As we mark the culmination of National Welcome Week, I am thrilled to share a milestone that marks a significant step forward in our mission to make the world more welcoming. Today, I am proud to introduce the launch of Welcome Platform Technologies Inc. We build technology to help newcomers find their way in new places. We create technology that fosters a true sense of belonging for newcomers within their new communities.
Startlingly, statistics revealed that one-third of Canadians who feel a sense of belonging to the country do not share that same sense within their own communities.
Our journey began in collaboration with our local Immigration partnership in Lambton County, where we embarked on a mission to create the first-ever "Welcome App" for our community. Little did we know that this project would become the catalyst for a bigger vision, one that would resonate with communities throughout the province and reveal the challenges faced by newcomers seeking to build a new life in Canada.
Statistics revealed that one-third of Canadians who feel a sense of belonging to the country do not share that same sense within their own communities. The overwhelming challenges of transitioning into Canada, language barriers and the lack of centralized information, continue to be the primary obstacles facing newcomers. Unfortunately the communities we engaged with lacked the resources to replicate the success of the "Welcome to Lambton" app due to a lack of financial and technical support.
We were inspired to try and solve this issue, so we went on to construct a shared economy inspired, multi-tenant platform – "The Welcome Platform." This innovative solution will empower communities across the nation to deploy custom welcome mobile apps efficiently and affordably. Mobile apps that can evolve continuously through feature development of the platform they are built on top of. Most importantly, the entire process can now be completed within a couple of months.
Our vision for The Welcome Platform is to launch Welcome Apps in every community across Canada and beyond, connecting newcomers with locals, agencies, businesses, jobs, social groups, programs and much more, while continuing to offer all the great utility they need to make their transition smooth.
Today marks a remarkable milestone for us because we are excited to share that "The Welcome Platform" has completed our seed fund raising round, with $100K from VERGE Capital, Contributions from TMRRW labs and large investments from 6 Angel investors. This funding signifies a crucial turning point as we work hard to bring "The Welcome Platform" to communities across the country.
We firmly believe that "The Welcome Platform" will have a profound impact on communities and serve as an essential tool for connecting with newcomers, international students, and migrant workers. Through our platform, we aim to connect newcomers of all kinds to essential services such as banking, insurance, housing, and more.
Thank you for sharing in our excitement as we take this next step. Stay tuned for updates on "The Welcome Platform," as we work towards our mission of welcoming 1 million newcomers.
Warm regards,
Liwordson Vijayabalan
President, Welcome Platform Technologies Inc.
