2020 Ready to Rocket lists Announced - PRESS RELEASE

2020 Ready to Rocket lists Announced to Profile Growth Companies in B.C.’s Technology Sectors

Rocket Builders Names Top Technology Companies To the “Ready to Rocket” lists for 18th Consecutive Year to Highlight Companies with Highest Growth Potential 

VANCOUVER, BC – April 14, 2020

Rocket Builders today released its eighteenth (18th) annual “Ready to Rocket” lists.  These lists profile British Columbia technology companies that are best positioned to capitalize on the technology sector trends that will lead them to faster growth than their peers. Rocket Builders also released results from its 2019 lists, with strong revenue growth across all sectors. As is typical with this list, companies profiled tend to attract investment, partnerships and even get acquired. Last year, greater than half (103) received investment.

The annual 2020 “Ready to Rocket” lists provide accurate predictions of private companies that will likely experience significant growth, venture capital investment or acquisition by a major player in the coming year. This year the lists feature 200 companies across 5 different technology sectors:

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) 

Cleantech (CT) 

Life Science (LS)

Digital Health (DH) 

Agri-Food (AF)

The “Ready to Rocket” lists are the only predictive lists of its kind in North America, requiring many months of sector and company analysis. 

“Over the 18 years of the program, the B.C. technology sector has steadily grown each year, and presents a growing challenge to select and identify the most likely to succeed for our Ready to Rocket lists.” said Geoffrey Hansen, Managing Partner at Rocket Builders. “In recent years, a startup economy has blossomed yielding a rich field of companies for our consideration, with over 600 companies reviewed to make our selections of 200 winners. Our Emerging Rocket lists enables us to profile those earlier stage companies that are well positioned for investment.”

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

The 2019 Ready to Rocket list for ICT performed extremely well. The average growth rate on that list was over 40% growth, with 31 companies with double digit growth and 12 exceeding 100% growth. The list as a whole represented the creation of over 500 jobs. 29% of companies on the list received new investment in 2019. Two companies graduated (achieve >20M revenue or over $50 in investment) and two were acquired.

"2019 was a great year for ICT in British Columbia as there was significant job creation and many breakthrough companies." said Reg Nordman, Managing Partner at Rocket Builders. "Despite the economic uncertainty, we foresee great growth potential for many of these companies as they offer leading edge technology that provides transformational capabilities that the world needs."

CLEANTECH (CT)

The 2019 Ready to Rocket list for Cleantech performed extremely well. The majority of companies on the list had in excess of 50% growth, and the lists together created over 200 jobs in 2019. Four companies graduated (achieve >20M revenue or over $50 in investment) and Ecotagious was acquired.

According to Dave Thomas, Senior Partner at Rocket Builders, “The Cleantech sector in B.C. continues to see growth. It is an exciting time in cleantech as renewable energy is reaching an economic tilting point and investors are keen on large investments in post-demonstration technologies that are ready to scale.”

LIFE SCIENCE (LS)

The 2019 Ready to Rocket list for Life Science featured many new investments (70% received new investment) and key milestones. There were over 75 jobs created among companies on the list. The 2019 Ready to Rocket list for Life Science features 10 companies, and the Emerging Rocket list features 10 companies.

According to Thealzel Lee, Senior Partner at Rocket Builders, “The Life Science sector in B.C. continues to demonstrate interesting and innovative technology, especially in medical devices and genomics. Although the healthcare industry is currently under economic strain, most analysts predict strong growth potential coming out of the current pandemic crisis.”

DIGITAL HEALTH (DH)

2019 was the third year for the Digital Health sector list, and it continues to show growth. With over 200 jobs created, it was a great year for a developing sector. The earlier stage “ Emerging Rockets” are really accelerating, with over 75% of them raising investment last year. Although none of this sector’s companies have graduated or exited, there are indications that the coming years will see a real boom for this sector.

"2019 was a great year for Digital Health in British Columbia as there was significant job creation and many breakthrough companies." said Geoffrey Hansen, Managing Partner at Rocket Builders. "In the current pandemic crisis, we are seeing a real acceleration in interest in all areas of digital health. In particular, telehealth is observing exponential growth."

AGRI-FOOD (AF)

2019 was the first year for the Agri-Food sector list -- it is a sector comprised of technology companies in the agriculture and food value chains. This mix of Agricultural Technology (AgTech), Food Technology (FoodTech), Food Delivery and Cannabis Technology (CannabisTech) is an area of great innovation but still early in mass adoption. Over 125 jobs were created by companies on this list, with about 60% of them raising investment. Two graduates this year with huge growth performance: Semios and Foodee.

