Halifax startup hub Volta has made interim CEO Matt Cooper’s posting permanent, as the former entrepreneur eyes expanded support for more mature startups, increased collaboration with other ecosystem support organizations and a more data-driven approach to advising founders.

Cooper, who joined Volta last year as Chief Innovation Officer, previously co-founded Swept, a cleaning company that went on to develop its communications and logistics software for janitorial staff.

“I think what excited me about the role of CEO was really the ability to make more of an impact over time,” said Cooper in an interview.

“What we had built in that first year (at Volta) really demonstrated that there was an unmet need … around helping teams continue to develop after they’d been through the really excellent content and training in our region.”

Cooper replaces outgoing chief executive Martha Casey, a former aid to then-Dalhousie President Richard Florizone. Casey left Volta in April to reunite with Florizone at the International Institute for Sustainable Development.

Cooper said his background running a startup himself meant that, as chief innovation officer, he was able to more easily understand the boots-on-the-ground operational challenges that founders must grapple with. That helped him recognize a need for continued backing for startups that have already completed support and training programs.

“It’s developing support systems for founders in a way that has to evolve with their changing needs,” Cooper said.

“We’re here to help them solve their problems on a day-to-day basis so they can stay focused on their business and take the risks that are needed to bring novel products to market.”

He added that, with venture capital markets tightening and the broader economy teetering, he plans to bring an approach to advising founders that focuses on quantifiable business metrics and data-driven decision-making. Those hard figures, he said, are crucial to startups surviving and securing funding during an economic downturn.

“We’re helping them build skills that keep them connected to their customer … helping them develop the skills needed to test their hypothesis in a continuous and never-ending way,” said Cooper.

“That’s kind of our sweet spot, is when you are having to rely on hard facts and objective evidence that you have built something people are willing to pay for.”

And on the ecosystem side of Volta’s activities, Cooper said he is already working on deepening the team's ties to other startup support organizations in the region.

Some of those talks are still ongoing, but as an example, he cited Volta’s relationship with Dalhousie University’s Emera ideaHUB. The two groups often have resident companies in common and have various reciprocal relationships, such as ideaHUB companies having received discounted access to some Volta programs.

“The (economic) shift that’s happened in the last year … it’s actually been a really great way to open discussions with other organizations and talk about how we’re collaborating in a more meaningful and intentional way,” he said.

“I’m very optimistic about our near future and how organizations in Atlantic Canada are going to be very integrated.”