Manitoba’s NDP government has granted financial support to a local technology startup, extending a $475,000 loan to **JasperVOCAL**, a **Winnipeg** firm specializing in **artificial intelligence** sales call screening for the insurance industry. The loan, authorized on **March 18**, is part of a provincial initiative aimed at aiding businesses that undertake “productivity-enhancing projects,” according to **Caedmon Malowany**, spokesperson for **Jamie Moses**, Manitoba’s minister of business, mining, trade and job creation.
This support is part of a broader financial strategy by the Kinew administration. In **2024**, the government provided a **$10-million grant** and a **$13.4-million interest waiver** on an existing **$50-million loan** to **Winnipeg’s NFI Group** to enhance its manufacturing capabilities. The following year, a **$15-million loan guarantee** was issued to **Palliser Furniture** to safeguard local jobs, although the company ultimately downsized its Manitoba workforce by a net 20 positions.
The funding for JasperVOCAL came through the **Manitoba Development Corporation**, a Crown corporation designed to support businesses and investors. The startup secured the loan under the **Trade Growth Investment Financing** program. **Marco Soares**, the company’s 21-year-old president and CEO, noted that JasperVOCAL recently attracted **$995,000** from local investors in Winnipeg.
Soares explained that JasperVOCAL assists insurance companies in contacting potential customers directly, eliminating the need for outsourcing to call centers. “Our systems automatically scale based on how many people you need to call, and call them immediately,” he stated in an interview from **London**. He elaborated that if a potential customer expresses interest quickly, the system continues to reach out to them up to eight or ten times.
The technology is designed to personalize interactions, adjusting questions based on the ads that piqued the customer’s interest. Should a customer show readiness to purchase insurance, they are seamlessly transferred to a live agent for further assistance.
Interestingly, JasperVOCAL was initially created to identify potential voters for political campaigns. “We pivoted to the insurance industry because we saw the same application was needed there,” Soares said, emphasizing his non-partisan stance. The company previously provided campaign services for **Damir Stipanovic**, the Conservative candidate during the **2023 Winnipeg South Centre** federal byelection.
Despite stepping back from his role as chief financial officer in **November 2025**, **Peter Smith**, who now leads Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative Party, remains an investor and director at JasperVOCAL. His connection to the firm underscores the intertwining of technology and politics within Manitoba’s evolving landscape.
As JasperVOCAL expands its capabilities with provincial support, the broader implications for Manitoba’s tech sector remain significant. The funding reflects the government’s commitment to fostering innovation and job creation in a rapidly changing economic environment. With the rise of AI technologies, companies like JasperVOCAL are poised to play a crucial role in reshaping industry standards and practices, potentially influencing both local job markets and national trends in productivity.
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