Most brands depend on customer data to guide marketing, but how that data is acquired matters more and more to consumers and regulators. Appreciation Engine (AE), a Victoria-based software firm led by CEO Jeff Mitchell, offers a privacy compliant solution. AE ethically captures and utilizes first-party data in real time, bringing together Customer Data Platforms (CDPs), privacy compliance tools, customer engagement systems, and incentive or loyalty layers into a single platform.
The company’s export-first approach, assisted by Export Navigator, has led to $1 million in annual revenue and growing.
Around the World Right Now
From day one, AE’s target customers were found abroad. The company saw increasing demand in markets where regulations are pushing brands toward permissioned, first-party data, particularly in the U.S., Europe and Japan. To take advantage of this export opportunity, AE needed to better understand multiple compliance frameworks, how to access government support for digital exporters and how to compete with global incumbents.
Export Navigator helped AE address those challenges with a focused go-to-market plan.
“Through Export Navigator, we developed a more coherent narrative when speaking to international buyers and federal interest holders,” explains Mitchell.
“Our export strategy is stronger, and we’re better aligned with Canada’s priorities in secure data infrastructure, decentralized identity and citizen-owned data models. AE has also been able to unlock grant funding and partner introductions that wouldn’t have been accessible without Export Navigator.”
AE first heard about Export Navigator through local innovation networks and were connected with Export Advisor, Jason Seed.
“Working with Jason has been a turning point for our growth,” says Mitchell. “He helped us engage with programs like CanExport and opened the door to federal resources through the National Research Council, Trade Commissioner Service and PacifiCan. He also provided critical feedback on how we could position ourselves within Canada’s broader digital and economic priorities, including data sovereignty and dual-use technologies.
Measurable Momentum
AE currently generates $1.2 million in annual recurring revenue – all from international clients.
With Export Navigator’s support, AE has been able to:
- Expand their enterprise client based in entertainment and gaming.
- Add senior advisors to the team, along with specialized fractional experts in compliance and growth.
- Access funding and assistance from CanExport, National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), PacifiCan and the Trade Commissioner Service (TCS).
Looking ahead, AE’s growth goals include expanding market penetration in regulated markets, moving into adjacent sectors like retail, and strengthening its role as a “critical layer” in the privacy-first data economy.
“Export Navigator helped us understand where we fit — not just in global markets, but within Canada’s support ecosystem,” says Mitchell. “The advisor relationships are strategic, not transactional, and can unlock doors that would otherwise take years to find.”
All in with Export Navigator
For AE, Export Navigator has been more than a program. It’s been a sounding board on positioning, policy alignment and partnership strategy. That combination has helped AE sharpen its story, access the right resources and use regulatory change as a competitive advantage.
“We absolutely recommend Export Navigator,” adds Mitchell. “AE is now poised to support Canada’s growing push toward digital sovereignty, ethical data infrastructure and dual-use technology platforms. Programs like Export Navigator help ensure that Canadian innovation scales globally while staying rooted in national priorities.”
