Small Business Month

Smarter Business Banking Great rates. Trusted advice. A financial partner who works with you. ™ www.scu.mb.ca EAT. WORK. PLAY. 333 ST. MARY AVE @ HARGRAVE ST CITYPLACEWINNIPEG.COM OVER 40 RESTAURANTS AND SERVICES M anitoba Technology Accelerator aims to take small startup tech companies and transform them into big bustling businesses. The private sector not-for-profit organization is often referred to as a technology incubator, taking companies all the way from early stage ideas and accelerating them to large- scale growth. "Essentially, we work with people who have disruptive technology ideas that have the ability to scale. We're always looking to work with new concepts," CEO Marshall Ring explained. "So we wouldn't work with someone who wants to open a new hair salon to serve a 10-block radius. We want to work with people who have a technology idea that would have an unfair competitive advantage and the ability to sell in national or international markets." Initially, these innovators usually walk through the doors as a one- or two-person company. From there, the growth can be exponential. "We would like to commercialize their technology and turn it into a big business. Our most notable success was SkipTheDishes. They showed up to us with two employees and we helped them scale to maybe 2,500 employees now," Ring said. "So we work with businesses that have technology and help them grow from small business to big business." With an eye on the horizon, Manitoba Technology Accelerator strives to make Winnipeg the startup capital of Western Canada. "We want to be known as the place where technology companies come to start, grow and thrive," Ring said. "Within that context, my position is to help build two more companies worth over $100 million by March 2021 out of Winnipeg." At the same time, the organization aims to make Winnipeg an international destination for startup technology companies through the Start-Up Visa Program. "If someone in Beijing has a really interesting idea to start a technology company and they want to move to Canada, they can apply to Manitoba Technology Accelerator. If we accept them, we write a contract and then they'd fit within the Government of Canada's Start-Up Visa Program stream. We can help get them a work permit in three to four months and permanent residence in about 18 months," Ring said. "It's a fast track to immigration so it's the opposite of brain drain from Canada. It's our ability to attract good startups to come here. It's my goal to have 30 international startups located here by Dec. 31, 2019. We're currently at about 20, and we just started in earnest this year. We think we've got some good magic here on our ability to attract and retain these companies." About half of Manitoba Technology Accelerator's operating budget stems from funding from Western Economic Diversification Canada. The rest comes from fees charged to clients. And the forecast is fabulous for small technology startups looking to burst into business in Manitoba. "One of the things that's really changing is that Winnipeg is becoming a destination. We're being able to attract people that have left the province to come back for these jobs. People are seeing Winnipeg as a great place to be, so it's an experience in success for that," Ring said. "We're really excited by both our past accomplishments and what we have coming down the pipe — and I think we're going to have an impactful story to tell for many years to come." ❚ By Jennifer McFee for the Free Press ACCELERATING TECHNOLOGY IN MANITOBA "We want to be known as the place where technology companies come to start, grow and thrive." - CEO Marshall Ring Manitoba Technology Accelerator CEO Marshall Ring and commercialization co-ordinator Sydny Pheifer showcase some of the organization's services. Photos courtesy of Manitoba Technology Accelerator

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