Are you a founder looking to expand and relocate your business to North America?
Launch Academy's Maple Program, which Innovate BC helps fund, helps tech companies do just that. They even help entrepreneurs, executives and their families get Canadian Work Visas and Permanent Residency.
We sat down with Michelle McGrath, CEO of DataTrue, to discuss how the Maple Program is helping her Australian based company get grounded in Canada and what her team is looking forward to next.
Q: What do you do and what goals did you have before entering the program?
Michelle: DataTrue is a data assurance platform that enables enterprises to ensure they are collecting accurate and compliant data from websites and mobile apps. Our platform enables enterprises to be confident that they and their agencies are protecting their users’ personally identifiable data.
Our goals prior to entering the Maple Program were to establish a presence in a local time zone to support existing clients and establish a base to drive our growth. We were looking for a location that would offer us access to experienced staff to fuel our growth.
Q: How is the Maple Program helping you achieve those goals?
Michelle: As part of the Maple Program we were able to quickly establish DataTrue in Vancouver.
The support provided by the Maple Program was comprehensive. This included briefings prior to arriving, office space when we arrived, and a comprehensive network of expert advisors experienced in helping program participants to get set up. Participating in the Maple Program also gave us access to in-kind support and easy access to other programs targeted at start-ups.
Once established in Canada, we have been able ind experienced local talent to help us accelerate our growth.
Q: What made you decide that Maple Program was the right fit for you?
Michelle: We knew we wanted to grow our business in Canada, and the Maple Program was a great way for us to establish our footprint. The two deciding factors for DataTrue were the location and the comprehensive program that the Maple Program offered. Vancouver was an easy choice - those mountain-ocean views are easy to get used to! Along with that, the amazing talent, growing tech community, and North American time zone were key when deciding where to grow our company.
The program itself is thorough and well thought out - you can see Launch Academy’s expertise come through. From incorporation and accounting in Canada, through to road mapping and on-site work - the Maple Program not only prepared our company for life in Canada, but set us up on the path for success.
Q: What was the best part about working with the team at Launch Academy?
Michelle: The team was one of the best parts of the Maple Program. Launch Academy’s team brings together not only a formal support network, but an informal network as well. Working with the team and other companies, we were able to learn so much, and share knowledge with others as well. We thrived in the startup environment, working quickly, learning and testing. The feedback from the Launch Academy team was so valuable, along with personalized mentoring to help us with our specific challenges and goals.
Q: What are you hoping to accomplish in the year ahead?
Michelle: It’s an exciting time for our team at DataTrue! We are all about growth - growing our team here in Vancouver (we’re hiring!), and growing our customer base across Canada, North America, and yes, the world! Our team has built a strong foundation here in Vancouver, and we’re growing our team and product to help even more companies ensure they are collecting accurate and compliant data from websites and mobile apps. Data is the future, and we’re excited to be at the forefront of the industry.