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.”