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§ Private Profile · Cambridge, MA, USA
Yard Stick is a technology company.
Yard Stick PBC develops in-situ soil carbon measurement technology, offering precise and cost-effective solutions for quantifying carbon stocks. The company uses advanced probes to enable accurate, instant, and affordable assessments. This delivers essential, verifiable data, critical for scaling carbon sequestration and ensuring rigor in climate-focused agriculture.
Founded in 2020 by Chris Tolles, Kevin Meissner, and Evan Arnold, Yard Stick emerged from recognizing robust soil carbon measurement as a key bottleneck. Tolles, an entrepreneur experienced in commercializing university research, with co-founders, identified the need for accessible, trustworthy tools to unlock soil’s climate mitigation potential.
The company's technology supports agricultural projects and climate initiatives verifying carbon sequestration practices. Yard Stick's mission is to enable gigaton-scale agricultural carbon removal by providing scalable, trustworthy measurement infrastructure. It aims to accelerate climate impact and foster sustainable land management via reliable soil carbon data.
Yard Stick has raised $30.4M across 3 funding rounds.
Yard Stick has raised $30.4M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Yard Stick has raised $30.4M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $1.4M Series A Extension in November 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 29, 2023 | $1.4M Series A Plus | Extantia | Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Microsoft, Pillar VC, The Nature Conservancy, Toyota Ventures | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2023 | $11M Series A | — | 8090 Industries, Comal Ventures, Elaia Partners, Felicis Ventures, GE Ventures, Infinite Niches, Lowercarbon Capital, Microsoft, Union Square Ventures, Village Global, David Mytton, Matt Brezina, Scott Belsky, Susan Danziger | Announced |
| Sep 21, 2022 | $18M Venture Round | — | — | Announced |
Yard Stick has raised $30.4M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Yard Stick's investors include Extantia, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, Microsoft, Pillar VC, The Nature Conservancy, Toyota Ventures, 8090 Industries, Comal Ventures, Elaia Partners, Felicis Ventures, GE Ventures.
Yardstick Technologies is a Canadian IT services company founded in 2008, specializing in managed IT outsourcing for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in Western Canada, particularly Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta.[1][2][7] It provides fixed-fee services including fully managed or hybrid IT solutions, cloud computing, backup and disaster recovery, IT strategy consulting, and professional services, targeting companies with limited or no internal IT resources.[1][2][7] With around 75 employees and approximately $8 million in revenue, the company emphasizes proactive support, live immediate help, and a customer-centric motto of "Looking Out For You" to turn technology into a competitive advantage rather than a challenge.[2][5]
The firm serves SMBs across Alberta, supporting over 152 businesses with 24/7 backup monitoring, remote/on-site IT support, network infrastructure design, and strategic planning to minimize downtime and prevent issues proactively.[7] Clients praise its reliability, with annual managed IT contracts ranging from $50,000 to $80,000 for small to mid-sized firms, highlighting its role in hardware/software updates, custom app development, and problem prevention.[5][7]
Yardstick Technologies was established in 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta, with the explicit goal of becoming the market leader in IT outsourcing for SMBs in Western Canada.[1][2] The founders recognized that many small businesses were underserved in IT management, often facing technology as a burden rather than an enabler, prompting the company's focus on smart, strategic tech decisions aligned with business visions.[1] Headquartered at 10109 106 St NW, Suite 1001, Edmonton, it has grown to employ about 75 people (with some estimates up to 308), maintaining a strong local presence while expanding services like cloud infrastructure and disaster recovery.[2][4][7]
Early traction came from insisting on live answers, immediate help, and effective project deployment, building a reputation for personable, empathetic service.[2] Key figures include Brenton Cooney as Vice President, with leadership emphasizing listening, caring, and celebrating team success to foster long-term client relationships.[1][2] Over 16+ years, it has evolved from basic support to comprehensive outsourcing, supporting over 152 Alberta businesses amid growing SMB demand for reliable IT.[7]
Yardstick Technologies rides the trend of SMB digital transformation in Canada, where limited internal IT resources meet rising demands for cloud adoption, cybersecurity, and remote work infrastructure post-pandemic.[1][2][7] Its timing aligns with Alberta's resource-driven economy, where SMBs in energy, retail, and services seek cost-effective outsourcing to compete without heavy CapEx—offering zero-capital cloud options and agile scaling.[1][7] Market forces like talent shortages and cyber threats favor its proactive model, preventing costly disruptions in a region with over 150 supported businesses.[2][7]
The company influences the local ecosystem by serving as a trusted partner for underserved SMBs, enabling tech leverage for business strategy and reducing IT as a barrier to growth.[1] This supports broader Canadian tech resilience, bridging the gap between enterprise-grade services and small firms amid national pushes for digital economy expansion.
Yardstick Technologies is poised for steady growth in Western Canada's SMB IT market, potentially expanding beyond Alberta through hybrid cloud and AI-driven monitoring as remote/hybrid work solidifies.[1][2][7] Trends like escalating cyber risks and edge computing will amplify demand for its preventive outsourcing, with revenue scaling via more fixed-fee contracts and professional services.[2][5] Its influence may evolve toward deeper integrations, like custom AI tools or nationwide reach, solidifying its role as the go-to for SMBs turning IT challenges into wins—echoing its founding mission as technology's strategic ally.[1]