One year following the launch of its North America operations, Sidetrade says it has exceeded its own expectations: nearly 60% of new bookings for the company’s AI-powered service now from the North America market.
Consequently the France-born Sidetrade is now accelerating its expansion into the region. Thus the company announced an investment of $24 million across three years to develop a new North American headquarters in their chosen city of Calgary.
“Sidetrade’s expansion in Calgary as its North American headquarters speaks to the city’s leading business environment and the exciting momentum in our tech and innovation ecosystem,” noted Brad Parry, President and CEO of Calgary Economic Development.
According to Parry, Alberta and Calgary are centres for AI excellence with highly skilled talent.
“And as a global leader in AI, Sidetrade joins a growing roster of multinational companies that call Calgary home, where bright minds with big ideas are solving global challenges,” he said.
Some of Sidetrade’s capital is earmarked to hire local talent. The company plans to fill 110 new positions and is recruiting at all levels—from entry level positions up to executive leadership roles, as well as for sales and marketing, professional services, IT support, and R&D. Sidetrade will onboard Canadians through the Sidetrade Academy, a training program for career development.
“It is an exciting occasion as Sidetrade—yet another world leading AI and tech company—chooses to call Calgary home,” George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview, stated. “Artificial Intelligence is among the greatest and most innovative technological advances of our age and has significant impact on the daily lives of Canadians.”
For their offices, Sidetrade has chosen the Ampersand building in downtown Calgary, a city which is ranked among the Top 50 North American Markets for Tech Talent, and was recently revealed as the third best place in the world to live according to Economist Intelligence.
Sidetrade has already hired 44 people in North America, including 20 new staff for its Calgary-based business hub, adding to its global workforce of 300 employees.
“Sidetrade choosing downtown Calgary for its North American Head Office and creating 110 new jobs adds momentum to our city’s growing tech sector,” added Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “As our reputation for innovation grows, more companies like Sidetrade are recognizing the competitive advantage Calgary offers given our deep talent pool, our infrastructure, and the low cost of doing business.”
The AI firm is already trusted by large North American corporations including Expedia, Iron Mountain, Select Energy Services, and more.
“Calgary is the perfect location to bolster our global ambitions,” believes Sidetrade CEO Olivier Novasque. “Our new Calgary location is a business accelerator for the North American continent and will provide solid support to our customers worldwide.”
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