Pocketed acquired by Deloitte to expand its grant and SR&ED services

Pocketed — a four-year-old company that helps North American businesses identify, apply for, and secure funding — has been acquired by Deloitte Canada. 

An alumnus of the e@UBC entrepreneurship program, the Vancouver-based business helps startups and small businesses access billions of dollars in grants, tax credits, and business incentives. Based on a business’s profile, Pocketed automatically generates a list of eligible non-dilutive funding programs. Through the Pocketed marketplace, users can then connect with the right service providers to increase their success rate and get faster access to the money.

“This acquisition is another milestone in Deloitte’s mission to support Canada’s most innovative companies,” says Anthony Viel, CEO of Deloitte Canada and Chile. “By joining forces, Deloitte will be able to offer a broader range of services, helping our clients stay competitive and accelerate growth in today’s disruptive landscape.”

Deloitte is one of the world’s largest professional services firms, and provides industry-leading consulting; tax and legal; audit and assurance; technology and transformation; and strategy, risk, and transaction services to nearly 90 percent of the Fortune Global 500 and thousands of private companies.

Deloitte says Pocketed’s matching program and AI tech will allow it to offer more value to its clients by expanding the firm’s grant and SR&ED services. At the same time, Pocketed will take advantage of Deloitte’s extensive ecosystem and breadth of knowledge, which will enable the business to reach new clients and regions. 

Along with the Pocketed team, the company’s co-founders Brianna Blaney and Aria Hahn will be joining Deloitte Canada.

“Like us, Deloitte is deeply committed to supporting businesses as they grow,” Pocketed’s leadership writes in its statement to current clients. “Together, we’re setting a new standard for funding success. We’re beyond excited about what’s ahead and incredibly grateful to you — our customers, partners, and supporters — who have been part of this journey. We built Pocketed for you, and now, with Deloitte, we can do even more.”

Following the acquisition, Pocketed will rebrand as “Pocketed, a Deloitte business,” and will be integrated into global firm’s Gi3 division. Deloitte’s Gi3 has over 150 practitioners in Canada working on informing government policy, fostering collaborations with funding agencies, and providing crucial support to clients in securing various forms of non-dilutive funding. 

“The integration of Pocketed’s industry-leading technology with Deloitte’s deep capabilities is a force multiplier, transforming how businesses secure funding,” says Brianna Blaney, CEO of Pocketed. “This isn’t about incremental change — it’s about setting a new standard for funding success. Together, we’re creating a smarter, more strategic path for companies to secure the resources they need to grow, compete, and lead on a global stage.

“Pocketed is forever a piece of me,” she tells Vancouver Tech Journal. “It’s a reflection of the problem we set out to solve, the thousands of entrepreneurs we’ve fought for, the people who invested in us, and the people who built this alongside us. The sacrifices, the missed moments, the late nights with Aria and our team, wondering how the hell we were going to pull it off — those don’t just disappear with a milestone like this. They stay with you. They shape you.”

An FAQ document on Pocketed’s website suggests that the platform will work exactly the same as before the acquisition. Clients’ data and settings will remain the same, and current pricing and plan details will continue to be offered. No major functionality or feature changes are currently planned, but Pocketed notes that by joining forces with Deloitte Canada, it is able to invest in more innovation and develop new solutions for customers in the future.

Since 2021, Pocketed says it’s helped more than 17,000 businesses access over $200 million in grants, tax credits, and incentives. In its first year, Pocketed raised $1 million in seed funding, and secured partnerships with organizations like MaRS, League of Innovators, and Accelerate Okanagan. More money came in 2022, with the founders winning that year’s Odlum Brown Forum Pitch finale, leading to it landing on Vancouver Tech Journal’s list of companies to watch in 2023.

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