Edmonton Startups & Small Businesses to Keep an Eye On

We can not resist sharing information about great start-ups or small businesses, especially ones that have a local appeal. Being a start-up is hard. It takes real grit and determination, especially in the technology space. To stay in Edmonton and even Canada proves even more challenging when it comes to raising funds and growing beyond our borders. We wanted to celebrate and share some of the businesses we are “cheering” for right now!

DiveThru

You heard it here first, folks! Just kidding—DiveThru has actually been making headlines over the past couple of years, and more recently has been rapidly growing its team and steadily building momentum. DiveThru is a mental wellness platform that provides you with resources to help you divethru what you go thru. Best suited for Millennials and Gen Z, you’ll find hilarious memes, insightful articles and podcasts that will make you laugh, cry and everything in between. DiveThru’s mission is to normalize mental health conversations, and we’re proud that this company is Edmonton (and female!) founded.

dealcloser

Have you ever had to hire a lawyer? Do you remember how many copies of paper you had to sign, and how long it took to get the deal closed? That’s why dealcloser was created—to automate and modernize the old-fashioned deal closing process. Best suited for corporate lawyers, using dealcloser allows lawyers to close more deals, earn more revenue, significantly reduce overhead costs, and bill and collect faster after a deal has closed. And as an added bonus for the client: all documents can be signed electronically from home. Founded in 2017, dealcloser has since made huge strides. In fact—it just announced that it raised it a Seed Round of $1.75 Million!

What’s The Deal?

We all know Edmonton has an incredible restaurant & bar scene, and sometimes it can take forever to settle on a restaurant that everyone agrees with. But doesn’t a discount always help you with your decision? That’s where What’s The Deal? (WTD) comes in. An easy-to-navigate app, WTD allows you to see which restaurants have the best deals on your desired dine-out date. The app is steadily adding restaurants to its roster and is also coming out with a new-and-improved app design in 2021!

Jobber

If you’ve been following the YEG startup scene at all, then you’ve probably already heard of Jobber. A software that helps small home service businesses organize their entire operations (such as scheduling jobs, managing their crews, invoicing customers and collecting payments), it’s no wonder why Jobber is such a popular company. Though it has outgrown its startup label and is now a company with over 250+ employees, we sure are proud that Jobber was founded and is operated in Edmonton.

Unbelts

A small business that everyone can benefit from, Unbelts provides equitably made, long lasting belts & masks. You may be thinking, “but I already have a belt!” and with that you may be right; however, these belts are comfy, flat (no bulk whatsoever) and are machine washable. And trust us—once you get a glimpse (and feel!) of these trendy belts, you’ll never go back to your old ones. Support local and order one today—for yourself or as a gift!

Flik

A community for phenomenal females, Flik connects and empowers women through meaningful 3-month volunteer-based apprenticeships. Within its portal, you’ll discover woman- identifying founders and leaders who can mentor you for three months while you gain career- relevant experience and skills training. Since launching in January 2020, FLIK has matched 1,800 woman founders and apprentices in 50+ countries. We can’t wait to see what FLIK gets up to in 2021!

Showbie

If you’re a teacher or student, it is rather likely that you’ve already used Showbie due to the pandemic. From assignments to collaboration, Showbie helps you bring your classroom together in one simple, easy-to-use app. Combining all of the essential tools for assignments, feedback and communication, Showbie teachers spend less time struggling with their tech setup and more time teaching and learning. In August, Showbie announced that it had raised $5 Million in Series A Funding. We can’t wait to hear what they do next!

Poppy Barley

No matter who you are, you probably like shoes. And you probably like ethically made shoes even more, right? Meet Poppy Barley, a super successful YEG luxury brand that’s rethinking every step of the fashion industry—from design to factory relationships to retail experience. Poppy Barley is more than just a footwear brand—it sells bags, backpacks, face masks and small accessories, too. And to make it even better, Poppy Barley has recently launched a vegan leather line!