According to Dave Thomas, Senior Partner at Rocket Builders, “The Agri-Food sector in B.C. is making great progress. Each of the sub-sectors in growing with Food Delivery experiencing particularly strong growth for obvious reasons.”

MORE INFORMATION

For details on the “Ready to Rocket” lists, please visit http://www.readytorocket.com

Today (April 14th), a webinar detailing the trends and unveiling the launch of these lists  

About the Sponsors:

CBRE http://hightech.cbrevancouver.com

Garibaldi Capital http://garibaldicapital.com

Go Recruitment https://www.gorecruitment.com

McMillan http://mcmillan.ca/index.aspx

City of New Westminster https://www.newwestcity.ca

PwC https://www.pwc.com/ca/en.html

Rocket Builders http://www.rocketbuilders.com

About the Rocket Recognition Program

The Rocket Recognition Program features two branded lists of companies. The "Ready to Rocket" list profiles information technology companies with the greatest potential for revenue growth in the coming year. The "Emerging Rockets" list profiles technology companies from multiple technology sectors with great potential for investment and market breakthroughs in the coming year. Both lists are predictive of future success making them unique in approach and unique in value for our business audience. "Ready to Rocket" and "Emerging Rockets: are trademarks of Rocket Builders, a respected management consulting firm servicing the technology industry.

http://www.readytorocket.com

About Rocket Builders

Rocket Builders is a management consulting firm providing sales and marketing services. With a focus on helping technology companies to grow and prosper, Rocket Builders has a proven track record of success with its clients. Since 2000, we have been engaged in market research, market planning, business development initiatives, strategic selling, and product launches for over 500 organizations.

http://www.rocketbuilders.com 

2019 Press Release

2019 Ready to Rocket lists Announced to Profile Growth Companies in B.C.’s Technology Sectors

Rocket Builders Names Top Technology Companies To the “Ready to Rocket” lists for 17th Consecutive Year to Highlight Companies with Highest Growth Potential 


VANCOUVER, BC – March 11, 2019


Rocket Builders today released its seventeenth (17th) annual “Ready to Rocket” lists.  These lists profile British Columbia technology companies that are best positioned to capitalize on the technology sector trends that will lead them to faster growth than their peers. Rocket Builders also released results from its 2018 lists, with strong revenue growth across all sectors. As is typical with this list, companies profiled tend to attract investment, partnerships and even get acquired. This year, the two notable acquisitions were the exits by Mazza Innovations and S2G Biochemicals.

The annual 2019 “Ready to Rocket” lists provide accurate predictions of private companies that will likely experience significant growth, venture capital investment or acquisition by a major player in the coming year. This year the lists feature 203 companies across 5 different technology sectors:

• Information and Communications Technology (ICT)  - 85 companies
• Cleantech (CT) - 39 companies
• Life Science (LS) - 20 companies
• Digital Health (DH) - 39 companies
• Agri-Food (AF) - 20 companies

The “Ready to Rocket” lists are the only predictive lists of its kind in North America, requiring many months of sector and company analysis. The 2019 Lists feature 85 “Ready to Rocket” technology growth companies and 118 “Emerging Rocket” early stage startups.

“Over the 17 years of the program, the B.C. technology sector has steadily grown each year, and presents a growing challenge to select and identify the most likely to succeed for our Ready to Rocket lists.” said Geoffrey Hansen, Managing Partner at Rocket Builders. “In recent years, a startup economy has blossomed yielding a rich field of companies for our consideration, with over 450 companies reviewed to make our selections of 203 winners. Our Emerging Rocket lists enables us to profile those earlier stage companies that are well positioned for investment.”

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

The 2018 Ready to Rocket list for ICT performed extremely well. The average growth rate on that list was over 40% growth, with 32 companies with double digit growth and 6 exceeding 100% growth. The list as a whole represented the creation of over 400 jobs. 39% of companies on the list received new investment in 2018. The 2018 Ready to Rocket list for ICT features 38 companies and the 2018 Emerging Rocket list for ICT features 47 companies.

"2018 was a great year for ICT in British Columbia as there was significant job creation and many breakthrough companies." said Reg Nordman, Managing Partner at Rocket Builders. "We have great ambitions for the 2019 list as many of the featured companies are maturing to the stage where they are likely to be acquired."

