OUR MISSION
We believe in helping everyone gain access to the right financial information at the right time.
By bringing together the tools people need to plan, budget, invest, and save, in one smart application, we are giving everyone the power to take control of their personal finances today for a more secure, more free and wealthier tomorrow.
At Hardbacon, we are on a mission to help Canadians make better financial decisions and in turn bring home the bacon to lead wealthier and more financially secure lives. We provide the tools, information, and insight everyone needs to navigate their finances with confidence and ease.
We believe in helping everyone gain access to the right financial information at the right time.
By bringing together the tools people need to plan, budget, invest, and save, in one smart application, we are giving everyone the power to take control of their personal finances today for a more secure, more free and wealthier tomorrow.
OUR TECHNOLOGY
Hardbacon is a financial technology company with an application at the heart of its mission. Hardbacon connects to your bank accounts, credit cards, and investment accounts, allowing you to gain a complete picture of your finances.
It works as a planning app where you can add financial goals and turn your ambitions into realities; as a budgeting app that allows you to track how and where you spend your money; as an investment tracking app, that provides premium financial data on mutual funds, ETFs and stocks, portfolio analysis, and stock market alerts; and finally as a savings app with special comparison tools for financial products.
Our comparison tools help people save on recurring services, from insurance to online brokers, including cell phone plans and car loans. As users sync their accounts with Hardbacon for budgeting and investment tracking, we can easily help identify the best and most affordable products.
OUR TECHNOLOGY
Hardbacon is a financial technology company with an application at the heart of its mission. Hardbacon connects to your bank accounts, credit cards, and investment accounts, allowing you to gain a complete picture of your finances.
It works as a planning app where you can add financial goals and turn your ambitions into realities; as a budgeting app that allows you to track how and where you spend your money; as an investment tracking app, that provides premium financial data on mutual funds, ETFs and stocks, portfolio analysis, and stock market alerts; and finally as a savings app with special comparison tools for financial products.
Our comparison tools help people save on recurring services, from insurance to online brokers, including cell phone plans and car loans. As users sync their accounts with Hardbacon for budgeting and investment tracking, we can easily help identify the best and most affordable products.
OUR STORY
Hardbacon was co-founded in 2017 by current CEO Julien Brault as an app for retail investors and transformed into an app for all Canadians to take control of their personal finances.
In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hardbacon worked with passion to help Canadians face the economic downturn by becoming a free app, and releasing planning and budgeting features, as well as financial product comparison tools.
And so, the company developed an application that combines planning, budgeting and portfolio management features. It also launched financial product comparison tools in 7 verticals, signing deals with major Canadian banks, and again helping hundreds of thousands of Canadians make better financial decisions.
More than 100,000 monthly active users later, Hardbacon is proudly helping Canadians on the road to financial independence.
Today, Hardbacon is constantly improving its web and mobile app offering and is working on new tools to further help Canadians, including an AI based stocks rating system, the addition of credit scores, as well as the introduction of a web version of the Hardbacon app, expected to launch in January 2022.
Our growing team continues to be dedicated to our mission and aim to provide professional and trustworthy information with passion. As we continue to grow our company, our objective will remain the same: to help Canadians make better financial decisions and in turn bring home the bacon.
OUR STORY
Hardbacon was co-founded in 2017 by current CEO Julien Brault as an app for retail investors and transformed into an app for all Canadians to take control of their personal finances.
In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hardbacon worked with passion to help Canadians face the economic downturn by becoming a free app, and releasing planning and budgeting features, as well as financial product comparison tools.
And so, the company developed an application that combines planning, budgeting and portfolio management features. It also launched financial product comparison tools in 7 verticals, signing deals with major Canadian banks, and again helping hundreds of thousands of Canadians make better financial decisions.
More than 100,000 monthly active users later, Hardbacon is proudly helping Canadians on the road to financial independence.
