We tend to think of industries as silos. One can be in energy or manufacturing, healthcare or aviation – however, there is a common thread connecting it all: software. For Ryan Malloy, founder and CEO of Liquid Software Corporation, that thread is the piece that can keep a company running or be the point at which all operations unravel. As a serial entrepreneur, he wants to ensure that companies that have outgrown conventional off-the-shelf software solutions have a scalable option that meets their needs now and can continue to grow as their company expands. With this in mind, he refined that thread and created an all-in-one business operating system.
Liquid Software’s OS platform combines traditional needs with current technology while being optimized to seamlessly integrate with fast-moving and emerging Agentic AI and other ML. It runs the entire business operation as a platform that can unlock functionality across any sector or need. Inventory management scheduling and point of sale? Liquid Software can do that. Need sales, operations, financials, reports, analytics, automation and integration all manageable from a user-friendly interface with various secure access points for teams and departments? Literally what Liquid Software brings to the table.
The difference between Liquid Software and the offerings of other platforms? Liquid is designed to onboard companies very quickly, even those that operate on a very large scale. For example, if your functionality exceeds that of QuickBooks’ because you have more employees than their top plan accommodates, Liquid Software, which can stand alone or plug into legacy accounting solutions (or even into QuickBooks) empowers you to bring all the functionality needed into one space without having to run different systems or leave a system and adopt another.
“When businesses are transitioning software, it’s just easier to start with a big solution,” says Malloy. “The architecture Liquid presents is all-in-one from CRM to invoice management, and more, for very large operations. We chose to have an integration option for QuickBooks because so many people and businesses know and run QuickBooks. This also lowers the threshold for access, allowing companies to be incredibly agile and efficient in integrating to a platform that takes their business to the next level. Smooth, automated and user friendly, Liquid’s structure and protocols ensure nothing falls through the cracks when businesses choose to level up their software.”
Malloy’s inspiration and experience in software development started in Alberta’s most prevalent industry – the energy sector.
In 2004, he co-founded an oilfield supply company with his best friend, Todd Swankhuizen. In just a handful of years, that company expanded rapidly and outgrew the functionality of conventional market software, necessitating a custom solution. This led him to a development firm and his involvement in building a custom platform for the business.
Exiting that business in 2020 opened the door to build another system. Malloy connected with Liquid co-founders James Ritchie and Christopher Garon to build a solution from the ground up, leveraging all their collective experience and the most modern technologies. Leaning into this, Liquid Software was born.
“I was so incredibly fortunate to be plugged in with some of the most talented tech people on Canada’s West Coast,” he says. “Liquid was in development for a few years before it was commercially available. It took some time to build the framework and infrastructure to support our baseline and launch a platform that can handle 10,000 users doing 10,000 different things, at any one time.”
He continues, “My background is in oilfield products, and the material supply landscape is an unforgiving environment, perpetuated by oil companies being a great example of unforgiving clients. If someone bills the wrong amount, there is little to no chance of collecting later on the mistake. The rest of the supply chain follows suit. Precision is expected by all parties involved on every project. It’s a tough place to do business, but an excellent environment for business tools to be born. Exposure to other industries has given me some perspective into the challenges faced by companies in the oil and gas space. It’s a high stakes environment and it’s not unheard of for some issues to turn into large claims. A modern technology stack and automated quality practices are a must for business owners and executives to protect their corporations.”
Liquid’s clients quickly spanned transportation, logistics, construction, manufacturing, warehousing and more.
“What we didn’t expect was our emergence into aerospace maintenance. This was a case of a company coming to us based on what we offered. Our platform is rooted in ISO 9000, which is a good fit for aircraft.”
Liquid’s relationship with Crystal Glass Canada is also pivotal to the company.
“They had found that their domestic manufacturing capabilities are a fit in making glass for heavy equipment,” says Malloy. “They had invested in very high-tech scanning equipment but needed a solution to store different types of scan files and be able to generate quotes and order fulfillment for customers. We were able to onboard this new business unit in under a week. That opened the door to doing more work and eventually being slated into all 50+ retail locations and later their warehouses and plants.”
Beyond custom solutions, headquartering in Edmonton provides another unique advantage.
“Being Canadian definitely helps us stand out,” Malloy shares. “We are not outsourced overseas, and our clients appreciate this as we also factor in things like taxes, importing and exporting from a Canadian standpoint.”
What is the driving factor Malloy wishes his clients and prospective clients knew?
It is, simply this, “The best digital tools do not have to be expensive. However, they have to work. Medium and large companies alike are told by some global ERP suites that their high six and even seven figure price tags are the only alternative to continuing to struggle using five or six different applications to run their businesses, but that’s just not true.”
He is proud to offer Liquid’s all-in-one solution from the Capital City.
