Halifax women win tech competition

HALIFAX – Two Halifax women are making serious waves in the tech business.

Vendeve CEO, Katelyn Bourgoin, and COO, Calee Blanchard, have just won top prize at the 2015 Fundica Funding Road Show in Halifax, N.S.

The pair beat out a dozen other companies to earn free airfare to San Francisco, introductions to top venture capital firms, and office space in Silicon Valley for six months.

 Fundica is a federal government sponsored program that seeks to link startups with investors.

“It’s such a thrilling opportunity to win,” Bourgoin said in a news release. “The opportunity to network and grow the company in Silicon Valley is priceless.”

Blanchard echoed her enthusiasm: “We have worked so hard and this is a dream come true for us. This win shows that others believe in our dream too.”

Vendeve is the world’s only skills marketplace for women. It now has 1800 signups from 14 countries, and they’re working to raise $600,000 in seed funding, half of which they’ve tentatively raised.

“The market conditions are perfect for Vendeve,” said Bourgoin. “We’re seeing faster growth than Esty, TaskRabbit and Elance saw in their first year and there’s no sign of slowing.”