Today, Hardbacon is constantly improving its web and mobile app offering and is working on new tools to further help Canadians, including an AI based stocks rating system, the addition of credit scores, as well as the introduction of a web version of the Hardbacon app, expected to launch in January 2022.
Our growing team continues to be dedicated to our mission and aim to provide professional and trustworthy information with passion. As we continue to grow our company, our objective will remain the same: to help Canadians make better financial decisions and in turn bring home the bacon.
OUR VALUES
Transparency
Autonomy
Freedom of expression
MEET OUR TEAM
Julien Brault
CEO
As the CEO of Hardbacon, Julien aims to guide his team with collaborative leadership. He co-founded Hardbacon to help Canadians make better investment decisions and has since raised over two million dollars and landed strategic partnerships with financial institutions all over the country. Before launching Hardbacon, Julien shared his passion for finance and technology as a business reporter for Les Affaires. He also served as Director of Growth for a fintech investment fund.
Fun Fact: Julien started his career as a book publisher and is the author of the book Robert Bourassa.
Ivan Lagacé
Financial Data Specialist
A Financial Data Specialist, Ivan joined Hardbacon with a wealth of knowledge to share. Before joining the team, he had a 15-year career dedicated to developing and analyzing software for simulating complex systems in the aerospace, automotive and other industries. Next, he embarked on a sales and marketing career for software and hardware technology companies. Ivan considers Hardbacon as his third career. After completing a Master's Degree in Mathematical and Computational Finance, he is dedicated to developing financial software applications.
Fun fact: Ivan is behind the cutting-edge portfolio analysis algorithm at Hardbacon.
Nicolas Raynaud
Chief Technology Officer
Our Director of Technology, Nicolas, joined the team with over 10 years of experience as an expert developer and software architect, notably in the financial services industry at Crédit Agricole. Prior to joining the team, he was a Software Architect and Senior Developer at OPT New Caledonia, following a similar stint at CAFAT. He is passionate about solving complex software problems as well as the impact of his work on the lives of end users.
Fun fact: A globetrotter, his work has brought him all over the world. He is also a strong believer in Software Craftsmanship.
Erick Martz
Head of Growth
Erick is the Head of Growth at Hardbacon, where he brings more than 20 years of studies and professional experiences in website creation, web marketing and IT project management to the team. He has collaborated with several renowned communication agencies, both in Quebec and international. In 2016, he launched his own branding an online marketing agency dubbed Agence Web where he puts his knowledge to work in order to perfect organic SEO techniques.
Fun Fact: Erick is the founder of the Facebook group Mini Maisons Quebec, which boasts over 60,000 members.
Frédéric Roy
Monetization Director
A business development and sales specialist, Frédéric joined Hardbacon as Director of Monetization, after spending nine years in the world of specialized media for Canadian financial service professionals. By night, he continues to share his knowledge of finance as a columnist for Planète Business. His background in Political Science, his expertise in communication and his knowledge of the financial world make him the expert to talk to about your projects!
Fun fact: Frédéric loves to put pen to paper to support good causes. He previously collaborated with the Fondation du cancer du sein du Quebec and la Fondation de l’hôpital général de Montreal.
Charles L'Heureux
SEO Director
Charles joined Hardbacon as a SEO Specialist where he assists on all things digital marketing. He brings over five years of SEO and blogging experience where he contributed to brands and agencies including HustleLifeCo (personal blog), Globalia, and PUBinteractive. He holds a DEC in Business Management, as well as a BA in Marketing and has obtained several reputable certifications from Google and Hubspot academy.
Fun Fact: Charles is a longtime scout. He says his experience of the outdoors as a scout has shaped who is today. He continues to be a fan of the outdoors and camping.
Simon Girard
Social Media Specialist
Simon heads all social media at Hardbacon. While he works, he is completing his Bachelor degree in Economics. Simon also studied Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management at Champlain College, where he acquired a great deal of business knowledge. He is passionate about entrepreneurship and is eager to learn everything about start-up life with the hopes to one day start his own business.