“I was born and raised in Edmonton,” he says. “I started in the oilfield when I was 25 – just a youngster. There are very few places where young people can hit the ground running in areas of opportunity like you can in Edmonton and Northern Alberta. Western Canada has an unmatched entrepreneurial spirit and doesn’t tend to discount when great ideas come from young people. Edmonton is also a massive hub for energy products. Doing business here gives you the ability to branch out and grow in other regions very quickly.”
“What Alberta gets right,” he continues, “Is the volume of resources for tech companies. Edmonton Unlimited, in particular, does an incredible job of connecting entrepreneurs with resources. What Alberta can progress on are business loans from the provincial level for companies looking to scale.”
As Liquid Software continues to grow, Malloy is thrilled by how he and his team can also grow their scale of giving back.
“I’ve been involved in minor football since 1998 and am now in my 12th season of coaching. We donate QuickBooks Online licenses to minor football organizations in Edmonton as this is instrumental in helping implement checks and balances for associations and their boards. We do what we can to provide mentorship and share best practices to help protect and strengthen these organizations. Looking ahead, our goal over the next few years is to donate full suite products to a wide range of charities in Western Canada to further reduce administrative costs and support groups doing good work for and in our communities.”
In 2022, Liquid Software was recognized and showcased by Edmonton Unlimited as a top tech company and participated in its annual Launch Party. Malloy remembers the event, which has taken place since 2010 to celebrate the city’s brightest entrepreneurs in the startup community, as a fun way to celebrate the company’s growing success. The recognition is ongoing with Malloy featured on Alberta Impact and Amplify Your Business, to name a few.
One of the more recent successes is a strategic partnership with Green Metrics Technologies out of Vancouver. This collaboration will use Green Metrics’ BuildBlox platform and Liquid’s software platform to innovate solutions in modular housing construction, while improving efficiency, cost effectiveness and sustainability.
“Speaking for everyone at Liquid, we are thrilled to partner with Dr. Mike Kennedy, Dr. Thor Jensen and the highly accomplished team they have assembled at Green Metrics,” says Malloy. “Their work in applied AI and functional LLM applications is a truly remarkable fit with our inventory and financial management products. The chance to immediately impact our clients in the aviation, construction and wholesale industries is a quick win. We believe the strides we make as a group in the coming weeks and months will be seen as pioneering and likely gain international attention.”
As a software company, Malloy has a unique view on the emergence and adoption of AI. As always, he is taking the tech in a different direction than the norm.
“Many people ask us about our AI strategy, and it’s a topic we’re excited to share more about! Over the past few years, we’ve been steadily building and enhancing our machine learning capabilities, but our approach to AI is intentionally different from many other companies in our space. While others are pouring thousands of dollars into developing proprietary AI systems, we’ve taken a more pragmatic and adaptable path.”
“When people talk about the AI bubble,” he continues, “they’re often referring to the intense competition where companies invest heavily in building AI solutions, only to be outpaced by another company doing the same. This cycle of one-upmanship can be costly and unsustainable. Instead of following that model, our strategy is centred around leveraging the best large language models (LLMs) available. We’ve designed our systems to be agnostic, meaning we can seamlessly integrate with whichever AI platform proves to be the most advanced or aligns best with our clients’ needs.
“Currently, our integrations are optimized for perplexity drivers; perplexity gets a lot less attention than it should, and we are very happy with the gains we have made, but we remain committed to staying agile. As the AI landscape evolves, we’re focused on maintaining upward mobility, ensuring that our AI agent capabilities and advanced reporting tools can adapt to the smartest and most effective AI bases. Whether it’s aligning with our clients’ preferred platforms or pivoting to the leading solutions in the market, our goal is to remain flexible and future-proof in this rapidly changing space.”
It’s been an exciting journey so far and one not shy on its fair share of challenges, but for Malloy, it’s all about riding the digital wave, seeing the trends and turning trends into long-term solutions that not only benefit their clients, but also uplifts other emerging tech companies along the way.
With gratitude, he thanks his wife Karley and family for the years of support, admitting, “It is not easy to be with an entrepreneur. We have no set schedule.” He also thanks, “The clients that were happy to trust us early on. We would not have progressed without them.”
The future of Liquid Software is…fluid.
“Our future is all about growth and innovation,” Malloy concludes. “We are in the final stages of developing a full enterprise level accounting suite to give our customers using QuickBooks, Microsoft Great Plains and others something to transition to when they’re ready. Once complete, we will truly be a stand-alone solution from Canada, built to support the largest companies in Alberta and beyond. The automation capabilities we’re building are designed to save significant time and labour, and we’re eager to bring these efficiencies to even more businesses.
“As we look ahead, our mission remains to empower companies with tools that simplify their operations and free up their teams to focus on what matters most. By continuing to innovate and expand our offerings, we will continue to be a trusted partner for businesses of all sizes, helping them thrive in an increasingly competitive and fast-paced world. The best is yet to come.”
No matter the industry or the idea, software is the thread that keeps it all together. Choosing the one that supports your brand, goals, dreams and company’s purpose is key to long-term success. Learn more online at thinkliquid.ca.