BOOTSTRAP AWARDS | The Ottawa Network

Bootstrap Awards 2024

This year's Awards Ceremony took place at

Tech Tuesday on April 2nd

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.

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

2022 Winners

Green Award | Re4M Design and Fabrication, Heather Jeffery

Innovation Award | Braiyt, Warsame Ahmed, Tamey McIntosh, Gaston Barban