Ever since our inception, Kamloops Innovation has nurtured incredible talent , and we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on the remarkable journeys of some of our clients. Our clients are the heartbeat of innovation in Kamloops, and their stories exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit that is needed to propel us into a more exciting future.
Today we are sharing an extraordinary success story featuring one of our former clients—Traqspera. In 2023, this Kamloops-based technology company was acquired and seamlessly absorbed by Trimble Inc. (Trimble), a multi-billion-dollar industry giant.
Traqspera co-founder Matt Thurber expressed, “It’s a story of how it is a win for everybody—for Kamloops, Traqspera, Kamloops Innovation (KI) and for Thompson Rivers University (TRU) — and I think it’s something everybody here is really proud of.”
Traqspera started as an operations platform for construction contractors — a mobile app that connects the field and the office. Trimble is a software, hardware and services technology company that sells products and services to many industries, including construction. Trimble’s courtship with Traqspera gathered intensity in 2022 when it began to see great value in the 10-person company’s technology.
Jon Fingland, vice president and category general manager for Trimble explained, “Our customers are contractors in construction. Their highest cost of capital is people and equipment, so they need to know they are putting the right people on the right equipment on the right jobs, and then they need to make those people and equipment as efficient as possible.”
This is where Traqspera comes into the picture.
“Traqspera tech helps with payroll and leverages that info in human-resource systems to make sure people are in compliance and operating safely, and it helps track miscellaneous expenses,” Fingland said. “We’re connected right to the users on their mobile devices through Traqspera. It was a very logical fit.”
Traqspera now seamlessly handles the field side of the equation for Trimble, helping with day-to-day operations such as time sheets, data reports, safety equipment, and human resources.
“They have this great, massive, accounting system with thousands of companies using it, but when the guys in the work boots in the field were filling out their timesheets, there was such a disconnect between that data getting into the accounting system,” Thurber said. “A lot of efficiency was lost in this process. So rather than scribbling it down on a napkin at the bar after their 12-hour shift, they are now entering it into a digital format powered by Traqspera, so it’s not getting lost in the chicken scratch on a napkin.”
The Traqspera technology that now operates under the Trimble umbrella began to take form in 2013, when Thurber was still studying at TRU, as a programmer with an idea.
Traqspera's brainpower has been developed nearly exclusively at TRU, with about 90 percent of the company’s employees having studied at the Kamloops institution, a fact not lost on Trimble.
Fingland, highlighting Traqspera’s strong relationship with TRU’s computer engineering program, which produces co-op students who often stayed on as full-time employees said, “Part of the intriguing aspect of this is we can grow new talent in this market, with Kamloops Innovation, combined with the local engineering school, and then grow and mould those resources. We want the pipeline to continue.”
Thurber came to KI — a business accelerator that assists businesses, entrepreneurs and organizations in the Thompson Nicola and South Cariboo with innovative solutions and business mentorship — about five years ago through the Venture Acceleration Program funded by Innovate BC, a crown agency of the B.C. government.
As a part of this program, entrepreneur-in-residence John Zubak — managing partner of Zubak and Associates — was paired with Thurber, and they have met weekly for about five years, forming a bond that extends beyond the business world.
“On some occasions, there may have been beers involved,” Thurber said with a laugh. “Because we were meeting so frequently, it was a pretty friendly, informal gathering, where we bounced ideas off of each other and said, OK, what challenges are we having? John would offer direction, advice and wisdom from there. There was a lot of valuable advice and mentorship over the years.”
Zubak quickly identified Thurber as “very much a technical founder” and spotted areas for growth. He encouraged him to hire a direct salesperson, put systems in place to grow and manage larger sales and establish a greater presence in the U.S. market by travelling and networking down south.
“Over the years, we’ve gotten to see some amazing ideas transition into solid businesses, and Traqspera is one of those examples,” Zubak said.
Thurber echoed this sentiment and trumpeted the benefits of KI.
“There’s a community side and networking opportunities that wouldn’t exist if KI didn’t exist,” said Thurber, who founded Traqspera with business partners Trevor Streek and Rob Couturier.
When Traqspera sparked Trimble’s interest, they had roughly 100 shared customers. “Like most technology companies, Trimble would rather develop in-house, but it was far easier and made more sense for them to acquire such a robust technology than to find a way to manufacture something similar. For Kamloops and TRU, it’s a really strong, positive message about resiliency and how our tech sector here is growing,” noted Zubak.
What does the acquisition mean for Thurber and his employees who made the jump to Trimble?
“It’s a great career step for all of us, myself included,” he said. “We’re all early in our careers and have a ton of growth and potential ahead of us! Yes, our job titles have changed. Unfortunately, I don’t get to be the CEO of Trimble. But we still get to be a part of the excitement of continuing to grow our product. We’re part of bigger teams, with more horsepower and resources behind, being able to grow it a lot faster now.”