The Upstart
Torontonians who are shaking up the tech sector
HOW IT WORKS:
“First, you enter your name and address. You can then order grass cutting, snowplowing and other landscaping services by clicking a button. One of our partner contractors accepts the job, shows up and takes before and after photos of their work, which they send to you before you pay. The money goes from your credit card to the contractor, and we take a 10 to 25 per cent cut.”
EUREKA MOMENT:
“When I finished university 15 years ago, I started a landscaping and snowplowing company. Now we’re in an Uber world: if it’s not there in 30 seconds, you’re like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ I wanted to bring that speed and efficiency to contracting work.”