2011 Cantech Letter Awards, the Finalists

Last year, it was Glentel (TSX:GLN), the BC based Wireless Wave operator and former New Westminster auto-glass shop that took home the trophy after growing its revenue by more than $100 million dollars.

Glentel was joined at the virtual podium by SXC Health’s (TSX:SXC) Mark Thierer, who presided over the meteoric rise of the Milton, Ontario Pharmacy Benefit Management company, whose revenues grew from just $33 million in 2004 to just under $2 billion in fiscal 2010.

In 2011, the storyline involving Jim Skippen of Wi-LAN’s (TSX:WIN) attempt to acquire his former employer, Mosaid (TSX:MSD), was irresistible. Both Ottawa companies had terrific years and are represented in this year’s awards. So who will take home 2011’s Awards? The crystal trophies are not yet engraved, they await the logos of two of the candidates below. Our panel of judges, Tom Astle and Byron Berry of Byron Capital, Tom Liston of Versant Partners, Barry Richards of Paradigm Securities and Ron Shuttleworth of M Partners, has selected three finalists in each category. Now we give you a chance to have your say.

New today in Cantech Letter…M Partner’s Ron Shuttleworth reveals his top pick for 2012. Get his free report.

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The Finalists, 2011  Cantech Letter  Canadian Tech Stock of the Year

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Mood Media (TSX:MM)


In May, Toronto’s Mood Media completed the $345 million acquisition of Muzak (yes, that Muzak), forming an entity that has $400 million in revenue in what is now being referred to as the sensory branding space, a term for marketing tactics now being used by giants such as Nissan, Pizza Hut and Starbucks. Shares of Mood Media, which closed 2010 at $1.90, raced as high as $3.26 on April 29th of this year before retracing slightly to current levels. Mood Media has since made deals with brands as diverse as Gucci, Hooter’s and the Puma store in Paris, where the company installed giant video walls.

Mosaid (TSX:MSD)

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Was Wi-LAN’s ill-fated attempt to seize control of cross-town rival Mosaid the biggest story of the year in Canadian tech? In January, shareholders of Mosaid should have been more than pleased with the company’s performance since the recession of 2008. Shares of the Ottawa company could be had for $7.45 on November 14th, 2008, but closed 2010 at $29.73. But the best was yet to come. After Mosaid’s board rejected Wi-LAN’s offer of $42, the number was upped by US based private equity firm Sterling Partners who, on October 27th, reached a deal to acquire Mosaid at $46 a share, a 9.5% premium to the Wi-LAN bid. On December 19th, Mosaid shareholders will vote on whether or not they see this offer as an early Christmas present.

Poynt (TSX:PYN)

As an app, Calgary-based Poynt has been an unqualified success. The GPS enabled location-based search application has nearly twelve-million users, and has grown 158% in the past year alone. Shareholders would no doubt love to see a resurgence in the fortunes of Poynt the stock, which slipped to as low as a dime after trading as high as $.85 cents before the 2008 meltdown. Poynt the app? has been growing for years. CEO Andrew Osis, however, thinks several recent moves signal the beginning of a new era in the company’s history, one that will more closely align the fortunes of the stock with the fortunes of the app. In November, Poynt brought on former Intuit Canada executive Yves Millette in the role of President. The company then added David Lucatch, CEO of Canada’s most heavily traded stock, Intertainment Media, to its board. Then, on December 1st, the company announced what Osis thinks is its seminal deal; Poynt will come preloaded on all Samsung Galaxy devices.

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The Finalists, 2011 Cantech Letter Canadian Tech Stock Executive of the Year

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John Lindgren, Mosaid (TSX:MSD)

It could be argued that the person who benefited Mosaid shareholders most in 2011 was, in fact, Wi-LAN’s Jim Skippen, whose $42 bid for his former employer jolted the stock to new highs. But Byron Capital analysts Tom Astle and Byron Berry believe that it was John Lindgren whose work prior to the take out frenzy put the company in the position to be the subject of multiple offers. Cantech Letter Awards judges Astle and Berry admired Lindgren’s resolve in getting the best bid for Mosaid.

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Mark Thierer, SXC Health (TSX:SXC)

Back to back? 2010′s performance earned SXC Health CEO Mark Thierer Cantech Letter’s 2010 Canadian Technology Executive of the Year Award. Thierer appears to be lobbying for a repeat; each of the three quarters the company has reported this year have topped a billion dollars. SXC’s recently reported Q3 revenue of $1.3 billion was 163% better than the $489.9-million just a year before.

Jim Skippen, Wi-LAN (TSX:WIN)
Forget the thwarted bid for Mosaid. Jim Skippen has guided Ottawa’s Wi-LAN to be one of the biggest successes in the recent history of all Canadian technology. Wi-LAN’s revenue climbed from just over $2 million in fiscal 2006 to nearly $50 million in 2010. Skippen clearly wasn’t satisfied with breaking the rare fifty-million dollar benchmark, Wi-LAN’s revenue for the first three quarters of 2011 is nearly $82 million. And the company is moving on, last week, Wi-LAN, bought 1400 patents and applications related to digital TV and video displays from an international consumer electronics manufacturer for $8-million (U.S.) in cash.

New today in Cantech Letter…M Partner’s Ron Shuttleworth reveals his top pick for 2012. Get his free report.

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