What is Qui?

Built on a decentralized key management infrastructure (DKMI), Qui provides a way for individuals and organizations to verify and control their own identities and other critical data.

By sharing authentic, cryptographically signed data about themselves, and by knowing who stands behind claims they encounter, people and organizations can interact and transact with trust and confidence.

What was the insight/inspiration that led you to launch it?

Kirk Simpson and Peter Carrescia, co-founders and close friends, were searching for their next project.

They had experienced challenges in verifying customer identities at their previous company and were now facing similar issues with other types of data. They aimed to develop a solution for individuals and organizations to create, store, share, and access information that could be authenticated as true. This concept, termed "authentic data," encompassed various data about individuals and their interactions, all of which would be owned by the users themselves.

They planned to adopt a decentralized approach, allowing users to decide how and with whom they shared their data.

Ultimately, this authentic data would be employed in a trusted manner to access third-party products and services.

Some advice for Founders looking to raise capital:

In mid-2022, as the venture funding market was showing signs of slowing down, Kirk and Peter sought to secure funding for their project. Despite the market conditions, their reputation as a successful team tackling a pressing problem garnered significant interest from investors. They were able to raise funding by presenting the idea that the adoption of authentic data technologies, though in its early stages, would see rapid growth in the coming years.

Peter emphasized that successful venture investors envision how the world will be in the future and seek out companies aligned with that vision. In this case, the belief was that individuals would increasingly take control of their authentic data, including identity data and other verified information. Investors were drawn to companies like theirs, addressing these emerging challenges.

Learn more about Kirk and Qui here

Kirk took the stage at a previous TechTO: Together event this past month. Check out all the highlights from his discussion:

Kirk Simpson, Co-Founder and CEO at Qui Identity shared his insights on the current market, growing his business, building a team, and filling gaps within his industry.

This video highlights:

[0:00] Meet Kirk and Qui Identity

[1:45] Early years in digital media and lessons learned

[2:40] What didn’t and didn’t work

[4:55] His most formative experience

[6:40] The most surprising lesson from growing Wave (his first business)

[9:00] The benefits of working for a large organization vs. a smaller one

[14:10] How Kirk decides where and who to invest in

[24:00] How to use Qui

[26:30] How to sign-up

Join us at the next TechTO: Together and join the conversation

Intuit Prosperity Accelerator: Toronto Startups Got Talent!

Last month, Intuit in partnership with Highline Beta and our team at TechTO hosted the first in-person Demo Day in the three-year history of the accelerator. It was an incredible crescendo for the 4-month program featuring insightful conversations, startup presentations, and celebrations.

What happened at Demo Day?

Eight startups shared the spotlight to present their companies in front of prospective investors, innovation leaders, Intuit employees, and ecosystem collaborators. Each founder presented their startup journey and how their solution is powering financial prosperity for consumers, SMBs, and self-employed individuals.

Who are the startups and co-founders?

• Abtine Monavvari, Chexy 

• Sanders Lazier, Carbonhound 

• Marc-Antoine Caya, goPeer 

• Jason Geall, LenderBidding 

• Nauman Hafeez, NetNow 

• Bruce Hodges, Parachute 

• Amy Ding, Requity Homes 

• Mike Magnacca, Spruce Software

Did you know Intuit launched a Gen AI operating system?

David Marquis, VP and Canada Country Manager at Intuit led a fireside chat discussion with Intuit CTO Marianna Tessel about the company’s new generative AI operating system – GenOS – a proprietary platform capability that empowers Intuit technologists to experiment, rapidly prototype, design, and build and deploy breakthrough generative AI-driven experiences with unparalleled speed. Learn more about GenOS and Intuit’s mission to power prosperity around the world for more than 100 million consumer and small business customers here.

Miss the big show? Watch the full recording to learn more and see who took home the Customer Obsession and Best Pitch Award here.

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Senior Customer Success Manager, Disco (Canada | Remote)

Why is this cool? Disco is the purpose-built platform that enables entrepreneurs to build, operate, and scale the learning communities of the future. In this role, you’ll have the opportunity to support and grow the Disco business by collaborating directly with our existing SaaS customers.

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• An exclusive event (Insiders Only) | August 3, 2023 - learn more about how to get access to a private networking event with TechTO’s Insiders and an exclusive group of leaders

• TechTO: Together | August 14, 2023 - Another edition of the popular in-person series returns with a fresh new line-up of speakers and brings you more elite leaders to rub shoulders with

• TechTO: Together | September 11, 2023 - Rub shoulders with impressive leaders like Michael Garrity (FinanceIt) and Andrew Just (Train Fitness), and many others. Learn from the best, get real-time feedback on your ideas, and learn what it takes to build a successful business

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