Watzan, a New York startup devoted to enhancing searches in ecommerce and media websites, is expanding its presence in Halifax now that it is bringing in new clients.

Founder and CEO Charles Benaiah said in an interview the company is now building a development team in Nova Scotia and hopes that the city will host its full-time development division.

“People still ask me, ‘Why here?’”, said Benaiah, a native Torontonian who has an MBA from Dalhousie University. “I answer, ‘Why not here?’ The people are great. The talent is here. The community is supportive. What else could a company want?”

Now headquartered in New York, watzan is a “big data” visualization tool that makes it easier for companies to show clients the products they may be most interested in. It’s the natural successor to Benaiah’s previous startup, Sequence, which personalized content for magazine readers in print and online. He sold Sequence to the printing giant R.R. Donnelley & Sons in 2011 for an undisclosed amount.

Watzan recently announced that fashion company Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent will use watzan to merchandise its customer experience. Benaiah said Cynthia Vincent’s intricate designs and Bohemian fashions became an instant hit among socialites and celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Bilson and Scarlett Johansson.

Watzan had already gained traction from pharma companies like GlaxoSmithKline, and Benaiah also wants to work with media companies to make it easier for readers to select content that might interest them.

Benaiah said he’s aware of a few New York companies that have noticed the talent and supportive community in Halifax and are considering developing teams in the city.  

Entrevestor receives financial support from government agencies that support start-up companies in Atlantic Canada. The sponsoring agencies play no role in determining which companies are featured in this column nor do they have the right to review columns before they are published.