The BetaKit Keynote Stage

SAAS NORTH is excited bring back our partnership with BetaKit for another year! Re-introducing, the BetaKit Keynote Stage! BetaKit is known for sharing cutting-edge, timely insights on Canada’s tech ecosystem – The BetaKit Keynote Stage is where you’ll see the people that are building and financing Canadian SaaS. Check out the keynote sessions that SAAS NORTH + BetaKit have in store for 2024!

More speakers to be added, schedule subject to change.

Conference MC

Welcome to the 8th Annual SAAS NORTH!  Join MC Manuela Barcenas on a B2B SaaS growth journey! The 2024 BetaKit keynote stage is overflowing with tactical advice and lessons learned from grizzled veterans and the ecosystem players that have seen it all.

Manuela Barcenas

Head of Marketing

Fellow.app

Scaling SaaS Growth: Proven Marketing Strategies from a Serial Entrepreneur

In this action-packed session, Neil Patel, the driving force behind SaaS giants like Ubersuggest, will reveal the exact strategies that power sustainable growth for SaaS businesses. Drawing on real-world experience, Neil will break down how to identify the right Total Addressable Market (TAM), mastering customer acquisition and retention through SEO. This session will arm you with the playbook for scaling your SaaS business.

Neil Patel

Co-Founder

Neil Patel Digital

Failure IS an Option – the Story of Sampler

Douglas Soltys from BetaKit sits down with former Sampler CEO and founder Marie Chevrier Schwartz for an intimate conversation where they discuss the rise and fall of Sampler, lessons learned, and the mental stamina needed to navigate a perfect storm. Promised to be a raw, real, and thought-provoking conversation, we’ll learn that “failure is an option,” and that defining “failure” may be key to our success.

Moderator

Douglas Soltys

Editor in Chief

BetaKit

Marie Chevrier Schwartz

CEO

TechTO

Hustle Hard, Sell Smart

Understand the hustle and what it means to sell effectively by hiring (and firing) well, leveraging the right tools, and a gut check on how fierce your sales function really is. Hear the raw and real journey of one saavy SaaS startup founder, from the inception of their idea to its impact, as they share challenges, triumphs, and invaluable lessons, along with the sales strategies driving their success.

Renae Farough

Co-Founder & CEO

Kicker

8th Annual PitchFest – Round 1

It’s baaaaaaack! Brace yourself for the ultimate showdown as Pitchfest takes to the stage and spotlights some incredible companies who will pitch to our panel of investors. Who will make it through to compete for the grand prize?

Moderator

Patrick White

Co-Founder & Managing Director

L-Spark

Eric Agyemang

Founder & Managing Partner

Maple Bridge Ventures

Mandy Potter

Co-Founder & Managing Partner

Misfit Ventures

James Povitz

Principal

NAventures

Trust as Currency: How to Capture & Retain Market Share

Nathan Yeung, an experienced marketing strategist, will walk you through the essentials of consumer psychology and how trust could be the catalyst to propel your SaaS to unicorn status. He will walk through how our overconfidence blinds our ability to build trust, how everything we do in marketing falls back to this simple concept, and how mental shortcuts, called heuristics, play a major role in the success of your business.

Nathan Yeung

Vice-President

Find Your Audience

Unleashing the Power of Gen AI: Driving Collaboration and Decision-Making

Join Stephany Lapierre (Founder & CEO, TealBook) for a fireside chat as we explore how Generative AI (Gen AI) is revolutionizing the way organizations collaborate and make decisions. We will delve into specific use cases where AI is breaking down silos between departments, such as IT and procurement, by creating a unified data foundation. By leveraging AI’s capabilities, organizations can quickly generate actionable insights and facilitate seamless information sharing. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to harness the power of Gen AI to drive operational efficiency, improve decision quality, and unlock new opportunities for growth.

Moderator

Danielle Smith

Director, Tech & Innovation Banking

National Bank

Stephany Lapierre

Founder & CEO

Tealbook

SheBoot Winner Announcement

SheBoot is a national non-profit and investment-ready bootcamp for women tech and tech-enabled founders that prepares them to pitch their business and secure investment.

Julia Elvidge

Chair u0026 Co-Founder

SheBoot

Jennifer Francis

Co-Founder

SheBoot

Sonya Shorey

Co-Founder

SheBoot

From Record-Breaking Seed Round to Unicorn: Finding Product-Market Fit as a Visionary Founder

For most founders, finding product-market fit is the #1 problem. Martin Basari achieved it with Applyboard as a first-time founder with no funding. Now he’s working on it as a unicorn founder with more money than any other Canadian seed-stage company. Hear his journey from inception of ApplyBoard to his new company Passage as he compares and contrasts his two founder experiences.

Moderator

Pablo Srugo

Partner

Mistral

Martin Basiri

Founder & CEO

Passage

SURVEY SAYS – It’s Founders Feud!

Step into the hottest game show at SAAS NORTH where top SaaS companies face off in a fun and competitive game inspired by Family Feud. Watch as teams compete for charity to guess the most popular answers to industry-related questions, showcasing their knowledge, wit, and agility in the fast-paced world of SaaS.

