The Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX), a leading Canadian technology innovation showcase where investors, entrepreneurs and industry leaders converge, has named Shopify the CIX 2015 Innovator of the Year.
The award is given out every year to a Canadian firm that transforms and disrupts an industry in profound ways, which Shopify has obviously done. The company raised $131 million in its initial public offering, and has recently been thrust into the limelight as an example of the strength of Canada’s — and especially Ottawa’s — startup ecosystem. The company has had over $10 billion in sales and boasts 175,000 merchants using their platform, the latter of which will definitely grow as Shopify integrates its software into social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.
“Shopify is one of the great Canadian corporate stories of the last decade. Tobias Lutke and his team have shown a commitment to building a world class company in Canada,” said John Ruffolo, CEO of OMERS Ventures and co-chair of CIX. “They’ve changed the playing field for retailers around the globe when it comes to commerce. We could not be happier for their success and are honoured to present Shopify with this award.”
As CIX puts the spotlight on innovative technology companies in Canada — they are still calling for applications for their CIX Top 20, a showcase that highlights the best in Canadian innovation — the honour of the award is not lost on Shopify execs.
“We are honoured to be named the CIX Innovator of the Year for 2015,” said Harley Finkelstein, chief platform officer at Shopify. “We’re a proud Canadian company and understand the importance of creating a collaborative and supportive environment for emerging companies, to help them build and create the best products.”