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Two Vancouver startups make World Economic Forum’s top 100 list

B.C. accounts for most of Canadian representation in Technology Pioneers list
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Vancouver skyline | Rob Kruyt, BIV

Two Vancouver tech startups are among the 100 most notable technology companies to watch this year, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Ionomr Innovations Inc. and SkyHive Technologies Inc. got the nod in the WEF’s annual Technology Pioneers list, which is widely seen as a barometer for hot tech companies that have the ability to address global issues.

The B.C. pair accounts for most of the country’s representation on the global list, unveiled Tuesday, with Toronto-based Xanadu Quantum Technologies being the only other Canadian firm featured.

Three B.C. companies — Squamish’s Carbon Engineering, Vancouver’s Trulioo Information Services Inc. and Kelowna’s Two Hat Security — were featured last year when a total of six Canadian firms made the list.

Past recipients include Airbnb Inc., Spotify Technology SA and Twitter Inc. (NYSE:TWTR).

Ionomr is a Simon Fraser University spinoff that specializes in the development of ion exchange membranes and coatings for energy storage, clean energy generation and wastewater treatment.

The membranes help eliminate the use of expensive precious metals and fluorinated compounds that can damage the environment — advancements that could help boost implementation of hydrogen fuel cells and battery technologies.

SkyHive is known for tapping artificial intelligence to address hiring and employment issues that arise from changing labour markets.

Last year it closed an $8-million Series A funding round led by AllegisCyber Capital, Accenture Inc., Workday Ventures and the Partnership Fund for New York City.

"We view this [WEF recognition] as validation that quantum labour analysis is transforming the future of work and we look forward to continuing democratizing labour opportunities and unleashing human potential in unprecedented ways across the world," CEO Sean Hinton said in a statement.

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@reporton