Major tech companies like Google and Amazon making cuts to the workforce has been hitting the news, but Saskatchewan tech companies say there’s still room for growth in the Prairies.
Jeff Davis is the senior manager for business development at Vendasta, located in Saskatoon, and says they’ve been trying to foster a healthy tech ecosystem in the province.
“We’re trying to create a Silicon Prairie, like they’ve got Silicon Valley down in California,” Davis said.
Vendasta recently celebrated their 15-year anniversary, and Davis noted that was a huge milestone.
“They say most businesses fail after the first seven years, and we’ve made it twice that long. We’ve had a tremendous amount of success over the years as well.”
“The Saskatchewan tech sector has really blossomed over the last 10 years.”
He claimed Vendasta was one of the first, and has become one of the biggest tech companies in Saskatchewan.
Davis noted that there really wasn’t any tech companies in the prairie province when they got started.
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“A lot of our staff have actually moved on to these other tech companies, and it’s really nice to see that Vendasta DNA spreading into a lot of these other companies.”
Innovation Saskatchewan CEO Kari Harvey said that five or six years ago, the public had very little knowledge about the tech sector in the province.
“We’ve really seen the growth of the ecosystem here that’s really provided all of the supports that have been necessary to grow and help nurture early-stage companies,” said Harvey.
Davis said they have 400 staff in Saskatoon, adding that there are several large tech companies in Saskatchewan that are growing.
Alex Shimla is the interim executive director for Co.Labs, and said they’re constantly looking to build up the tech sector in the province.
“We look into get tech startups as quick as they, from $0 to about $1 million in revenue,” Shimla said.
Co.Labs is a non-profit that helps commercialized tech startups, with Shimla noting they aim to do that in a timeline of three years or less through their core programs.
“Since we’ve been active, so about 2017, we’ve worked with just over 170 startups.”
He noted those companies created $45 million in revenue, $30 million in investment, and created about 750 jobs.
Shimla said there’s a pull from the tech sector, noting that you can come out of computer science, engineering, business or arts college and end up working in the tech sector.
He added Saskatchewan’s tech sector is connected and growing.
“Tech is becoming everything.”
He said people are coming into tech from more traditional career paths and finding success.
“The entry path into tech is a lot easier for a lot of people, it doesn’t require as much credentialing, and it’s a lot more accessible for a lot of people.”
Harvey said that many young people are becoming interested in studying the industry as well.
“We are seeing the demand for education, whether it is at university or polytechnic,” said Harvey. “Technology opportunities provide some of the best paying jobs in the province.”
— with files from Andrew Benson
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