Atlanta in May.
SonaPay (Bedford)
SonaPay makes payment processing systems, including hardware and software, for businesses. Its product offerings include mobile payment processing, point of sale systems and cash advance services for merchants.