CLEANTECH (CT)
The 2018 Ready to Rocket list for Cleantech performed extremely well.
The majority of companies on the list had in excess of 75% growth,
and the lists together created over 200 jobs in 2018.
The 2019 Ready to Rocket list for Cleantech features 19 companies,
while the Emerging Rocket list features 20 companies.

According to Dave Thomas, Senior Partner at Rocket Builders, “The Cleantech sector in B.C. continues to see growth and diversity with noteworthy examples in waste management and in alternative energy.”

LIFE SCIENCE (LS)

The 2018 Ready to Rocket list for Life Science featured many new i nvestments (70% received new investment) and key milestones. There were over 65 jobs created among companies on the list. The 2019 Ready to Rocket list for Life Science features 10 companies, and the Emerging Rocket list features 10 companies.

DIGITAL HEALTH (DH)

2018 was the second year for the Digital Health sector list, and it continues to show growth. With over 100 jobs created, it was a great year for a developing sector. The earlier stage “Emerging Rockets” are really accelerating, with over 75% of them raising investment last year.
In 2019, a  total of 38 companies are being showcased.

AGRI-FOOD (AF)

2019 is the first year for the Agri-Food sector list -- it is a sector comprised of technology companies in the agriculture and food value chains. This inaugural lists features 20 companies in Agricultural Technology (AgTech), Food Technology (FoodTech) and Cannabis Technology (CannabisTech).

For details on the “Ready to Rocket” lists, please visit http://www.readytorocket.com

2016 Ready to Rocket lists Announced to Profile Growth Companies in B.C.’s Growing Technology Sectors

Rocket Builders Names Top Technology Companies To the “Ready to Rocket” lists for 14th Consecutive Year to Highlight Companies with Highest Growth Potential

VANCOUVER, BC – March 1, 2016

Rocket Builders today released its fourteenth (14th) annual “Ready to Rocket” lists.  These lists profile British Columbia technology companies that are best positioned to capitalize on the technology sector trends that will lead them to faster growth than their peers. Rocket Builders also released results from its 2015 lists, with strong revenue growth across all sectors and a record number of companies being acquired - MediaCore, Recon Instruments, Solegear and dPoint. Additionally, a number of companies graduated from consideration, with the largest being Slack, a recognized global Unicorn (an industry term signifying a high growth company exceeding a billion dollars in valuation).

The annual 2016 “Ready to Rocket” lists provide accurate predictions of private companies that will likely experience significant growth, venture capital investment or acquisition by a major player in the coming year. The lists cover 3 different technology sectors:

●      Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

●      Cleantech (CT)

●      Life Science (LS)

The “Ready to Rocket” lists are the only predictive lists of its kind in North America, requiring many months of sector and company analysis.

“Over the 14 years of the program, the B.C. technology sector has steadily grown each year, and presents a growing challenge to select and identify the most likely to succeed for our Ready to Rocket lists.” said Geoffrey Hansen, Managing Partner at Rocket Builders. “In recent years, a startup economy has blossomed to give another dimension to the technology sector in B.C. Our Emerging Rockets list enables us to profile those earlier stage companies that are well positioned for investment.”

“I’ve had the opportunity to interview most of the companies on our lists,” said Reg Nordman, Managing Partner at Rocket Builders, “The diversity of solutions, maturing skill sets of management and the resulting increased ability to address large markets is becoming a strength of the BC Technology landscape.”

The 2015 Ready to Rocket list for ICT performed extremely well. The median growth rate on that list was 50% growth, with 6 companies exceeding 100% growth. The majority of companies on the list had in excess of 25% growth, and the list as a whole represented the creation of over 378  jobs (42% headcount growth). Over 45% of companies on the list received new investment in 2015. The 2016 list will feature 30 companies, and the list can be found here:

http://www.readytorocket.com/2016/03/2016-ready-to-rocket-ict-list.html

"2015 was a good year for the Ready to Rocket ICT list, and the most interesting observation I have for 2016 is the number of viable and promising startups that are emerging," said Steven Forth, Senior Partner at Rocket Builders. "In selecting companies for our Emerging ICT list, this year we had to increase the criteria yet still resulted in a list of 30 companies. Among the trends driving these young companies are Mobility, Cloud Computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), Social Media and E-Commerce."