Fun Fact: Simon has dabbled in the world of business as a franchise owner where he managed multiple employees and generated a turnover of $35,000.
Jun Chen
Software engineer
Fresh out of earning his Masters in Computer Science, Jun Chen joined Hardbacon as a Software Engineer. Before joining the company, Jun gained experience in front-end development at Gameloft on the music trivia game SongPop 3. He was equally part of the front-end team at RightCapital, in China. As a Software Engineer, his focus is on the front-end of both mobile and web apps where he is passionate about delivering high-quality code.
Fun Fact: Jun obtained his Bachelor's degree in computer science at the Sichuan Agricultural University in China.
Liza Mekhtieva
UI / UX Designer
UI / UX Designer Liza is a top creative at Hardbacon who joined the team as a UI/UX Designer. Raised in Russia, she moved to Canada after completing a Bachelor's degree in Education. Upon her arrival, she worked at AppleCare and Uber as a Technical Support Consultant where she first discovered the need for better designed products. She went on to complete a DEP in computing support and various other certificates in design, as part of the Bootcamp Memorisely UX / UI.
Fun Fact: Liza is an artist by night who creates illustrations and various graphic design work on a volunteer basis.
Anipier Bérubé
Product Director
Team work, collaboration, and efficiency are 3 pillars that guide Anipier in her role as Product Director at Hardbacon. She held the same position at ENDVR, where she led the creation and design of the mobile and web app since its very first line of code. Her marketing studies at HEC developed her business acumen. Anipier always gives 110% in whatever she undertakes, but she always keeps her sense of humour.
Fun Fact : Anipier loves sports, especially rugby. She was a member of the first-ever Montreal Carabins team and represented Quebec in several tournaments.
Stefani Balinsky
Director of Content
Stefani Balinsky is the Director of Content at Hardbacon. She has been writing professionally since her days at university and her summer internship at the Just for Laughs Festival. She has multiple degrees from McGill University and her PMP from the Project Management Institute. She loves data and research as much as she loves a good story. She has held marketing positions in publishing, health, and fintech companies. She also has an entrepreneurial mindset that feeds her curiosity.
Fun Fact : Stefani adores going to concerts. She’s seen Bruce Springsteen in Canada, the USA and Europe.
Louis Angot
Writer
Louis Angot is a French writer at Hardbacon where he is in charge of writing to inform readers of the best practices in personal finance. After graduating from Concordia University with a degree in journalism and art history, he studied fashion marketing and journalism in Paris for two years. An ardent writer, he has written for several media, including Carenews, a company specialized in social and solidarity economy.
Fun fact: Louis is passionate about architecture and urbanism and enjoys walking around Montreal to photograph the city's buildings.
Ruth Sagman
Executive assistant
Ruth is our Executive Assistant with multiple roles. She is known for dabbling in Hardbacon’s bookkeeping, Human Resources, and many other administrative tasks. Aside from her positivity, energy level, and motivation to get things done, she brings over 10 years of experience and has previously worked in banking. She also had the chance to work in the past with many start-up creators from Startup Nation.
Fun fact: Ruth is a big enthusiast about DIY home improvements and is always looking for her next budget-saving project.
Heidi Unrau
Writer
Heidi Unrau is a writer at Hardbacon. She started her career in finance at the not-so-tender age of 25. Over the past years, she's worked her way up from an entry-level bank teller to a Credit Analyst, Loans Officer, and now a Finance Writer. She has an unfinished degree in Economics, but that hasn't stopped her from devouring all things finance. In her spare time, you'll find her hiding in the car listening to Freakonomics podcasts, or binge-watching financial crime documentaries with a container of Häagen-Dazs. When she's not chasing after her two little boys, she's in the hot tub arguing with her husband about taxes and government spending. Her hobbies include complaining about being tired and drinking way too much coffee.
Fun Fact : She has lived and worked in almost every Canadian province from the Maritimes to Alberta and is passionate about helping everyday Canadians take control of their money.