What Smartsettle does

Smartsettle (legally iCan Systems Inc., with a related entity Smartsettle Resolutions Inc.) is a Canadian negotiation technology vendor founded in the early 1990s and incorporated in 1997, headquartered in Langley, British Columbia. It builds a secure, web-based eNegotiation platform that operates through a neutral site to elicit and model party preferences across any number of parties and issues, then applies optimization algorithms to generate fair and Pareto-efficient agreements. The product portfolio spans Smartsettle ONE for simple two-party single-issue negotiations, the flagship Smartsettle Infinity for complex multi-party multi-issue negotiations, Smartsettle Modeller for pre-negotiation analysis, Smartsettle Auction for top-down multi-party auctions, and Smartsettle SaaS for white-label and API embedding; a consolidated "ONE to Infinity" platform was announced as in development in 2022.

The underlying technology is anchored by eight patented algorithms (including Visual Blind Bidding, Reward Collaborative Behaviour, Maximize the Minimum Gain, and Fairness Enhancing Normalization) protected under U.S. Patent 5,495,412 and related trademarks, with origins in Dr. Ernest Thiessen's Cornell University research. Customer segments are intentionally horizontal and include consumer/SMB disputes, family law, corporate procurement and M&A, academia, independent mediators/facilitators, and high-value multi-party negotiations such as peace treaties and environmental agreements.

Smartsettle monetizes through four streams: freemium transaction fees on Smartsettle ONE (a small percentage of the negotiating range, charged only upon settlement), annual subscriptions that bundle software updates, support and certification exams, professional services for facilitation/mediation plus training (from a few hundred to thousands of dollars), and SaaS/white-label licensing with widget or API integration. Distribution is multi-channel: a self-serve webapp for individuals and SMBs, direct enterprise sales for Infinity deployments, an OEM/embedded channel for partners, and a certified facilitator/reseller network. The company remains privately held, founder-owned, and bootstrapped, with 1-10 employees and no disclosed institutional funding or revenue.

Name

Smartsettle

Legal name

iCan Systems Inc.

Website

https://smartsettle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Langley

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Smartsettle ONE Transaction Fee: Smartsettle ONE charges no fee to practice against the robot or to start a live case. When parties settle, the fee is typically a small percentage of the visible negotiating range at the beginning, which serves as a clear measure of the benefit delivered. This outcome-based pricing avoids a conflict of interest that could occur if the fee was based on gross settlement value. Parties can reduce the fee by narrowing the range before Visual Blind Bidding starts.
2. Subscription Services: Subscription Services members receive automatic access to new software releases and upgrades, live technical support, extensive online resources, enhancement request privileges, and included certification exams. Certified Smartsettle Mediator and Certified Smartsettle Associate Facilitator exams are available to subscribers.
3. Professional Services / Facilitation: Fees for facilitators or mediators are available in addition to base settlement fees. Training for certification as a Smartsettle intervenor is available for a few hundred dollars to start, with Infinity training potentially running into thousands.
4. SaaS / White-Label Licensing: Partners can add their own branding, have Smartsettle host the solution, embed it as a widget in their own application, or integrate via API endpoints, generating recurring or licensing revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Smartsettle provides a secure web-based eNegotiation platform that helps any number of parties with conflicting objectives reach fair and efficient agreements. The platform operates through a neutral site that elicits party preferences and uses patented optimization algorithms (including Visual Blind Bidding, Reward Collaborative Behaviour, and Maximize the Minimum Gain) to generate Pareto-efficient outcomes. The product portfolio ranges from Smartsettle ONE for simple two-party single-issue disputes to Smartsettle Infinity for complex multi-party multi-issue negotiations, plus Modeller for analysis, Auction for top-down bidding, and SaaS for white-label integration.

Product overview

Smartsettle is a comprehensive online negotiation support and collaboration system (eNegotiation System) designed to help any number of decision-makers with conflicting objectives reach fair and efficient agreements. The product portfolio consists of Smartsettle ONE for simple two-party single-issue negotiations, Smartsettle Infinity as the flagship comprehensive multi-party multi-issue negotiation system, Smartsettle Modeller for pre-negotiation analysis, Smartsettle Auction for top-down auction processes, and Smartsettle SaaS for white-label/API integration. A unified product code-named Smartsettle ONE to Infinity is currently in development to replace both ONE and Infinity with a single platform combining simplicity and advanced capabilities. The system uses patented optimization algorithms including Visual Blind Bidding and Maximize the Minimum Gain to virtually eliminate traditional negotiation friction and deliver outcomes that are equitable and efficient.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smartsettle ONE: Web-based negotiation app for two-party financial negotiations that can be simplified to a single numerical issue, featuring Visual Blind Bidding and Reward Collaborative Behaviour algorithms.
• Smartsettle Infinity
• Smartsettle Modeller
• Smartsettle Auction
• Smartsettle SaaS