The 2015 Ready to Rocket list for Cleantech performed extremely well. The median growth rate on that list was 80% growth, with 5 companies exceeding 100% growth. The majority of companies on the list had in excess of 75% growth, and the list as a whole represented the creation of over 120  jobs (25% headcount growth). Over 35% of companies on the list received new investment in 2015. The 2016 list will feature 19 companies, and the list can be found here:

http://www.readytorocket.com/2016/03/2016-ready-to-rocket-cleantech-list.html

According to Dave Thomas, Senior Partner at Rocket Builders, “The Cleantech sector in B.C. is very strong, and the companies on the list have overcome significant commercialization hurdles to become well established. These companies benefitted from acquiring key industry partnerships to establish great channels to market. Growth rates are better than any other region in North America.”

The 2015 Ready to Rocket list for Life Science featured many new investments and key milestones. Revenue growth was over 100% for all companies on the list, and the majority of companies at least doubled their headcount. The 2016 list will feature 10 companies, and the list can be found here:

http://www.readytorocket.com/2016/03/2016-ready-to-rocket-life-science-list.html

Thealzel Lee, Senior Partner at Rocket Builders, says that “2015 has seen significant investments in BC’s life science companies, and advances in progress has increased revenue and headcount. The major trends influencing this sector include evolving regulatory issues, the need for efficiency in healthcare delivery, and the ongoing convergence with IT technologies.”

For details on the “Ready to Rocket” lists, please visit http://www.readytorocket.com

About the Sponsors:

Fasken Martineau

Go Recruitment

Garibaldi Capital Advisors

PWC

About the Rocket Recognition Program

The Rocket Recognition Program features two branded lists of companies. The "Ready to Rocket" list profiles information technology companies with the greatest potential for revenue growth in the coming year. The "Emerging Rockets" list profiles technology companies from multiple technology sectors with great potential for investment and market breakthroughs in the coming year. Both lists are predictive of future success making them unique in approach and unique in value for our business audience. "Ready to Rocket" and "Emerging Rockets: are trademarks of Rocket Builders, a respected management consulting firm servicing the technology industry.

http://www.readytorocket.com

About Rocket Builders

Rocket Builders is a management consulting firm providing sales and marketing services. With a focus on helping technology companies to grow and prosper, Rocket Builders has a proven track record of success with its clients. Since 2000, we have been engaged in market research, market planning, business development initiatives, strategic selling, and product launches for over 300 organizations.

http://www.rocketbuilders.com

Rocket Builders Names Top Technology Companies To the “Ready to Rocket” lists for 13th Consecutive Year

Ready to Rocket list for 2015 Showcases Technology Sector Strength and Growth on Three Fronts - ICT, Cleantech and Life Sciences

Rocket Builders Names Top Technology Companies To the “Ready to Rocket” lists for 13th Consecutive Year to Highlight Companies with Highest Growth Potential

VANCOUVER, BC – February 26, 2015

Rocket Builders today released its thirteenth annual “Ready to Rocket” lists.  These lists profile British Columbia technology companies that are best positioned to capitalize on the technology sector trends that will lead them to faster growth than their peers. Rocket Builders also released results from its 2014 lists, with strong revenue growth across all sectors and 2 companies being acquired - Pulse Energy acquired by Boston based EnerNOC Inc. and  Medeo Corporation acquired by QHR Corporation. Additionally, Life Science company Aquinox Pharmaceuticals Inc. did an IPO last March.

The annual 2015 “Ready to Rocket” lists provide accurate predictions of private companies that will likely experience significant growth, venture capital investment or acquisition by a major player in the coming year. The lists cover 3 different technology sectors:

●      Information and Communications Technology (ICT)

●      Cleantech (CT)

●      Life Science (LS)

The “Ready to Rocket” lists are the only predictive lists of its kind in North America, requiring many months of sector and company analysis.

“The technology sector continues to grow in B.C. and presents a growing challenge to select and identify the most likely to succeed.” said Geoffrey Hansen, Managing Partner at Rocket Builders. “Ten years ago, the list only featured ICT companies, and that was the fastest growing segment of the technology sector. Now, both the LIfe Science sector and the CleanTech sector have established themselves as equal partners in driving revenue, employment and investment opportunity in B.C.”

“Most of the companies on the Ready to Rocket lists do the majority of their business in the United States,” said Reg Nordman, Managing Partner at Rocket Builders, “The USA Economy is growing, and, along with the weakening Canadian dollar, is expected to give B.C. technology companies a revenue boost next year. In past years when the Canadian dollar weakened, Ready to Rocket companies were able to be more competitive and increase profitability.”

