Loading organizations...
§ Private Profile · 330 5 Ave SW Suite 1800, Calgary, AB T2P 0L4
PayShepherd is a technology company.
PayShepherd develops contractor management software for heavy industrial sites. This platform streamlines complex contractor relationships, enhancing efficiency and ensuring compliance. By automating processes, PayShepherd’s system enables industrial companies to track contractor activities, optimize cost, and improve project execution within demanding environments.
The company was co-founded in 2018 by Wesley Sessenwein, Jennifer Hunter, and Johan Lee. Leveraging their extensive experience, including Wesley Sessenwein’s background in large projects and Jennifer Hunter’s deep heavy industry expertise, the founders recognized a critical need for better contractor oversight. Their insight stemmed from inefficiencies prevalent in manual contractor management within this specialized sector.
PayShepherd serves heavy industrial operations relying on external teams. The company's vision is rooted in the belief that robust contractor relationships are fundamental to industrial success. By providing purpose-built digital solutions, PayShepherd empowers these sites to achieve greater control and strategic advantage through optimized contractor interactions.
PayShepherd has raised $8.6M across 3 funding rounds.
PayShepherd has raised $8.6M in total across 3 funding rounds.
PayShepherd has raised $8.6M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Seed in March 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2024 | $5M Seed | Inovia Capital | Alpine Meridien, Compound, Contour Venture Partners, Notion Capital, Indranil Guha, Accelerate Fund III, Nashville Capital Network, Thin AIR Labs | Announced |
| Jun 7, 2022 | $3M Seed | Chase Perry | Accelerate Fund III, James Lochrie | Announced |
| May 7, 2021 | $570K Pre Seed | Accelerate Fund III, James Lochrie | Gordon Cameron, Neil Danroth, PAM Danroth, Stagecoach Partners VC, Strategic Equities Group, Tribune Capital | Announced |
PayShepherd is a fintech startup founded in 2018 that builds an AI-powered, cloud-based platform automating contractor management for heavy industrial enterprises, focusing on billing, compliance verification, and real-time visibility into costs and performance[1][2][3][5][6]. It serves organizations like capital project teams, maintenance operations, and procurement leaders managing large contractor workforces at industrial sites, solving problems of manual paper-heavy processes that lead to budget overruns, disputes, safety risks, and wasted spend by reducing manual work by 95%, boosting compliance over 80%, and saving 10% on contracted services[1][2][4][5]. With over $7M in funding, including a 2024 Seed+ round led by Inovia VC, PayShepherd demonstrates strong growth momentum through customer wins like $1.2M annual savings at Mercer Celgar and rapid time-to-value[1][3][4].
PayShepherd was founded in 2018 in Calgary, Alberta, by industry veterans Jenn and Wes, who drew from decades of heavy industry experience to address inefficiencies in contractor management[3][5]. The idea emerged from a pivotal "wake-up call" incident involving a near-disastrous invoicing mistake that exposed risks from outdated, paper-laden workflows, compromising visibility, safety, and client-contractor relationships[5]. Early traction built on productizing their field expertise into a systematized platform for real-time issue detection and streamlined processes; by 2020, Inovia VC's Shawn Abbott connected with the founders, leading to a Seed+ investment in March 2024 and ongoing expansion as a fully remote team[3][5].
PayShepherd rides the wave of AI-driven fintech automation in vendor relationship management (VRM) for heavy industry, where manual contractor processes waste hundreds of billions annually amid rising operational pressures from supply chain disruptions and regulatory demands[5][6]. Its timing aligns with post-2020 digital transformation acceleration in industrial sectors, enabling data-driven enterprises to enforce accountability, governance, and shared performance metrics in mission-critical relationships[3]. Market forces like escalating contractor spend (often 50%+ of industrial budgets) and needs for real-time risk management favor its model, influencing the ecosystem by setting standards for transparency that protect relationships, enhance safety, and drive efficiency across capital projects, maintenance, and daily operations[1][4][5].
PayShepherd is poised for scaled adoption as AI matures in industrial fintech, with next steps likely including deeper integrations, global expansion from its remote base, and leveraging 2024 funding for enterprise wins beyond North America[1][3][6]. Trends like predictive analytics for contractor scorecards and regulatory pushes for compliance will amplify its edge, potentially evolving it into the dominant VRM platform as heavy industry digitizes. This positions PayShepherd to transform contractor relationships from risk hotspots to value engines, echoing its origins in turning a near-miss into industry-wide transparency[5].
PayShepherd has raised $8.6M in total across 3 funding rounds.
PayShepherd's investors include iNovia Capital, Alpine Meridien, Compound, Contour Venture Partners, Notion Capital, Indranil Guha, Accelerate Fund III, Nashville Capital Network, Thin Air Labs, Chase Perry, James Lochrie, Gordon Cameron.