Products and services

• Smartsettle ONE A web-based negotiation app for two-party formal negotiations that can be reduced to a single numerical issue, applying Visual Blind Bidding and Reward Collaborative Behaviour algorithms to help parties quickly achieve a satisfactory outcome. Targets individuals, SMBs, and dispute resolution professionals.
• Smartsettle Infinity Smartsettle's flagship comprehensive negotiation support system for complex multi-party negotiations, supporting unlimited parties, issues (numerical or qualitative), interdependencies, and constraints. Uses advanced algorithms to model problems, manage preferences, and optimize solutions. Targets large enterprises, government bodies, and international organizations.
• Smartsettle Modeller A negotiation analysis tool allowing users to model, discover, compare, and analyse potential outcomes before or during negotiations. Supports unlimited quantitative or qualitative issues and can simulate complete negotiations between any number of parties. Targets negotiators and analysts preparing for complex multi-party negotiations.
• Smartsettle Auction Applies Smartsettle's negotiation intelligence to auction processes, implementing Visual Blind Bidding for multiple single-issue negotiations among multiple parties. Uses a top-down eAuction approach that allows buyers to simultaneously bid on items while respecting budgets and eliminating last-minute sniping. Targets organizations running complex auctions.
• Smartsettle SaaS Enables integration of Smartsettle's intelligent algorithms into other platforms via white-labeling, widget embedding, and API endpoints. Available for both Smartsettle ONE and Infinity, allowing partners to embed or brand the platform within their own applications. Targets developers, partners, and enterprises wanting to integrate negotiation intelligence.
• Subscription Services & Training Certification Subscription-based service offering automatic access to new software releases, live technical support, online resources, enhancement request privileges, and certification exams (Certified Smartsettle Mediator and Certified Smartsettle Associate Facilitator). Training and certification programs available in Fundamentals, Negotiating as a Party, Facilitating, Mediating, and Expert Neutral tracks. Targets professionals and facilitators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-20% more value for each party in complex negotiations using Smartsettle
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• BC First NationsminorOthersSmartsettle is proud to be working with BC First Nations on negotiation and dispute resolution matters. The company has also worked with First Nations communities through volunteer advisor programs with CESO, building professional capacity within Canadian First Nations and communities worldwide. Jaap Siekman, a Certified Smartsettle Facilitator, is a Volunteer Advisor with CESO in this capacity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Modria (Tyler Technologies): Modria was the leading online dispute resolution (ODR) SaaS platform before being acquired by Tyler Technologies; it serves courts, courts, government agencies, and businesses with structured online negotiation and case-management workflows, directly overlapping Smartsettle's eNegotiation positioning.
• Cybersettle: Cybersettle is an online settlement platform focused on insurance subrogation and small-dollar claims, using blind-bidding mechanics that overlap with Smartsettle ONE's Visual Blind Bidding approach for resolving monetary disputes.
• Court Innovations (Matterhorn/Tyler ODR): Court Innovations provides online dispute resolution tools for courts and tribunals (now part of Tyler Technologies' family), directly competing with Smartsettle's court, government, and ODR use cases for traffic, small claims, and civil matters.

Emerging players

• Jur: Jur is a Web3-native arbitration and dispute resolution protocol that, like Smartsettle, targets multi-party dispute resolution but via decentralized jurors; useful as an emerging alternative in the same end-market category.
• Evisort: Evisort applies AI to contract lifecycle management and analysis, intersecting Smartsettle's optimization-of-agreement value proposition for legal and procurement teams, particularly around identifying value and risk in negotiated contracts.
• Pactum AI: Pactum applies AI to autonomous enterprise procurement negotiations, sharing Smartsettle's core thesis that negotiation can be automated and optimized; it targets enterprise procurement use cases that overlap with Smartsettle Infinity's procurement segment.
• Kleros: Kleros is a blockchain-based decentralized arbitration protocol for resolving disputes; it intersects Smartsettle's multi-party dispute resolution category through a different (cryptoeconomic) mechanism, and targets crypto, freelance, and e-commerce use cases.

Broad incumbents

• Ironclad: Ironclad is a leading contract lifecycle management platform with workflow and collaboration capabilities, adjacent to Smartsettle's higher-stakes negotiation automation and targeting the same enterprise legal and procurement buyers.
• Tyler Technologies (Odr): Tyler Technologies owns Modria and serves courts, justice, and government agencies broadly with integrated case-management software; it embeds ODR as one of many modules, comparable to Smartsettle's positioning for courts and public-sector dispute resolution.
• SquareTrade (Allstate): SquareTrade operates large-scale online dispute and warranty-claim resolution for e-commerce and retail, comparable to Smartsettle's insurance/claims use case but with vastly greater scale and a narrower product focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ICanSystems
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ican-systems-inc.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smartsettle