The Canadian tech sector is booming, there’s no question about that. In 2021, despite the impacts of the pandemic and the general economic downturn, the information and communications technology (ICT) reflected a total 5.3% of the national GDP — that’s $104.5
billion. This number, alongside a teeming collective of businesses that are creating new technology solutions to sell locally and abroad, tells us that the Canadian tech industry deserves a spot on the global stage.
It’s this conviction that led Dan Gamble, founder and principal at DGPR, to launch his tech PR firm two years ago. He saw a gap in the Canadian market for a strategic PR consultancy that focused exclusively on tech — so he set out to fill that gap. “Seeing the important role the tech sector was playing in the broader economy, the time was right to launch a Vancouver-based tech PR firm that would deliver hard-hitting PR programs for innovative businesses changing the world for the better,” he says.
Gamble, a seasoned tech PR professional with nearly 20 years of global experience in the space, has in-depth knowledge of the Canadian tech industry and what it takes to succeed within it. After launching his career in London and working at global tech PR firms, he moved to Vancouver in 2011 and spent eight years at BroadbandTV Corp., where he ran their PR and Communications efforts. In that role, he saw the company through all the stages of growth a successful tech company typically goes through, including their IPO in 2020.
It was these experiences that set him to open his own shop and become a trusted advisor for tech companies providing tools and services in communications, social media, crisis communications, and more.
In DGPR, he’s created a PR and communications firm that leverages expertise from the UK, Europe, and North America and injects it into tech firms at various stages. Headquartered in Vancouver, the firm is immersed in the local tech scene, while also serving clients across Canada and in the US.
Since the firm launched in 2021, DGPR has gone from strength to strength, bringing global expertise to some of Canada’s — and the world’s — largest tech businesses. When partnering with established companies, Gamble sees an opportunity to enhance and refine the client’s existing efforts, but also to extend the value of traditional PR. “Now, we’re not just putting the message out there, we’re also engaging with journalists, analysts, and influencers to get their perspectives and bring them back to our clients,” he explains. “That way, our clients can take those market insights and leverage them strategically in their marketing, sales, or product development.”
Beyond helping big legacy tech businesses refine their narrative and ensure their messaging meets customers where they are, DGPR also has a proven track record of helping innovative startups define their message and stand out from the outset. The firm offers a wide range of strategic services that help businesses succeed at each stage of their trajectory, including support with fundraising, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, and reputation management programs. In addition, DGPR has also run profiling efforts for some of Canada’s most prominent CEOs.
At the core of their efforts, DGPR’s corporate values are centered around diversity and equality. This is reflected not only in the makeup of their team, but also in the list of diverse founders and CEOs they represent. To date, the firm has worked with some of Canada’s most renowned women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ leaders in the tech sector. As the face of tech continues to evolve and reflect the broader Canadian population, this is an important mandate that will help center diverse voices and perspectives within the industry.
The future for the Canadian tech sector is bright, and for it to succeed on a global scale, there is an ongoing need for enablers, like DGPR, to lead in crafting the conversation. Looking ahead, the firm will continue to build relationships within the sector — both locally and globally — remaining a staunch advocate for its clients in the space.
