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Chloe Smith has always had an entrepreneurial spirit and an eagerness to try new things. In university, Smith launched her own companies in house cleaning and selling local jewellery to help pay for tuition.
“I decided it was an opportunity during COVID to invest in myself and I took it,” says the founder and CEO. In March 2023, Mercator.ai raised a $5.1 million CAD seed round and expanded its team from five people to 15 people. One of the businesses that ultimately invested in its pre-seed round was Smith’s former employer, Critical Mass.
“It’s actually pretty common, Calgary based folks investing in other Calgary based folks to build some pretty global stage innovation,” says Smith. “I think having more of that support out there, where we’re able to learn and grow from one another, that’s what will make this city a massive tech player.”