Moderator

Derek Vollebregt

Customer Success Leader

TBA

Global Growth & Goofs: CERTN’s Journey of Expansion & Lessons Learned in the “Oops” Moments

Hear firsthand accounts of the mishaps and humorous missteps as we delve into CERTN’s international expansion journey. Discover the valuable lessons these experiences have taught Co-Founder and CEO Andrew McLeod about navigating global markets, growth, expansion, and company transition, all with resilience and wit.

Andrew McLeod

Co-Founder & CEO

Certn

The State of SaaS in Canada: Trends, Challenges, & Growth

In this ‘View from the Top’ session, Douglas Soltys of Betakit sits down with Inovia’s co-founder Chris Arsenault for an in-depth exploration of the SaaS funding landscape in Canada. Part presentation, part fireside chat, key trends will be discussed regarding the state of funding for growth, and the various financing options when approaching an exit strategy. We’ll hear how Canadian SaaS companies are innovating to stay competitive, and how they can build optionality into their model. Whether you’re a SaaS founder, investor, or tech enthusiast, this session offers valuable insights into the state of SaaS in Canada and what it means for your company.

Moderator

Douglas Soltys

Editor in Chief

BetaKit

Chris Arsenault

Partner

Inovia Capital

Rob Kenedi

Founder & Host

Decelerator

8th Annual Pitchfest – Round 2

It’s day two – and more anxious, excited founders take to the stage for the ultimate showdown. Pitchfest Round 2 will see more incredible companies pitch to our panel of investors. Who will make it through to compete for the grand prize at the end of the day?

Moderator

Patrick White

PATRICK WHITE Co-Founder & Managing Director

L-Spark

Ryan Henry

Partner

Sand Hill North

Jesse Wiebe

Community Development Lead

Startup TNT

Katy Yam

Partner / General Manager

Real Ventures / Founder Fuel

Secrets Of High-Impact Messaging: Using Modern Sales Science To Grow Your SaaS Business

“What does your company do?” It’s a question that SaaS sellers and founders get asked every day. Yet in a market where your customers struggle with unprecedented solution choices, razor-tight budgets, and infinite distractions, leading with your product, service or even its benefits is no longer enough to engage them! If you want to avoid getting lost in a sea of sameness, your narrative needs to resonate with lightning-fast emotional precision. That’s why in the battle for customer attention, science tells us that manifesting the confidence and conviction needed to convert modern buyers lies in describing their problems better than they can. In this session, David Priemer, founder of Cerebral Selling and author of the bestselling books, Sell The Way You Buy and The Sales Leader They Need, will share simple but powerful tactics for transforming your narrative to grow your revenue faster.

David Priemer

Founder & Chief Sales Scientist

Cerebral Selling

Up Close & Personal With Janet Bannister

Join us for an exclusive conversation with the renowned Janet Bannister as she delves into her remarkable career, reveals the intricacies of the investor journey, and shares invaluable tips for founders navigating their own paths. This insightful dialogue is packed with tactical advice, heartfelt empathy, and actionable strategies. Don’t miss out on this must-hear session!

Moderator

Sean Silcoff

Technology Reporter

The Globe & Mail

Janet Bannister

Founder & Managing Partner

Staircase Ventures

The Masked Investor

Get ready for “The Masked Investor” – where one disguised investor spills the unfiltered truth, from working with VCs and avoiding founder pitfalls to the secrets of product success. Join the excitement as the incognito VC reveals investment strategies, insights, and predictions for the future and navigating the SaaS investment landscape. Who “IS” the Masked Investor – we may never know but we’ll keep you guessing.

Moderator

Aydin Mirzaee

CEO & Co-Founder

Fellow.app

The Masked Investor

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8th Annual Pitchfest – Final Throwdown

Our judges have shortlisted the best of the best! Now get ready for an epic showdown at the PitchFest Finale Throwdown, where innovation and creativity collide in a riveting clash of wits and business smarts. With live audience polled results, we’ll find out which company will reign supreme and be our PItchfest Winner for 2024.

Moderator

Patrick White

Co-Founder & Managing Director

L-Spark

To Be Announced

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To Be Announced

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Firehood Angel Winners

$100K+ of Funding! Watch as the Firehood Angel Camp Winners are revealed.

Danielle Graham

General Partner Phoenix Fire & Co-Founder

The Firehood

Grand Prize Draw & Closing Remarks

We’re capping off an exciting two days with final remarks and a chance to win one of TWO “Return to Ottawa!” Prize Packs Presented by Ottawa Tourism. Prize #1 Hockey Package: 2 x VIP tickets to IIHF World Juniors game on January 2nd + 1 night stay at The Brookstreet Hotel on January 2nd + Transportation to the game. Prize #2 SAAS NORTH 2025 Package: 2 x VIP tickets to SAAS NORTH 2025 + 2-Night stay at Le Germain Hotel. You must be in the room to win!!!

Manuela Bárcenas

Head of Marketing

Fellow.app

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