The 2014 Ready to Rocket list for ICT performed extremely well. The median growth rate on that list was 50% growth, with 4 companies exceeding 100% growth. The majority of companies on the list had between 25% growth and 100% growth, and the list as a whole represented the creation of over 287 jobs (51% headcount growth). Over 40% of companies on the list received new investment in 2014. The 2015 list will feature 28 companies, and the list can be found here:

http://www.readytorocket.com/2015/02/2015-ready-to-rocket-ict-list.html

“The number of ICT companies in B.C. continues to grow, with high-profile accelerators contributing to this trend.” said Steven Forth, Senior Partner at Rocket Builders. “The ICT sector as a whole has been driven by the ‘Internet Everywhere’ trend with mobile apps/devices and cloud connectivity, and we see this driving many of the B.C. companies. There are a large number of young growth ICT companies in B.C. maturing to require investment to capitalize on market opportunities.”

The 2014 Ready to Rocket list for Cleantech also performed extremely well, with a median revenue growth rate approaching 100%. The Cleantech list companies created over 100 new jobs, representing over 35% employment growth. The majority of companies exceeded 50% revenue growth and an impressive 80% of the companies acquired new investments in 2014. The 2015 list will feature 17 companies, and the list can be found here:

http://www.readytorocket.com/2015/02/2015-ready-to-rocket-cleantech-list.html

According to Dave Thomas, Senior Partner at Rocket Builders, “The Cleantech sector in B.C. is very strong, and the companies on the list have become well established. These companies benefitted from acquiring key industry partnerships to establish great channels to market. Growth rates are better than any other region in North America. ”

The 2014 Ready to Rocket list for Life Science featured many new investments and key milestones. Revenue growth was over 100% for all companies on the list, and the majority of companies at least doubled their headcount. The 2015 list will feature 10 companies, and the list can be found here:

http://www.readytorocket.com/2015/02/2015-ready-to-rocket-life-science-list.html

Thealzel Lee, Senior Partner at Rocket Builders, says that “2014 has seen significant investments in BC’s life science companies, and advances in progress has increased revenue and headcount. The major trends influencing this sector include evolving regulatory issues, the need for efficiency in healthcare delivery, and the ongoing convergence with IT technologies.”

Press Release - Mid Year Review of the 2014 Ready to Rocket List

Top BC Tech Companies Forecast Triple Digit Revenue Growth for 2014

Rocket Builders Mid Year Review of the 2014 Ready to Rocket List

VANCOUVER, BC  -  November 5, 2014

Rocket Builders recently gathered data to complete their yearly Mid Year Review on the companies on the 2014 Ready to Rocket ICT List and discovered high revenue growth, high full time employment growth and over ten million dollars raised in angel and venture capital financing.

Ready to Rocket is an annual list of the companies in Information Communications and Technology (ICT), Clean Tech and Life Sciences that Rocket Builders believes are most likely to show break out growth in the coming year. This year Rocket Builders focused on companies in the Information and Communications Technology List as these companies are at the heart of the British Columbia innovation ecosystem and they tend to have more revenue traction than companies in Clean Tech or Life Science. 

Data showed early-stage companies experiencing up to 7X growth and larger companies expecting to see revenues grow by more than 100%. The major trends supporting the growth of the Ready-to-Rocket companies are Cloud, Social, Mobile, Big Data, and Security. The most successful companies are those that have translated these trends into opportunities in a specific segment.

 “There has been a lot of excitement about start-ups in Vancouver, and this is good, but it is during the growth phase that most value is created and there needs to be more attention to and support for Vancouver's growth stage companies," said Rocket Builders partner Steven Forth. "A 1 or 2% difference in month-to-month growth makes a big difference early on.

Companies are projected to increase growth in full time employees by 34% by the end of the year.  There was a 25% decline in revenues per employee, but this decline is likely due to the number of very successful companies that graduated from the Ready to Rocket List and the remaining companies are on average smaller and less mature. As large technology companies open offices in BC there will be upward pressure on local wages as well.

Reg Nordman, managing partner, is “constantly impressed by the resiliency of the Ready to Rocket companies to grow steadily regardless of economic events.  It is a testimony to these companies’ abilities to address real needs in strong markets.”

The Ready-to-Rocket companies seem to have a balanced approach to metrics overall, but about half are focused only on backward looking financial metrics. This is like driving a car by looking in the rearview mirror. Companies have an opportunity to sharpen their differentiation by developing metrics that are specific to their offer and that measure the value to the customer. These are the metrics that can change future performance.

Contact Rocket Builders (rnordman@rocketbuilders.com) for access to more metrics.