MADE IN CANADA BRANDS LIMITED

What MADE IN CANADA BRANDS LIMITED does

MADE IN CANADA BRANDS LIMITED operates Made in CA, a web-based directory and resource platform founded in July 2018 by Dylan Lobo and headquartered at 18 King Street East in Toronto. The platform aggregates Canadian-made products and services in one place, organized across 20+ categories (Automotive, Baby Products, Clothing, Electronics, Food, Furniture, Garden, Home Products, Personal Care, Pet Products, Sports, Tools, and others) and browsable by all Canadian provinces and territories, with supplementary local-services coverage (dry cleaners, moving companies) and specialized shopping guides for grocery and apparel.

The platform's core product is a searchable, curated directory supported by a business-submission portal, regional browse tools, newsletter subscription, and partner-retailer distribution into stores such as Costco, London Drugs, and Choices. Underlying technology is a conventional web-based CMS directory where listings are researched for accuracy and tagged with symbols indicating Canadian-owned versus publicly traded brands. Revenue mechanics combine three streams: freemium business listings with paid featured placements via a media kit, affiliate commissions on outbound referrals (e.g., Indigo books), and advertising/sponsorships targeting Canadian consumer traffic. The audience is Canadian consumers seeking to identify and purchase domestically-made goods, particularly during periods of US-Canada trade tension.

Growth has been catalyzed by geopolitical events rather than paid acquisition. Google Trends data show 'Made in Canada' and 'Buy Canadian' queries at record highs in February 2025, traffic tripled between January 1-20 and again on January 21, 2025, readership surpassed 100,000 on February 1 when 25% tariffs on Canadian goods were imposed, and over 4,000 product submissions were received within days. Earned-media coverage in NBC News, CBC, CTV News, Washington Post, and Business Insider has amplified reach. The business remains bootstrapped and founder-operated with 1-10 employees, no disclosed external funding, and no AI/ML capabilities articulated.

Name

MADE IN CANADA BRANDS LIMITED

Legal name

MADE IN CANADA BRANDS LIMITED

Website

https://madeinca.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Made in Canada Brands Limited operates Made in CA, a Toronto-based online directory and resource platform founded in 2018 that aggregates Canadian-made products and services across 20+ categories and all provinces, serving Canadian consumers seeking to identify and support domestic businesses, particularly during US-Canada trade tensions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Business Listings and Submissions: Canadian businesses submit their products to be listed on the directory. The platform monetizes through featured listings, submission fees, and potentially premium placements.
2. Affiliate Revenue: The site uses affiliate links (e.g., for Indigo books) where the platform earns commissions on referred sales.
3. Advertising and Sponsorships: Sponsored/featured business listings and media kit offerings for businesses wanting to reach Canadian consumers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MADE IN CANADA BRANDS LIMITED operates the Made in CA online directory platform, which aggregates and lists Canadian-made products, services, retailers, and shopping guides organized by category and province/territory. The company enables Canadian consumers to discover domestically produced goods and supports Canadian businesses through free and featured business submissions, with additional monetization from sponsored listings, affiliate referrals, and a media kit for advertisers.

Product overview

Made in CA is a comprehensive directory and resource platform that aggregates Canadian-made products and services in one place. The platform operates as a curated directory with multiple category sections covering Automotive, Baby Products, Clothing, Electronics, Food, Furniture, Garden, Home Products, Internet Services, Kitchen, Miscellaneous, Outdoors, Personal Care, Pet Products, Retailers, Sports, Tools, Toys & Games, Arts & Crafts, Books/Publishing, and Finance. Key features include a Business Submission System allowing companies to be listed, a Regional Business Browser for geographic searches, specialized Shopping Guides (Grocery Store Guide, Clothing Guide), a Local Services Directory (including moving companies, dry cleaners), and a Newsletter Subscription Service. The platform also maintains regional browsing capabilities and update request functionality for maintaining listing accuracy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Made in CA Directory Platform A comprehensive online directory and resource platform that aggregates and showcases Canadian-made products and services across more than 20 categories, enabling Canadians to discover and support domestic businesses.
• Made in Canada Grocery Store Guide A specialized shopping guide focused on helping Canadians find grocery stores that carry Canadian-made products.
• Made in Canada Clothing Guide A specialized shopping guide focused on helping Canadians find Canadian-made clothing and apparel.
• Newsletter Subscription Service An email newsletter subscription service keeping subscribers informed about Canadian businesses, new additions to the directory, and the Canadian products movement.
• Local Services Directory A directory of Canadian local services (such as dry cleaners and moving companies) organized by region for users searching for domestic service providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Traffic nearly tripled between January 1-20, 2025, then tripled again on January 21
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cycling CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrynd Food Inc, a listed brand on Made in CA, has a partnership with Cycling Canada. This demonstrates the platform's role in connecting Canadian sports nutrition brands with national sports organizations.
• Western Hockey League (WHL)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrynd Food products are sold to 7 WHL teams, showing Canadian sports nutrition brand distribution through major junior hockey leagues.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Etsy: Global online marketplace connecting independent makers and small producers with consumers seeking unique, often locally-made goods. Comparable two-sided marketplace model where supply-side listings drive consumer demand.
• Faire: Wholesale marketplace connecting independent brands and makers with retailers. Comparable supply-side aggregation of independent producers organized by category, geography, and curation.
• Made Trade: Curated online marketplace for ethically and sustainably produced goods with a values-driven brand positioning. Similar model of aggregating vetted, mission-aligned producers for conscious consumers.
• Uncommon Goods: Curated online retailer of unique, often handmade or small-batch goods with strong storytelling and producer transparency. Similar positioning of cataloging distinctive products with an emphasis on origin and maker identity.

Emerging players

• Buycott: Mobile app and platform that helps consumers identify product origins, ethics, and corporate ownership while shopping. Adjacent concept of empowering consumers to make purchase decisions based on country-of-origin or values alignment.

Broad incumbents

• Amazon Handmade: Handmade/artisan goods section within Amazon's broader marketplace. A much larger incumbent offering overlapping inventory of artisan and locally-made products with significantly greater discovery and fulfillment infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/madeinca.bsky.social
• Facebookfacebook.com/madeincanada4
• Instagraminstagram.com/madeincanada4
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/made-in-ca-magazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 MADE IN CANADA BRANDS LIMITED