5 Women-Led ICT Ventures That Are Redefining Possibilities
Did you know that Canada’s information and communication technology (ICT) sector has generated $270 billion CAD in revenue in 2023 alone?
But although the industry has seen incredible growth—especially in the last decade—unfortunately, women’s representation in tech has largely stayed stagnant.
As Viet Vu writes in The Globe and Mail, “In 2001, 21% of tech workers across Canada were women. In 2023, the number has only increased to 24%.” While there are multiple barriers that have contributed to the lack of gender diversity in the sector, a toxic “boys club” culture within the still male-dominated industry is one of the greatest.
Women founders in ICT aren’t only leading innovation and responding to evolving challenges, but they’re showing other women who’ve been told the sector isn’t for them that they have a place in it AND have the ability to lead within it. These inspiring role models are proving to young women that they can and should pursue an education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and follow their passions.
By connecting future-minded investors with women-led startups, we’re honoured to be a part of building a future that sees women in ICT as a norm rather than an exception.
We know you’re with us when we say women shouldn’t have to feel like the odd ones out.
Here are just a few of the incredible startups within the sector that The51 is proud to stand by:
Tina Rinker, Syantra
Led by Tina Rinker and Bob Shepherd, Syantra is a Calgary-based FemTech company that’s developed a liquid biopsy test to detect the presence of breast cancer. Syantra’s liquid biopsy aims to have accurate, fast results and increase the chances of early diagnosis—especially for women with dense breast tissue where mammograms have lower accuracy levels. With the mission to make early cancer detection part of routine healthcare, Syantra is doing so with a testing experience that is quicker, more accessible, and more accurate in detecting tumours.
Chloe Smith, Mercator AI
Led by Chloe Smith, Mercator AI is a Calgary-based startup providing market intelligence for the construction industry. Addressing delayed project discovery—a critical challenge for business development in the industry—Mercator’s platform transforms industry data into early insights on new projects and allows teams to track the right opportunities and grow efficiently.
Dr. Jana Rieger, True Angle
Founded by Dr. Jana Rieger, Edmonton-based startup True Angle uses personalized exercises and remote clinician monitoring to improve therapy. Its first product, Mobili-T®, is a mobile, user-friendly health device that’s designed for individuals with dysphagia. The cost-effective and easy-to-implement tech helps patients see, learn about, and adhere to swallowing exercises.
Natasha Kostenuk and Brandy Kinkead, Ayrton
Co-founded by Natasha Kostenuk and Brandy Kinkead, Ayrton is paving the way for cleaner and more sustainable energy by redefining the limits of traditional hydrogen storage. To do this, Natasha and Brandy created proprietary technology that stores, transports, and manages hydrogen no differently than gasoline or diesel—bringing the value of hydrogen storage to the market and opening up the hydrogen economy.
Carlyn Loncaric, VodaSafe
Founded by engineer Carlyn Loncaric, VodaSafe is the developer of AquaEye®: a handheld sonar device created with machine learning to interpret sonar echoes for water rescue and recovery. It’s designed to interpret complicated sonar data for the user, ultimately increasing the rescues' accuracy, speed, and chance at saving a life. The device is currently used on six continents and in 47 countries around the world.
Fund the future you want to see
You can join a community of over 200 investors who are putting their money towards women-led ventures that are developing innovative solutions and driving progress.
The51 Fund II focused on the following trends and sectors:
Enterprise Software
E-commerce & Marketplace
Health and Wellness
Cleantech
Fund II is now closed to new investors, but you can still learn more about our investment criteria here and apply to become an investor in our future venture funds to join the movement, make an impact, and access superior returns.