Sprint Studio Feature: EuroPassport
Written by Jess Bauer (external link) .
With the first cohort of Sprint Studio coming to an end, we connect with some of the program’s participants to learn more about their startup and hear their personal experiences and insights from the program.
EuroPassport is a Toronto-based startup, and the first online service to help process European Union (EU) member countries’ citizenships and passport applications based on ancestry. The company was co-founded by Dayn Gehry-Riis and Pedro Figuera Paez, as a way to streamline and reduce the costs of the immigration process from beginning to end. Driven by his own difficulties in obtaining his citizenship, Dayn joined Sprint Studio to further develop EuroPassport, and help others in a similar situation.
What was the inspiration behind EuroPassport?
In 2015, I was applying to European universities for my graduate studies. I noticed the fees for universities in the EU were significantly lower for residents of EU countries. As my grandfather was Polish, I looked into the possibility of obtaining my Polish citizenship by descent. However, there was no one in my local area with the right knowledge and going through a lawyer in Poland would be very costly. So, I decided to do it on my own. The process was complex and took me three years to complete, but I learned so much about immigration law that I ended up helping my family and friends with their own citizenships. It was then that I decided to start EuroPassport, as it seems no one else in Canada is doing this, and there are so many advantages of holding an EU passport.
What background and experience do you have in the legal tech industry?
Absolutely none! I have the business knowledge and know the ins and outs of the EU member countries’ citizenship by ancestry processes, while my business partner, Pedro, has the knowledge and expertise to manage the back end of the business. I think this shows that you don’t need to be a legal expert or have an in-depth knowledge of the legal industry to succeed.
What led you to join Sprint Studio?
We thought our initial idea was going to be smaller, but decided we needed an additional barrier to entry. After doing more research and interviews, we discovered there was demand for something like EuroPassport in the market. We started looking for an opportunity to grow our idea and heard great things about the Legal Innovation Zone. We liked the structure of Sprint Studio and the possibility of it eventually leading us to an incubator. We also liked the fact it was a local program geared towards legal tech, which is often hard to come by. My gut guided me a lot on this process and luckily, we were accepted!
How has Sprint Studio helped you develop and advance EuroPassport?
We believe that ongoing support and guidance is very important to the success of a startup. Throughout the program, I was able to generate new ideas and hear how my peers were working on their ideas. I also gained advice and support from startups that have successfully made it to market and was able to develop EuroPassport into a more viable endeavour. Thanks to the program and support from the LIZ, I now feel like I have a good understanding of legal tech.
Which session was your favourite and why?
Although I don’t like pitching, I know I need to do it, so the pitching session with Aiko Thurlow [Founder and CEO of InFounders] was my favourite. Aiko ran an incredible session, allowing us to interact with each other, while also explaining the process well. You can tell she absolutely loves what she does and her passion was felt throughout her presentation. That being said, all presenters and sessions were very relevant and I enjoyed all of them.
As an entrepreneur, have you faced any challenges while working remotely?
I am a very social person so that has been a challenge in itself; however I now have two extra hours each day by not having to commute. Initially, we thought it was going to be a challenge starting the business during the pandemic, but it looks as though post-COVID, more people will be open to getting their second citizenship to have more options to move around.
To learn more about EuroPassport, visit their website (external link) . You can also reach out to Dayn via LinkedIn (external link) .
Learn more and apply for future Sprint Studio cohorts. (external link)
This interview has been edited and/or condensed for clarity.
