Sprouter has made headlines within technology news for their innovative ideas. Now, they’ll be writing the headlines themselves for their new publication BetaKit, which launched earlier this month.
The Toronto-based company, which facilitates advice between experts (such as Craig Newmark from Craigslist) as well as entrepreneurs, has engaged businesses from all over the world, which is one of the reasons Sarah Prevette, Sprouter’s founder, wanted to introduce the site.
“With Sprouter, we’re privileged to see amazing innovation as it develops from a very early stage,” she said. “We’re in a unique position to spot trends, threats and opportunities.”
With a rapidly changing technology landscape, Prevette saw a need for a credible news source for business leaders.
“With BetaKit, we aim to provide the knowledge they need to navigate their companies into the future.”
Prevette, who is also the editor-in-chief of the publication, said she wants the site to become the daily destination for those wanting to keep up with the tech landscape.
“BetaKit has far bigger plans than just becoming the next TechCrunch,” she said.
There are already contributors from all over the world, including North American cities, but also Paris, London and Santiago.
The stories focus around well-known companies in the tech world, such as Groupon and LinkedIn, but also up-and-comers like HighScore House and Localmind, all featured under the categories launches, funding, growth, acquisitions, partnerships, changes and trends.
“As the consumerization of tech continues, more and more people are being pulled down the rabbit hole,” Prevette said. “More and more people are interested in the stories behind the creations they use every day. The more stories that are shared, the more visibility we give to inventors, the more people that will be inspired to pursue their own ideas.”
Though Sprouter continues to introduce new products and features, Prevette assures nothing is taking precedent over the other.
“While Sprouter continues with its mission to facilitate expert advice, BetaKit gives us a place to showcase new technology startups and help business leaders see what’s happening as it happens at a grassroots level,” she said.
Prevette’s vision for BetaKit is similar to the relationship Sprouter has with Postmedia, which purchased Sprouter last September.
“Being acquired was obviously game changing,” she said. “We had multiple offers on the table and it wasn’t just about money — it was about vision, culture and the future. Postmedia was the best fit.”
She said the two teams clicked instantly and that Postmedia is committed to Sprouter’s vision, inviting the founding team to return.
“Being part of the network has given us insights into the media industry and connected us with some incredibly well seasoned professionals.”
But Sprouter has been connected to professionals since their launch in late 2009 — after all, it’s the basis of the company. Prevette said they built the community and product at the same time, and were able to secure entrepreneurs such as Aaron Patzer from Mint.com and Eric Ries from The Lean Startup to provide advice.
“We’ve grown the expert roster as we’ve expanded our network and brand,” she said. “We started off small and have grown steadily over time; pitch by pitch, handshake by handshake.”
Prevette said she’s continuously “blown away” by the willingness of business leaders that have been involved with the company.
“There is a true sense of community in the tech world and a conscious effort to pay it forward.”
Since their launch, Sprouter has seen a ton of companies launch and grow all over the world, Prevette said, from Toronto to New York City to Paris, which has changed their position in the tech community. However, it seems to have only made the community stronger with the introduction of get-to-know-you events like Lean Coffee meetings.
“When we started organizing founder meet-ups several years ago to get the community together to network, the audience was much smaller and really social media focused,” she said. “The turnout and diversity now is just astounding. We routinely get over 500 founders out every month in just Toronto alone, and the participants are true entrepreneurs.”
Along with BetaKit, Sprouter is preparing for more big changes within the company, but they’re staying tight-lipped for now.
“[The changes] will scale the way experts around the world are able to use the platform to mentor,” Prevette said. “We see a huge opportunity outside of our existing market.”
As for what those initiatives are, people will just have to wait until the next headline.
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Kim Magi is a writer for Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter at @KMagi.
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