Helping to Bring PEI Start-up’s Innovative Website Development Tool to Market
News Release
Support will help Charlottetown-based Forestry.io bridge IT gap for businesses
November 16, 2017 – Charlottetown, PE – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Helping innovative small and medium sized enterprises grow their business, bring skilled jobs to Atlantic Canada and compete globally is critical to enhancing the region’s economic success. That’s why the Government of Canada is helping Forestry.io commercialize its easy to use website development technology that will help businesses improve their presence online.
Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, on behalf of the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), along with the Honourable Heath MacDonald, PEI Minister of Economic Development and Tourism, today joined officials from Forestry.io to announce support to help bring the company’s new content management system to market.
Through its Business Development Program, ACOA is providing a repayable contribution of $244,399 to Forestry.io to support the expansion of the growing company, as it brings its secure, static website development tool to the global market. The Government of Prince Edward Island, through Innovation PEI, is providing labour rebates to the company worth up to $120,086 to support the project.
This investment builds on commitments made by the Government of Canada and the four Atlantic provinces to drive economic growth in the region through the Atlantic Growth Strategy, which supports strategic investments in initiatives that build on the region’s competitive advantages, such as its strong export potential, growing innovation network, and skilled workforce.
Quotes
“Many people have come together to build an environment in Charlottetown where tech entrepreneurs can thrive, and Forestry.io is one of the exciting companies that has set up shop here. I’m impressed with the combination of creativity and practicality coming out of this start-up. They are filling a void in the IT world, and helping to bridge the technology gap for other businesses trying to strengthen their online presence.”
Sean Casey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Member of Parliament for Charlottetown
“Forestry.io is an excellent example of a home grown Island company that has benefitted from the excellent start up ecosystem on Prince Edward Island. New companies are in a better position to succeed and create jobs than ever before with a healthy economy, rich support mechanisms for new businesses, and a skilled Island workforce.”
The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Economic Development and Tourism
“We're in a fortunate position as a PEI-based startup. We raised capital from investors located around the world and we've amplified that funding with government support from organizations like ACOA and Innovation PEI. Now the fun part starts, as we get to build a world-class product from our utopia-like province.”
Scott Gallant, Founder & CEO, Forestry.io
Quick Facts
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Forestry.io is the first Atlantic Canadian company to be accepted into the TechStars NYC accelerator.
The company is a graduate of the Startup Zone in Charlottetown, PE.
Website development can be categorized as dynamic or static. Forestry.io’s approach to static website development will allow non-technical users to manage and update their own websites.
This week, some 160 countries around the world are celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week. Entrepreneurs are the backbone of the economy in Atlantic Canada. There are 85,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises operating in Atlantic Canada that make up over 99% of businesses in the region. These businesses provide the biggest potential for continued job creation and economic growth.
Contacts
Chris Brooks
Director of Communications
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
902-566-7569
Andrew Sprague
Senior Communications Officer
Department of Economic Development and Tourism
902-368-5535
Scott Gallant
Forestry.io
Founder & CEO
scott@forestry.io