Helcim
Location: Calgary, Alberta VC Investor: Accelerate Fund Company URL: helcim.com
Strategic Importance: Fintech, jobs, economy and trade
Most tech companies start with big ideas and limited financial resources. They subsist on personal savings, company revenue and even loans from family and friends. There’s even a term for it: “bootstrapping.”
For many years, this was the reality at Calgary-based Helcim, until they pursued Venture Capital to help them turn their payments software into one of the industry’s top fintech platforms.
743% Revenue Growth
in the past three years
#3 Ranking (Alberta)
The Report on Business’ list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies
150+ Employees
located in Calgary
“By making the payments process easy, transparent, and quick to set up, we lower the barrier to entry for new entrepreneurs, further spurring the formation of new businesses across the province.”
A Benchmark Firm in a Growing Tech Industry
Helcim exemplifies how far Alberta’s nation-leading tech sector has come, and serves as an inspiration for others.
Their mission is to be the world’s most loved payments company. They provide ambitious Canadian businesses with a single platform to accept credit, debit, and bank payments – whether it’s on a terminal, online, or via an invoice.
Building the entire payments technology stack in-house gives Helcim the agility to rapidly integrate new payment acceptance methods as the industry evolves – ensuring its merchants can adapt to changing consumer demands.
“Our future is focused on continued investment right here in Alberta. We’re building the payments solutions and financial tools business owners need, and creating high-value tech jobs locally to support our national and US growth,” explains Nic Beique, founder and CEO.
For Helcim, being headquartered in Alberta isn’t just about geography – it’s a core competitive advantage.
“It comes down to a blend of talent, cost-effectiveness, and a supportive business environment that lets us focus on scaling globally while staying true to our roots,” Beique says.
The Power of Funding
Helcim’s CEO admits that, as a bootstrapped company for many years, raising their Series A round of capital was a major pivot. He acknowledges the support Alberta Enterprise Corporation (AEC) provided as a proponent of Alberta’s emerging VC ecosystem – and an investor in the funds.
“AEC’s mandate is to support high-growth Alberta tech companies. They supported us from the beginning, helping us bring in the capital we needed for our ambitious growth plans.”
“The investment put a local stamp of approval on our mission to be a global payments player, demonstrating that world-class fintech can be built right here in Calgary.”
Helcim’s hard work, supported by investors who believe in what they’re doing, is paying dividends. In October 2025, Verizon (a Global Fortune 100 company) selected Helcim as the payments platform for its entire small-medium business (SMB) ecosystem.
