One Of The Hottest Tech Companies In Canada Is Setting Up Shop In Halifax
HALIFAX — One of Canada’s hottest tech companies has set its sights on Halifax.
Magnet Forensics is a Waterloo-based developer specializing in digital investigation software that acquires evidence from computers, mobile phones, and cloud services.
Last month, the company raised $115-million through its IPO on Toronto Stock Exchange. Now, the company’s vice president of corporate affairs says Magnet’s next step is an expansion to Halifax.
Neil Desai says Magnet was drawn to the city because of its rich talent pool and the company leadership’s past positive experiences in Halifax.
“When we were looking at potential places to expand, Halifax is right there [with] high-quality talent, incredible post-secondary institutions, and opportunity to grow,” he says.
Right now, Magnet is looking to fill a handful of positions in Halifax. But with the company in the middle of a significant growth stage, Desai says that number could grow.
Magnet’s last Canadian expansion to Ottawa, in 2016, started with seven employees and has since grown to 35. Considering the concentration of talent in Halifax, a similar trajectory is not out of the question.
“If we’re going to put down roots and Halifax, we don’t want to put down one person, you know, we want to actually put people where they can get mentors,” Desai says.
Magnet Forensics began with a Waterloo police officer, Jad Saliba, who had a background in software design.
Saliba worked in the force’s digital forensics unit but found the technology to solve the ever-advancing suite of digital crimes lacking. He started programming in his spare time and eventually developed software that can help recover digital evidence, even if it’s thought to be deleted.
He partnered with former Blackberry executive Adam Belsher, and Magnet has since grown into a massive digital forensics firm that serves 4,000 clients—everyone from law enforcement agencies investigating child exploitation to Fortune 500 companies cracking down on cyber attacks.
“The audacious mission behind Magnet is really about improving justice. And I think that’s something that a motivated young person with a really interesting skill set, and talent that can be used for so many different things, might be interested in,” Desai says.