Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Vince Fedoroff

GETTING THE FACTS – Economic Development Minister Ranj Pillai listens to Ben Sanders, Proof Data Technology’s CEO, speaking from Toronto during Friday’s news conference at Yukonstruct’s NorthLight Innovation centre in Whitehorse.

Techstars Toronto Accelerator has Yukon component

The head of a local startup says being part of the Techstars Toronto Accelerator represents an opportunity not only for his company, but also the entire Yukon.

By Stephanie Waddell on February 18, 2019

The head of a local startup says being part of the Techstars Toronto Accelerator represents an opportunity not only for his company, but also the entire Yukon.

“This is a big deal for the Yukon, both for our company because we’re a Yukon company, but also because it helps the Yukon ecosystem,” Ben Sanders, Proof Data Technology’s CEO, told a news conference held Friday in Whitehorse.

The event was held at Yukonstruct’s NorthLight Innovation on Second Avenue, where Proof is based.

Sanders attended via video conference from Toronto, where he and three other Proof officials are taking part in the Accelerator program.

Proof has created software aimed at allowing governments to go paperless. It has been selected as one of 10 companies from around the world to be part of the program.

Techstars supports startup companies. Under the program, Techstars invests $120,000 in each of the startups in the program with the companies having access to business expertise and make their pitch to possible investors.

As Sanders noted in describing it as “speed dating with entrepreneurs,” he had already met 10 investors that morning.

“The whole goal is to accelerate our business,” he said, drawing a comparison to working out.

“This is like jumping from a workout in the local gym to hiring a team of Arnold Schwarzeneggers who will whip us into shape in three months, helping to accelerate our growth with an opportunity, in the end, to pitch hundreds of the world’s top investors.”

Sanders said Proof is already working with First Nations as well as various government departments in various parts of the country.

“It’s about saving time and money,” he said after showcasing a video advertising Proof’s work and the benefits of going paperless.

Sanders was quick to point out that the idea was born out of the Yukon. He also credited the territorial Department of Economic Development for its support early on as well as Yukonstruct.

Also on hand for Friday’s news conference was Economic Development Minister Ranj Pillai.

Along with praising Proof’s work, Pillai noted the construction of the Dempster Highway fibre optic line linking the Yukon with the Northwest Territories.

The line will provide more Internet reliability in the Yukon, the minister noted, and that’s important for startups like Proof.

It’s anticipated construction of the line will begin later this year and take three years to complete.

Comments (1)

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Groucho d'North on Feb 20, 2019 at 10:28 am

This is a very encouraging development and hopefully will provide the conduit to get Yukon-based projects and ideas into the major markets where they have an opportunity for success. I also hope our new entrepreneuers have access to the financial angels that can fund these projects to get off the ground. Yukon's isolation is nice for many things, but being part of the tech sector our isolation is an impediment for their success.

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