Spontivly

Lastly, Spontivly is an all-in-one event management and promotion platform for communities. Essentially, it takes the event management process and simplifies it, saving your company money, time and labour. Sounds ideal, doesn’t it? Spontivly is currently working on its pilot program. If you think you’re a good fit for it, be sure to hop on over to their website to sign up to be a part of it!

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And there you have it! This list is far from complete, and there are so many incredible businesses being launched and running out of this beautiful city of ours. To keep up-to-date with everything YEG startup focused, be sure to check out Startup Edmonton.

Downtown Edmonton Restaurants To support

While We’re Still In Lockdown (and beyond)

It’s cold, it’s dark, and we’re on what seems to be day 5,000 of lockdown. Though ordering delivery pizza for dinner may seem like the easiest option, there are many restaurants in Edmonton that need support right now (and are just as easy to order from)! Here are 8 restaurants in YEG that would be super appreciative of your support—now more than ever. And what’s even better, the food is truly incredible.

1. King Noodle House

Its winter, which means soup is a must. Located in China Town, King Noodle House is offering authentic pho to-go. It’s pick-up and cash only, but you won’t regret supporting this family-owned business!

2. Pazzo Pazzo
A hidden gem, Pazzo Pazzo is an Italian restaurant located in Downtown Edmonton, near City Hall. This quaint restaurant serves Italian classics for lunch and dinner, and they’re currently offering 20% off phone-in pick-up orders. Make sure to try the Penne Pazzo! This is a favourite of Elisse & Caitlin’s. The pasta dishes are a generous size which makes them perfect for sharing!

3. Syphay

We don’t have enough good things to say about this Thai & Lao restaurant! Huge portions, incredible flavour, options galore. This restaurant is family-owned, and is run by three sisters named Katherine, Anita and Shawna. We highly recommend the Tofu Green Curry and the Pan Lad Nha.

4. Mercer Tavern

A pub-style restaurant, Mercer Tavern is always revamping its menu, has a ton of takeout options, and has many meal kits like nacho kits, chips & queso kits, and poutine kits. Yum! And if you’re feeling thirsty, they also have a ready-to-pour take-home drink menu. What’s more—they have their own delivery service!

5. The Local Omnivore

Located closer to 124 St, The Local Omnivore is best known for their meat-heavy and unique dishes. Their current take-out menu consists of a Hot Food menu and a Cold Food menu, and their current everyday special is 4 burgers for $20. If you ask us, the poutine is the best thing on the menu!

6.  Wholly Mac

A brand-new restaurant that has the same owners as Partake and Urban Diner (two amazing Edmonton restaurants you should also support!), Wholly Mac is a macaroni and cheese ONLY restaurant. Available through SkipTheDishes only, this restaurant definitely offers a unique experience that everyone needs to try once.

7.  Padmanadi

If you know, you know. This family-owned vegetarian & vegan restaurant offers the some of the best meat-free Thai, Chinese and Indian dishes in Edmonton. Even if you’re a meat lover, we promise you will still love the soy-based dishes they offer—like the King Pao Chicken. This is a popular spot for Elisse and her family with ginger beef and curry chicken always on their go to list.

8. Cosmic Pizza

Still craving that pizza? We don’t blame you. Located right off 104 Street, Cosmic Pizza offers some of the most flavourful and filling pizza in Edmonton, as well as other favourites like donairs, poutines, and chicken. You’ll never go back to the big-box pizza places after trying Cosmic—especially after trying their garlic cheesy bread!

And there you have it! We hope that we’ve inspired you to order from a local Edmonton restaurant the next time you’re looking to order take-out. And remember: picking up your order is always the best option, as third-party delivery services take a large cut from the restaurant. Supporting local has never tasted so good!

Featured Guest Blogger:

Alli Harrison is an Edmonton-based marketing & communications professional with extensive experience working with small businesses. Learn all about her by visiting her Instagram, Twitter & LinkedIn.