New Glasgow, NS-based Essential Recruit, now known as Judy Intelligence, has secured $600,000 in federal funding to lead a two-year pilot test of its AI-powered workplace development platform that helps employers and communities find, attract, and retain talent.
To date, the company has been funded through grants, company revenue, and personal finances. It is now raising a bridge round that seeks to raise another $600,000 from like-minded investors.
Begun in 2021 as a recruitment tool for the healthcare sector, the product is becoming a workforce development platform tailored to the realities of rural economies that typically suffer from problems such as outmigration, aging workforces and underemployment.
“We’re building digital infrastructure for rural resilience so that essential sectors and communities don’t just survive, they thrive,” Daniel Morka, CEO and Founder, told Entrevestor.
During the pilot project, Judy Intelligence will work with partners B-Side Group, Ignite Atlantic and Middleton Group to refine the platform. The platform, also named Judy Intelligence, will help businesses identify qualified candidates and showcase job opportunities. It will also leverage labour market trends, employer needs and candidate profiles to create optimal matches, as well as offer personalized recommendations and real-time advice to job seekers on creating effective resumes and cover letters. New Canadians will find tailored information about their potential community including housing options, local amenities, schools and professional networks. The platform will include an augmented reality feature that allows candidates to virtually explore job sites and the local lifestyle before relocating.
Morka said the platform is powered by a proprietary Artificial Emotional Quotient (AEQ) Engine. (AEQ Engines are designed to respond empathetically to human needs.)
He said the emotional, human element is often overlooked especially when it comes to AI. “It’s important to teach AI about us, how to care for us," he said.
“It’s about the young nurse starting over in a new town. The local business owner searching for someone who just gets it. The rural community doing everything it can to hold on to its future. These stories aren’t just about filling roles, they're about finding belonging, building trust, and creating the kind of future we all deserve,” he stated on LinkedIn.
Early implementation will focus on Nova Scotia’s Pictou and Southwest Nova regions. In time, Judy aims to create a sustainable pathway for long-term revitalization in similar communities across Canada and globally.
Originally from Nigeria, Morka has previously worked in big cities in China, and U.K. After finishing his undergraduate degree in International Relations at 19, he aimed to live and work on four continents before turning 30. The business he is creating on his fourth continent, currently has seven staff and will soon be hiring more, including AI engineers, interns and rural graduates. Last year, the company took part in Accelerate, Invest Nova Scotia’s program for pre-market startups.
Judy Intelligence is named for Morka’s mother, a community-loving, hard-working entrepreneur in the hospitality and retail sectors who taught him a great deal, and who he wanted to recognize for being “an all-round good person”.
