What Datanova Software does

Datanova Software Inc. is a privately held, family-owned Canadian software company founded in 1984 and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, with a secondary office in Toronto. The company develops ERP and operational software exclusively for the petroleum-marketing and energy-distribution industry, serving customers in every Canadian province and territory. Its core platform combines petroleum-distribution management with specialized modules including TruckMaster (real-time fleet telemetry and fuel-delivery management), Customer Portal (web + mobile customer self-service adopted by more than 50% of energy-industry customers), Cardlock transaction processing (acquired from Kardall Inc. in April 2023), Backup Protection and Ransomware Protection (3-2-1-1-0 immutable backups, SureBackup verification), and nine industry-specific vertical modules spanning Branded Dealer, Burner Service, Fleet Refueling, HVAC, Lubricants, Petroleum Distribution, Propane Distribution, and Service Stations.

The platform is technically distinguished by broad compatibility with legacy petroleum equipment — the company claims to be the only Canadian vendor supporting all equipment sold in the market, including meters manufactured as early as 1978 — and by an integrated fleet-and-back-office workflow layer with bilingual (English/French) support. The April 2023 acquisition of Kardall Inc. (Kardtech Inc. and Dcipher Computing Inc.) consolidated cardlock payment processing and custom-application development under Datanova, strengthening its position as the leading domestic petroleum-software vendor.

Datanova operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market, with direct enterprise sales engagement via website and phone (1-877-947-1155), targeting primarily family-owned petroleum marketers and energy distributors. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the revenue model is subscription/recurring based on licensing and ongoing support of the ERP platform. Reported customer outcomes include end-of-month close reduced from 15 days to half a day through bank integrations and an acquisition rate of 50% in year one rising to 70% in year two among new clients. The company is bootstrapped (no external funding disclosed), actively operating, and continues to invest in product surface area — most recently cybersecurity modules and mobile customer engagement.

Name

Datanova Software

Legal name

Datanova Software Inc.

Website

https://datanovasoftware.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Datanova Software Inc. is a family-owned Canadian software company founded in 1984 that develops ERP, fleet management, customer portal, and cybersecurity software exclusively for petroleum marketers and energy distributors across Canada, operating from Montreal with a Toronto office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Petroleum Distribution ERP Software

NAICS

Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Distribution & Wholesale ERP (Inventory, Order, Warehouse) (HDAEAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industry-Specific ERP for Utilities & Energy (HDAEAEAN), Retail ERP (Merchandising, POS Back Office) (HDAEAEAD)

Keywords

• Petroleum distribution software
• Fuel marketing ERP
• Fleet management software
• Cardlock transaction processing
• Propane delivery software

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. ERP Software Licenses/Subscriptions: The company generates revenue through licensing and supporting software exclusively for the petroleum marketer industry. Based on their customer portal and TruckMaster offerings, they appear to use a subscription-based model for ongoing software support and updates.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Datanova Software develops and licenses an integrated ERP platform exclusively for petroleum marketers and energy distributors in Canada. The offering combines a core petroleum distribution management system with specialized modules for fleet and delivery management (TruckMaster), customer-facing web and mobile access (Customer Portal), cardlock transaction processing, and immutable backup and ransomware protection. Industry-specific configurations cover branded dealers, burner service, cardlock, fleet refueling, HVAC, lubricants, petroleum, propane, and service station operations.

Product overview

Datanova Software develops an integrated ERP platform exclusively for the petroleum marketing and energy distribution industry. The platform consists of a core petroleum distribution management system enhanced by specialized modules including TruckMaster for fleet and delivery management, Customer Portal for customer-facing web and mobile access, and security solutions for Backup and Ransomware Protection. Industry-specific solutions cover the entire petroleum distribution sector including Branded Dealers, Burner Service, Cardlock, Fleet Refueling, HVAC, Lubricants Distribution, Petroleum Distribution, Propane Distribution, and Service Stations. The company was founded in 1984 and serves petroleum marketers across every province and territory in Canada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TruckMaster: Fleet fuel management and logistics software for fuel trucks, enabling territory expansion, fleet refueling, dispatch management, real-time fleet tracking, and maintenance programs.
• Datacloud Services
• Sauvegarde

