Christy and Jeff Barsalou are former corporate executives turned entrepreneurs who co-founded QuickFacts to transform the insurance industry. Their software company—that touts it is “built by brokers for brokers”— addresses the decades-old bottleneck most of their colleagues endure: hunting and pecking through multiple insurance carriers’ underwriting documents to find the best coverage options for clients. 

“In our industry, you’re scrolling through endless PDFs—hundreds of pages of documents and manuals just to find one snippet of information,” Jeff said. Their solution? A robust but simple-to-use platform that consolidates carrier information and enables users to search in minutes what normally takes hours. 

From the start, the duo leaned into their areas of expertise. Christy, a former director of Operations and Innovation at an insurance brokerage, had brainstormed the original concept. She took the lead on developing the new platform. Jeff’s MBA background and previous roles in sales and marketing positioned him to manage their business’s financial, business development and marketing needs. They started QuickFacts in December 2020 as a pilot with eight brokerage firms, then launched in September 2022. Today, QuickFacts serves 132 brokerages across Canada. 

From Concept to Reality

Their innovative idea was only the first step. Neither Christy or Jeff had software development skills, so they used a freelancer for the initial tech build. It got them just far enough to verify the product-market fit and acquire a few clients. Onboarding a chief technology officer was the next milestone and enabled them to build the software and push forward. 

“We were dealing with massive amounts of information that had to be organized. And, we had to build the tools and operational structure to ensure all information would update accordingly,” said Jeff. “This was very serious because QuickFacts would be liable and at risk if information provided was incorrect or not up to date.” 

Four years later, their company now employs a team of 22 people, including seven previous brokers who continuously monitor the platform’s content to ensure they’re providing comprehensive, accurate resources to their brokerage clients.

Building the Business

The company was quick to garner positive feedback from its broker clients, which in turn helped Jeff and Christy secure relationships with large, national carriers. They’ve since grown their portfolio to over 40 insurance carriers. “It took a lot of discussions and trust-building. Once we started gaining customers, it became easier to bring carriers on board,” says Jeff. 

In February 2023, QuickFacts closed on its first outside investment of just over $1MM. Then, in August 2024, they announced the closure of an oversubscribed $2MM funding round. Besides confirming their product’s value to the industry, the investment has positioned QuickFacts for a launch into the Quebec and U.S. markets after its recent expansion across the Canadian Western provinces.

Find Partners Who Support Your Growth

The founders continue to wear multiple hats because they need to understand every aspect of their business. At the same time, a major learning has been to connect with the people who fill their skill gaps or with the organizations that move their business forward. “Doing it alone would be tricky,” says Christy.

QuickFacts turned to BMO for additional support during their first round of fundraising. Attracted by the bank’s flexible solutions, they also received the level of client dedication that helped them meet their financial goals. “Despite us being a non-traditional company, our banker went the extra mile and helped us secure a loan that bridged the gap we needed to complete our raise,” says Christy. “They were here for us, so we continue to grow with them.”

Facing the Future

The company’s rapid growth, new partnerships, and industry accolades have opened even more possibilities for QuickFacts. Up next? The founders are looking to hire additional staff and launching ways to facilitate new Commercial and Agricultural product lines. 

Throughout the ups and downs of these thrilling years, Christy and Jeff have stayed true to their vision and values. They built the company they’ve always wanted to work for—creating a corporate culture that champions problem solving, leadership, and creativity, while managing to have fun along the way.  

“The start-up culture is intense, but we always focus on keeping a healthy work-life balance for our team.” says Christy. “As owners, that may not always be an option, but we’ve learned to be comfortable with the unknown and tackling it head-on.”