Top 25’s software connects newcomers with locals
Akram Al-Otumi of Spritely Technologies is bringing his platform for tourists and newcomers from Halifax to Toronto
Akram Al-Otumi, founder and CEO of Halifax-based Spritely Technologies Inc., is bringing his innovative tech startup to Toronto. Spritely features a platform for tourists and newcomers to connect with city locals in order to make visiting or relocating to a new city easier, less stressful and more personalized.
An RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant, Al-Otumi is originally from Yemen and thought of creating something like Spritely after immigrating to Canada 11 years ago. “When I arrived to Canada as an international student, given the fact that I spoke limited English and at the time I had very limited experiences with Canadian culture, I faced a lot challenges to settle in, and I realized I was not the only one — a lot of international students, newcomers and tourists actually face the exact same problem,” he says.
Aside from language barriers, new residents struggle with understanding transportation services, finding a place to live that fits their budget and lifestyle and navigating the city, adds Al-Otumi. “With Spritely, users can choose and hire a city expert who not only speaks their language, but who also offers a variety of services that would be helpful to them, such as helping them to navigate their new city and recommending fun activities and day trips based on their interests.”
Spritely’s Toronto debut event
There are a number of city experts who are already registered on the platform that can offer services ranging from locating housing to offering city culture and nature tours in Halifax, and Spritely is now aiming to replicate the same success in Toronto, with a debut event on November 10, 2018, 2-5 p.m., at 708 Annette St, Toronto.
“We’ve been doing a lot of simulated market tests where we invite people to our lab to give us feedback, but now we feel that we are ready to expand to Toronto with a soft launch,” says Al-Otumi.
The goal of the November 10 event is to get as much feedback as possible from the Toronto market in order to further improve their product, which will eventually lead to the hard launch, Al-Otumi says. “We want to take Spritely from Canada to the world.”
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