Paradigm Inputs was named Startup of the Year at the Calgary Innovation Week Top 10 Showcase, presented by Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute), and took home the Ecosystem Award, presented by the University of Alberta.
CEO Mitch Johnstone, CFA, joined Loren McGinnis on CBC's Calgary Eyeopener to talk about the company and what the recognition means.
Shopify for rural entrepreneurs
"It's really like a business in a box… we do it for rural entrepreneurs," Mitch told the Eyeopener. Paradigm Inputs lets farmers become local crop input brokers for their neighbours. Orders ship directly from the manufacturer to the broker's yard, with no warehouses or extra handoffs in between, and the savings go straight to farmers.
The idea came from co-founder Marc-Andre Fortin, who saw the inefficiencies in Canada's ag supply chain firsthand over more than a decade in the industry.
Where we are today
Since launching in 2024, Paradigm Inputs has grown to 15 rural entrepreneurs on the platform. Together they have saved farmers an estimated $2.5M and put more than $1M in profit into rural business owners' pockets. The goal for next year is 30 brokers.
Interested in running a crop input business in your area? Learn how to become a broker, or find a broker near you.