I.Q. [Innovation Quotient] Award Winners: TechCanary 

TechCanary

Milwaukee

techcanary.com

Innovation: Insurance agency automation software


Founded in 2013 by Reid Holzworth, TechCanary developed insurance agency software based on the Salesforce system.

As its name suggested, TechCanary sought to be the “canary in the coal mine” for the insurance industry and prided itself on its ability to use technology to think ahead, anticipate change and innovate to meet the ever-changing needs of the insurance industry.

Having worked on the agency side of the insurance industry, Holzworth experienced firsthand limitations and restrictions of then-available agency management and business automation offerings. As a result, he leveraged Salesforce.com to build a system to successfully manage his own business and founded TechCanary to make his insurance sales and service productivity platform commercially available.

The company experienced rapid growth, ranking No. 393 on the 2018 Inc. 5000 list. Last year, TechCanary moved its offices from Bayshore Town Center in Glendale to a larger space near downtown Milwaukee. In 2017, TechCanary acquired Atlanta-based Terminus Consulting Corp., a custom software development firm.

In April, University Park, Illinois-based Applied Systems announced that it had acquired TechCanary. Applied Systems sells agency management software for insurance agencies. Applied Systems said it will continue to operate TechCanary’s Milwaukee office.

“This transaction brings together the leading provider of agency-management systems globally with the leading insurance CRM system built on the Salesforce.com platform, providing an integrated solution for front-office sales and marketing automation needs,” said Applied Systems CEO Reid French.

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Andrew Weiland
Andrew is the editor of BizTimes Milwaukee. He joined BizTimes in 2003, serving as managing editor and real estate reporter for 11 years. A University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate, he is a lifelong resident of the state. He lives in Muskego with his wife, Seng, their son, Zach, and their dog, Hokey. He is an avid sports fan, a member of the Muskego Athletic Association board of directors and commissioner of the MAA's high school rec baseball league.