These visionary entrepreneurs and investors, hailing from or deeply connected to Canada, have made groundbreaking contributions to the tech and business world, shaping industries like e-commerce, communication, transportation, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence. This list focuses on Canadian entrepreneurs who founded their companies outside of Canada.
Jeff Skoll – As eBay’s first president, Jeff Skoll played a pivotal role in transforming the online auction platform into a global e-commerce giant. He also founded Participant Media and produced numerous Oscar acclaimed films.
Stewart Butterfield – Stewart Butterfield co-founded Slack, revolutionizing workplace communication with its intuitive messaging and collaboration platform.
Garret Camp – Garret Camp co-founded Uber, disrupting the transportation industry by creating a seamless ride-hailing app used worldwide.
Apoorva Mehta – Apoorva Mehta founded Instacart, pioneering the grocery delivery service that brings fresh food to doorsteps with just a few clicks.
Changpeng Zhao – Changpeng Zhao, known as “CZ,” founded Binance, building it into one of the world’s largest and most influential cryptocurrency exchanges.
David Cheriton – David Cheriton’s early investment in Google helped fuel its rise to becoming the tech giant that dominates search and online advertising.
Chamath Palihapitiya – Through Social Capital, Chamath Palihapitiya has invested in and supported innovative startups, shaping the future of technology and healthcare.
Ryan Cohen – Ryan Cohen co-founded Chewy, transforming the pet supply industry with its customer-centric online retail platform.
Max Lytvyn & Alex Shevchenko – Max Lytvyn and Alex Shevchenko co-founded Grammarly, creating a powerful AI-driven writing assistant used by millions worldwide.
Piotr Szulczewski & Danny Zhang – Piotr Szulczewski and Danny Zhang co-founded Wish, an e-commerce platform known for offering affordable products to a global audience.
Bob Young – Bob Young co-founded Red Hat in 1993, pioneering the open-source software movement by providing enterprise-level solutions based on the Linux operating system, which revolutionized the tech industry.