Products and services

• TruckMaster Fleet management software for fuel trucks that enables territory expansion, real-time fleet tracking, driver behavior monitoring via telemetry (RPM, braking, ABS, anti-roll, PTO hours), fuel delivery management with RFID/barcode vehicle identification, and real-time synchronization of driver-entered delivery data with the office. It is used by petroleum marketers managing fuel distribution fleets.
• Customer Portal Web-based customer portal with mobile application capabilities that allows energy industry customers to interact with their accounts, view transactions, and access reports through a streamlined, user-centered interface. Adopted by over 50% of Datanova's energy industry customers.
• Backup Protection (Sauvegarde) Secure backup solution serving as the last line of defense against ransomware, featuring trusted indestructibility technology, instant massive-scale recovery, SureBackup verification, and disaster recovery orchestration following the 3-2-1-1-0 rule. Targeted at petroleum marketers needing resilient data protection.
• Ransomware Protection Comprehensive data security solution protecting against ransomware attacks, featuring ransomware detection to stop malware before it enters backups, end-to-end indestructibility to prevent tampering, SureBackup verification for malware-free recovery, and instant recovery options.
• Cardlock Transaction Processing Unified retail and commercial fuel transaction processing system enabling unattended fuel dispensing and fleet card management across commercial and retail fuel sectors, supporting various hardware equipment sold in Canada. Acquired from Kardall Inc. in April 2023.
• Branded Dealer Software Solution Software solution for branded petroleum dealers managing inventory, deliveries, and customer relationships for fuel distribution businesses operating under major petroleum brands.
• Burner Service Software Solution Software solution for burner service companies, supporting HVAC and heating oil delivery operations such as scheduling, routing, and customer service.
• Fleet Refueling Software Solution Fleet refueling management solution enabling fuel delivery to commercial and government vehicle fleets with detailed per-unit tracking and invoicing.
• HVAC Software Solution Software solution for HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) companies, supporting service and delivery operations.
• Lubricants Distribution Software Solution Software solution for lubricants distributors managing inventory and delivery of industrial and automotive lubricants.
• Petroleum Distribution Software Solution Core software for petroleum product distributors managing the complete supply chain from bulk storage to final delivery, including inventory, deliveries, and customer relationships.
• Propane Distribution Software Solution Software solution for propane gas distributors supporting bulk propane delivery and residential/commercial tank management.
• Service Stations Software Solution Point-of-sale and management software for retail service stations and gas stations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% of new clients realize significant acquisition in their first year using Datanova systems
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kardall Inc. (division of Kardtech Inc. and Dcipher Computing Inc.)coreTechnology or Integration · 4 May 2023Datanova acquired the software products and clients from Kardall Inc., a division of Kardtech Inc. and Dcipher Computing Inc. This acquisition positions Datanova as the leader in petroleum and energy software in Canada, unifying retail and commercial fuel transactions through best-in-class cardlock transaction processing. The acquisition adds Kardtech's features and functionality for payment processing to Datanova's suite of products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Technology (Emerson): AspenTech, now part of Emerson, provides asset optimization and operations software across the energy value chain including petroleum refining and distribution. It overlaps with Datanova at the higher end of the energy software market and represents a much larger incumbent in adjacent energy software categories.
• Quorum Software: Quorum provides ERP and business solutions for the energy value chain, including downstream fuel and convenience retail. It is a broader incumbent with a wider portfolio than Datanova but overlapping functionality in downstream petroleum operations and accounting.
• Comdata (Corpay): Comdata, now part of Corpay, is a major North American fleet card and fuel transaction processing network with cardlock and payment platforms that overlap Datanova's Kardall-acquired cardlock capability. It operates as a much larger incumbent in payment processing rather than as a full ERP vendor.
• WEX Inc. WEX is a large publicly traded fleet card and payment solutions provider serving commercial fuel and petroleum marketers. While not an ERP vendor, it overlaps with Datanova's fleet refueling and cardlock transaction processing functionality and represents a much larger, broader incumbent in adjacent payment and fleet services.

Direct peers

• PVR Technologies: PVR Technologies (Petroleum VIP) provides petroleum-specific ERP, fuel inventory, and card processing software for downstream marketers and c-stores in the US. It is a close functional analogue to Datanova, serving a similar vertical with comparable product breadth but a different geographic market.
• PDI (Professional Datasolutions): PDI is the largest North American provider of ERP, logistics, and marketing software for petroleum and convenience retailers. It directly competes with Datanova in petroleum marketing back-office, fuel logistics, and c-store/POS, although PDI serves a US-centric customer base at much larger scale.
• Cargas Systems: Cargas Systems offers ERP and operations software for fuel, lubricants, and propane distributors, including inventory, routing, and tank monitoring. It is a direct peer in the lubricants/propane/petroleum distribution niche, with overlapping product capabilities to Datanova's lubricants and propane modules.
• FuelQuest (a Trimble company): FuelQuest provides fuel management and ERP software for downstream petroleum operators, covering inventory, ordering, and cardlock processing. It is a direct functional peer to Datanova's petroleum distribution and cardlock modules, with deeper US footprint and broader enterprise customer base.
• Tower Systems (CStorePro): Tower Systems provides point-of-sale and back-office software for c-stores and service stations, overlapping with Datanova's Service Stations and Branded Dealer modules. It serves a similar petroleum/convenience retail vertical with comparable transaction-processing and back-office capabilities.

Emerging players

• BlueRock Energy Solutions: BlueRock Energy Solutions is a smaller specialized provider of fuel management, inventory, and cardlock software for independent petroleum marketers in North America. It is an emerging peer in the same vertical with meaningful but narrower product overlap compared to Datanova's full ERP suite.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Datanova Software