BC Business
The latest TSXV Venture 50 list measures the financial performance of companies in five sectors, including technology, energy and mining.
Real estate investor Parkit Enterprise is one of 15 B.C.-headquartered companies on the list
In a new national ranking of publicly traded startups, B.C. is no slouch.
The TSX Venture Exchange just announced the 2022 TSX Venture 50, which highlights its top-performing companies for 2021. B.C.-based businesses account for 15 names on the list, which covers five sectors: clean technology and life sciences, diversified industries, energy, mining and technology. Ontario tied B.C. for first place.
The TSXV chose the Venture 50 based on year-over-performance in three equally weighted areas: market capitalization growth, share price appreciation and value traded during 2021.
The winners “have achieved tremendous success and growth via public markets,” Tim Babcock, VP and head of exchange, said in a release. “Early-stage growth companies are a critical component of our capital markets ecosystem.”
The past year saw the Venture 50 create $13.6 billion worth of market capitalization, with an average share price appreciation of 293 percent. The average company on the 2022 list is 200 percent bigger than its average peer a decade ago, and four businesses have a market cap of more than $1 billion.
Mining companies had the highest average share price and market cap increases—572 percent and 990 percent, respectively. Rising commodity prices and growth in the battery metals industry drove those surges, the TSXV noted.
It’s also worth noting that four of the 10 top technology companies on the list work in the blockchain and cryptocurrency realm.
READ MORE: Pacific Trader: Old versus new energy—who won in ’21?
Here are the top B.C. companies in each of the five sectors, along with their performance for 2021.
Mining: Standard Lithium Sector ranking: 4Market cap growth: 437 percentShare price change: 331 percentValue traded: $487,067,067
Headquartered in Vancouver, Standard Lithium explores and develops lithium brine resources in the U.S., billing its processing technologies as more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than conventional methods.
Clean Technology and Life Sciences: First Hydrogen Corp. Sector ranking: 7 Market cap growth: 544 percent Share price change: 363 percent Value traded: $5,830,178
This Vancouver startup is developing hydrogen-fuelled, zero-emission utility vehicles for the North American and European markets.
Energy: Reconnaissance Energy AfricaSector ranking: 1Market cap growth: 386 percentShare price change: 184 percentValue traded: $1,219,197,008
ReconAfrica, headquartered in Vancouver, is exploring for oil and gas in Namibia and Botswana.
READ MORE: Pacific Trader: Has ReconAfrica discovered the next oil gusher?
Diversified Industries: Parkit EnterpriseSector ranking: 1Market cap growth: 1,499 percentShare price change: 138 percentValue traded: $74,286,751
This Vancouver-based real estate investor focuses on acquiring, managing and growing niche industrial properties throughout Canada.
Technology: Neptune Digital Assets Corp.Sector ranking: 9 Market cap growth: 120 percent Share price change: 57 percent Value traded: $220,980,331
Neptune grows cryptocurrency assets through bitcoin mining and staking, blockchain nodes and decentralized finance, the Vancouver fintech outfit says.