929 words | 5 minutes
Home to one of North America’s most active and bustling technology communities, Ottawa isn’t short on innovative companies making headlines in the news and turning heads around the technology industry – and we love celebrating this.
Every month in our Trending in Tech blog series, we shine the spotlight on tech companies in Ottawa that are growing and creating new opportunities for tech talent.
This month, we’re showcasing DistillerSR Inc. which recently completed a $20 million financing round to accelerate its growth during a period filled with great opportunities for the company.
Continue below for an introduction to DistillerSR courtesy of Bob Barclay, Vice President of Human Resources – and learn what its technology sets out to do, and get the inside track on how to apply for opportunities to join the team – and three great reasons why you’ll want to.
What does DistillerSR do?
DistillerSR is the world leader in AI-enabled literature review automation software. DistillerSR’s core SaaS product automates systemic literature reviews for more than 300 of the world’s leading research organizations, including more than 60 percent of the largest pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Whether an organization produces pharmaceuticals, develops medical devices, or it is an academic institution or scientific regulatory body, systemic literature reviews are a critical part of their work. Expert researchers at these organizations study scientific literature to answer questions like, “is our medical device safe?” or, “is there any evidence that the economic benefit of our product has changed?” or, “what is the safe level of a chemical in the environment?”
The work of these research teams has become increasingly difficult for two key reasons. First, new scientific research is published daily, which could change the understanding of the use, efficacy, or economic impact of a drug or device. Second, the regulatory demands on these organizations are always increasing.
For example, the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation introduced in 2017 has significantly increased the regulatory oversight of medical devices that are used in the European Union. Not only is there more research to review – the regulators are also insisting that submissions be auditable and reproducible.
These dual pressures mean that research organizations need to change how they operate in order to keep up with the workload and quality demands of their literature review function.
DistillerSR is leading the way in helping its customers manage these pressures. DistillerSR allows users to securely produce transparent, audit-ready, and regulatory-compliant literature reviews faster and more accurately than any other method.
Can you tell us a bit about the company’s growth?
The company has grown continuously, year-over-year since its inception in 2008, despite remaining self-funded until its first external financing in the summer of 2022. The company has been on a scale-up trajectory since 2016 and continues to hit aggressive growth targets.
The firm’s core product, DistillerSR, continues to be adopted by new research organizations while also expanding its footprint within existing customers.
What does the fresh capital provided by the recent $20 million financing round mean for DistillerSR?
DistillerSR is the market creator for literature review automation software and is currently the market leader in this rapidly expanding and evolving space. The firm understands that now is the time to invest in the growth of the company by doubling down on product innovation and go-to-market initiatives. This means accelerating hiring across the organization including product, engineering, sales, marketing and customer success. The newly raised capital will be used to fuel accelerated growth.
How to join the DistillerSR team
What do you look for in a candidate looking to join the DistillerSR team?
DistillerSR is changing the way scientific research is conducted. That means safer medical products, more accessible and cost-effective medicine, and more informed public policy decisions. In short, better research benefits us all. Imagine how that can change our collective future.
Cultural fit: DistillerSR is looking for people who are excited and energized to make a difference in how health research is conducted and delivered.
Curiosity and Intelligence: DistillerSR’s customers are highly educated people doing important work that benefits us all. Ideal DistillerSR team members are continually innovating to find ways to help our customers be more successful and effective in their day-to-work.
Are there particular tech skills that are in demand at DistillerSR? Can you highlight a few open positions you’re currently hiring for?
DistillerSR is growing on all fronts. Key technical skills in demand are Automation Engineer, Configuration Specialist, Senior Software Developer, Vendor Manager, Business Operations Engineer and many more. The team is growing and expanding in all departments including Customer Success, Business Operations, Software Development, Marketing, Sales, and more.
Can you highlight the best way for any interested applicants to apply?
We encourage candidates interested in growing with the DistillerSR Team to apply directly through the DistillerSR website, under the Careers tab. https://www.evidencepartners.com/careers
3 reasons tech talent will want to join the DistillerSR team
1. Making a difference, for real
DistillerSR is continuing to pioneer products that help research organizations bring life-changing health care products, policies, and guidance to market faster, more safely and more cost-effectively.
2. Culture
DistillerSR is highly selective in its hiring process and intentional about providing a great work experience for its team members. The company encourages active participation from all employees in continuing to make its products better, its customers more successful, and the work environment welcoming and rewarding.
3. Startup excitement, mature company stability
While the company is continuing to grow rapidly, it does not subscribe to a “growth at all cost” mentality. The firm is run in such a way as to prevent the boom-bust cycles that many start-ups encounter.
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