KELOWNA, BC – With a mobile-first approach, Proximy, a Kelowna-based tech startup is building its way to solving social isolation. Their service provides a marketplace where like-minded people can connect, hang out, and share experiences and expertise. Proximy wants to bring people together whenever and however they need.

Due to the ongoing restrictions brought on by COVID-19, people world-over faced an extraordinary period in time that forced us to isolate ourselves from our friends, family and community. It is no wonder that 4 in 10 individuals are reportedly experiencing anxiety or depression—4x greater than the year before. This time of social isolation has had a dramatic impact on our mental health and, as we see lockdown restrictions starting to ease, we need to leverage resources that can help solve this.

Mental health, diversity and inclusion are top of mind for Proximy as they gear up to release their app. Passionate about building a platform that is safe and inclusive for the community at large, the founders are also keen on supporting people as they work through challenges in their mental well-being.

“This past year has put us through a lot. We’ve been stuck in our homes and spent more time observing and reacting to systemic issues around the world. Black Lives Matter demonstrations, Indian Farm protests, the discoveries at Residential Schools, these problems have the potential to create rifts in our communities,” says Proximy CEO and co-founder Arpan Kandola. “With our platform, we want to use these experiences to bring us closer together and find people that we can meet, learn from, or find support in.”

Recognizing the rise of the gig economy among young professionals, Proximy is built to enable solopreneurs and freelance workers to host hangouts, events, and classes; and find opportunities to earn additional income. Participants are able to connect with these “hosts” through the app and learn more about their services, expertise and take advantage of their offerings.

The service is built to be local-first, meaning that any connections or hangouts you see in the app will be from within your community. This ensures that you are able to build your network, find impactful connections local to you, and enhance the community on the whole.

With a community-first approach, Proximy is a low-cost service that provides a highly personalized experience. Hosts are able to build their own marketplace, set their prices and find their audience. While signing up is free for participants, a percentage of each purchase on the app goes towards Proximy.

“Our main focus is to help provide solopreneurs and freelance workers a better opportunity to make a living, while also looking to improve mental health by addressing social isolation through community connections,” says Kandola. “If we can make enough to grow the platform and keep Proximy operational, that means we’ll be able to support the community for as long as possible.”

Proximy is set to launch in September 2021. To sign up as a host or participant, visit https://proximy.ca/.