What is uknowa?
uknowa is an innovative online marketplace where homeowners go to put their renovation and repair jobs up for bid to verified, qualified contractors. It’s the answer to the question people ask their friends when they need to hire someone: “Do uknowa’ good contractor?” Unlike online search engines, review websites and classified ad sites like Craigslist and Kijiji that require homeowners to dig through numerous listings, uknowa customers put their home renovation and repair jobs up for auction. Within 24 hours, they can expect to receive multiple bids online from vetted, qualified contractors.
Like word-of-mouth on steroids, uknowa eliminates the time consuming exercise of searching for a contractor, the inconvenience of back-and-forth phone calls and the high-pressure sales tactics that often accompany onsite bids.
Launched in Toronto in 2011, uknowa was the second place winner in the best Venture Capitalist Pitch category at the 2011 International Startup Festival and was one of 20 leading Canadian companies in the digital marketing arena to be interviewed by esteemed Canadian technology and social media writer, Amber MacArthur at the 2012 Toronto DX3 conference. uknowa was created by an experienced team of computer engineers and passionate entrepreneurs including Carlo Perez, Edwin Liang, Mario Filipas, Jennifer Moore and Karen Hamilton.
Press Releases
- March 27, 2012
- Online Bidding Engine That Lets Homeowners Auction Their Renovation Jobs Announces Canadian Expansion
- March 27, 2012
- First Online Marketplace That Lets Homeowners Auction Their Renovation Jobs Launches in Ottawa
- March 27, 2012
- First Online Marketplace That Lets Homeowners Auction Their Renovation Jobs Launches in Vancouver
- March 27, 2012
- First Online Marketplace That Lets Homeowners Auction Their Renovation Jobs Launches in Halifax
- March 27, 2012
- First Online Marketplace That Lets Homeowners Auction Their Renovation Jobs Launches in Calgary
- Sept 15, 2011
- uknowa announces Ontario expansion and Renoversity Launch
- June 15, 2011
- Innovative Renovation Marketplace Launches in Toronto
Testimonials
"Just wanted to report that I had a great experience using your website to have my condo painted. It was interesting to see the variance in price for the 6 bids I got. The contractor I chose was able to come and do the job at the price quoted and it's magic that it all happened online. I did find there was a minor problem with the job but the contractor was communicative and quick to come back to rectify it. Given the great price I got and the time I saved, I couldn't possibly complain. Bravo. I'll be back for sure."
- Robertson V.
"My wife and I had just purchased a home and needed to do a bunch of small jobs. We both work full-time and didn't have the time to do much searching for a contractor. Uknowa has been a great tool for getting connected to contractors and for providing some peace of mind in this whole process!"
- Dave K.
"We, like any other sceptical people not wanting to be scammed or get trapped in one of those horror renovation stories that end up on TV, had our initial hesitations about finding a contractor online. However, we interviewed with several contractors and landed on Frank from Willowtree Construction. He made us feel very comfortable from the beginning in terms of understanding our needs and demonstrating his expertise."
- Chris P.
"This renovation experience has been one of the most rewarding as a homeowner."
- Woody.
Past Events
- November 9, 2011
- BuildEx Calgary - uknowa to deliver a talk on Leveraging Online for Construction Lead Generation
- October 28, 2011
- ONPHA Conference - uknowa to speak with SHSC on Creating Innovative Social Change
- September 22-25, 2011
- Fall Home Show - uknowa will be exhibiting in booth #1144
- September 12, 2011
- REmarkTO - uknowa keynotes on Social Media at GTA's largest Real Estate tech meetup
- August 31, 2011
- BNN - uknowa speaks to investors on BNN's "The Pitch"
- July 15, 2011
- uknowa wins 2nd Place for their VC Pitch at the International Startup Festival
