Someone had a problem, and Bill Rimmer knew how to fix it. Now Seedtrakr is quietly revolutionizing the industry’s inventory.
By the time Bill Rimmer launched Seedtrakr in early 2016, he’d already spent decades building enterprise software systems. But it wasn’t until he left the oil and gas world of Calgary and moved to a brick farmhouse outside Glenboro, Man., that he saw a problem worth solving in the seed industry.
A seed grower friend of his came over one day with his old laptop. That sparked an idea.
“That laptop was running software that had been obsolete for years,” Rimmer recalls. “He was desperate to keep his old machine alive because it ran the only system he had for managing his seed business.”
That system was clunky, fragile, and completely dependent on outdated tech.
“It was built back in the day for Windows XP and didn’t work anywhere else. He was backing it up with USB keys. The whole thing was duct tape and hope,” says Rimmer, who originally hails from England. It was the spark that lit the fire for Seedtrakr.
A Simple Idea with Complex Implications
Rimmer wasn’t new to software. He has a degree in electrical engineering with a specialization in computer engineering.
“We wanted something that worked from anywhere, on any device, without the need for local installs or IT support,” he explains. “So, we built it in the cloud. But back then, that was a tough sell.”
Today, Seedtrakr runs on Google Cloud with near-perfect uptime. “We’ve had less than an hour of downtime in almost a decade,” Rimmer notes. “And that’s because we’re leaning on infrastructure that’s been built to be bulletproof.”
Over time, Seedtrakr evolved into more than just record-keeping software. “We realized that our users were doing business with each other, but still transacting offline,” says Rimmer. “So, we built out what we call the Seedtrakr Network.”
The Seedtrakr Network allows customers to discover, connect with, and transact directly with one another inside the platform. That includes things like tracking licensed varieties, monitoring royalty payments, and documenting contract growing activity.
It’s a full-stack, industry-specific digital ecosystem. And it’s still growing. But there was a catch: not everyone in the seed chain was using Seedtrakr. “So, we asked, how do you bring people into the ecosystem who aren’t customers yet? That’s where MySeed comes in.”
Launched quietly in late 2024, MySeed is a mobile app designed to connect Seedtrakr users with their non-user customers, growers, or licensees, and to search seed listings in their area.
The formal launch of MySeed is still pending, but the soft rollout has already provided valuable insights.
Seedtrakr may have started as a side project, but it’s become a proving ground for Rimmer and his team’s most forward-thinking work.
“You’re trying to stay ahead of the curve, anticipate what the seed industry is ready for — and sometimes what it’s not quite ready for yet.”
But nearly a decade in, Rimmer’s approach hasn’t changed much from that day his friend walked in with his dying laptop.
“Somebody had a problem. We had the tools to fix it. And then we just kept going.”
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