Taiv Spotlight: Winnipeg's own raises a Series A 📈
We sat down with Noah Palansky, co-founder of Taiv, one of Canada's fastest growing companies based in Winnipeg.
60 Second Founder: Noah Palansky, Taiv 📺
Tech Thursday is back with the 60 Second Founder series, highlighting founders and the companies they’re building. In Episode 3, we sat down with Noah Palansky, co-founder of Taiv, a YCombinator alumni who just raised a $14M Series A.
“It’s absolutely possible to attract U.S. investment while benefiting from Canada’s innovation ecosystem”. - Noah Palansky, CEO and Co-Founder at Taiv
Taiv’s Opportunity - Tailored Ads for Restaurant-Goers
Many bars, restaurants, and even small-retailers are meticulous about what is presented to each incoming customer: from the menus, to the decor, to the seating arrangements. Owners of these establishments have control down to the finest detail. Yet they don’t have control over what ads play on the TVs… until now.
During commercial breaks in live broadcasts, the TVs are a lost opportunity. They show irrelevant ads, or worse, advertise competing restaurants. This became incredibly clear to Noah when watching a Jets game in downtown Winnipeg.
“When it cut to a commercial break, we saw them running an ad for Boston Pizza's beer special. It just felt wrong. The TVs are the only place within a venue's four walls where felt like a huge missed opportunity.”
Solution - Turn TVs into Revenue Engines
That moment and realization was what sparked Taiv, a Winnipeg-based company that aims to tackle the missed revenue opportunities in bars and restaurants across North America.
Taiv installs technology that integrates directly into a venue’s existing entertainment system, automatically replacing traditional TV commercials with content that’s relevant to the audience in the room.
Instead of forcing owners to run a separate digital signage loop in the corner, Taiv works with the live TV already playing on the venue’s main screens, swapping out ads during commercial breaks for promotions, events, or partner campaigns tailored to that specific audience.
“We give venue owners all the benefits of internal digital signage without dedicating… TVs just [for internal promotions], while also giving a new level of control over the ads they would otherwise be forced to show during commercial breaks.”
Next Steps - Rapid Expansion while keeping Winnipeg Roots
While expanding across North America, Taiv’s roots remain in Winnipeg, a decision that has greatly benefitted the company’s growth. Being able to tap into the city’s talent pool of loyal and skilled people reduces friction to building a world-class team, unlike the hyper-competition that is so often present in U.S. cities.
Additionally, Noah credits Canada’s innovation ecosystem for giving companies like Taiv a boost, from grants and loans to subsidy programs. While Canada’s investment pool may be smaller, Taiv has managed to tap into U.S. funding while still benefiting from the support available at home.
Taiv’s ability to grow from Winnipeg and attract U.S. investment has allowed for major funding milestones, recently securing significant funding (approx. $14 million CAD), and using that to scale up quickly across both the U.S. and Canada. With a focus on bars, restaurants, small-retailers, and even gas stations, they are not only advancing their technology but also pushing their go-to-market strategy aggressively. Next, they plan on launching many new markets, bringing in new talent, and continuing to be one of Canada’s fastest growing companies.
“The next year is going to be all about rapid growth and expansion”.
Noah’s Advice to Future Founders
“Be prepared for the difficulty, but also to embrace the incredible, transformative journey it will be.”
Thank you for reading Tech Thursday’s ‘60 Second Founder’. If you know of a founder in Winnipeg that’s building in tech, make sure to reach out to Tech Thursday on our Instagram!