Halifax-based QuickFacts Inc., which has developed a customizable software platform for insurance brokers, has captured the 2023 Gerry Pond Award for sales and traction.

Propel, Atlantic Canada’s virtual accelerator, presented the award and its $25,000 cash prize to QuickFacts during a virtual awards ceremony on Monday afternoon.

First awarded in 2019, the Gerry Pond Award is given to a startup in Propel’s Traction and Growth program that excels in creating a repeatable and scalable sales process. It was named in recognition of Mariner Chair Gerry Pond, who co-founded Propel in 2003 and his contribution to the Atlantic Canadian innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“QuickFacts Inc., through their knowledge of the insurance industry, has created a truly innovative solution to help brokerages digitize operations,” said Propel CEO Kathryn Lockhart in a statement. “Most importantly, they have figured out how to connect the dots and bring their technology to their customers in a meaningful way.

“They have proven that by listening to customers and responding in a way that’s effective, it will yield a path to success.”

Co-founded by CEO Christy Silvestri and Jeff Barsalou, QuickFacts offers a platform that lets brokers view insurance packages from competing companies side by side for easy comparison. The company says it can reduce the time brokers spend searching for information by 10 to 20 times. It also says the platform offers brokers more depth of information than competitors.

The company has closed its first funding round from such investors as Sandpiper Ventures, the Atlantic Canadian VC fund that targets female-led businesses.

“Since our full product launch in September 2022, we've been expanding our user base and content across Atlantic Canada and Ontario with great success,” said Silvestri. “We'll use the funds to increase our marketing spend in 2023 to get in front of our ideal customers, the insurance brokerage executives. With a mixture of digital ads, in-person events, and key partnerships with insurance-leading associations, we can drive traffic to our new marketing website as we expand into Western Canada.”

Propel’s Traction and Growth program aims to teach founders to focus on customer acquisition and sales. The other finalists for the award were Bloxo, Couryah, Easy Platter, and Sandbox Platform, all of Halifax; Prospre of Mount Pearl, NL; and The Farmers’ Truck of Moncton.

Previous winners of the Gerry Pond Award have included Halifax-based Side Door Access, St. John’s-based Oliver POS, and last year’s winner Stemble of Charlottetown.

Said Silvestri: “We joined Propel early on when we knew very little about running a startup, and their program and team have supported our growth over the last year and a half. As alumni, they continue to support our journey and their coaches are always helping where they can. QuickFacts would not be where it is today without their guidance, and we owe them many thanks.”