BetaKit - Canadian Startup News & Tech Innovation

Featured

Funding

Koho becomes Canada’s latest unicorn following $130-million Series E round

Josh Scott Jun 11

FinTech firm passes 2.5 million users as it navigates “final stages” of acquiring banking licence.

Nesto CEO Malik Yacoubi sits on stage with two other unidentified man.

Funding

Nesto secures nearly $1.5-billion valuation in new Series E round

Alex Riehl Jun 10

Montréal-based digital mortgage lender wants to speed up approvals using AI.

Intriciate technology connected to the Trillium Supercomputer

Inside the GTA facility housing one of Canada’s most powerful supercomputers

Josh Scott Jun 8

Trillium helps Canadian researchers with massive jobs like simulating oceans and modelling stars.

Evan Solomon speaking into a microphone.

Canada’s AI strategy contains $2.3 billion in spending but few details on new privacy regulations

Alex Riehl Jun 4

Delayed strategy promises plan to encourage Canadians to reinvest tech investment gains in AI startups.

BDC extends Isabelle Hudon’s mandate as CEO through 2030

Alex Riehl Jun 1

Crown corporation’s board chair says Hudon will help shape its next five-year strategy.

Defence Tech

Q&A: Erin O’Toole says Canada needs to play catch-up on defence innovation

Douglas Soltys May 28

Erin O’Toole wants Canadian innovators to seize the moment before it’s gone.

Latest

Cleantech

Alberta Innovates’ Bryan Helfenbaum on the future of energy in Canada

Stefan Palios Jan 20, 2023

Executive director says clean tech can help maintain prosperity while driving toward a net-zero economy.

Healthtech

H|T: The Healthtech Times – Carbon Health cuts staff, closes $100M

Michael Edgar Jan 20, 2023

Plus: LeanTaas and Hospital IQ join forces.

SaaS

S|W: The SaaS Weekly – The best places to work in Canada are US SaaS companies

Michael Edgar Jan 20, 2023

Plus: Supply Vision acquired for $16 million.

Funding

Summit Nanotech secures $50 million USD to scale lithium extraction for EV production

Charlize Alcaraz Jan 19, 2023

The Calgary startup aims to build the “lithium mine of the future.”

Layoffs

Benevity cites lower than expected customer demand as cause for 14 percent layoffs

Josh Scott Jan 19, 2023

Benevity joins Hootsuite, Lightspeed, Clutch, Clearco in significant staff cuts.

Layoffs

Layoffs spread to Clutch, Canada Drives as online auto marketplaces gear down

Charles Mandel Jan 19, 2023

Clutch cut approximately 65 percent of its staff.

SaaS

Milk Moovement countersues US competitor Dairy LLC, alleges monopoly abuse over dairy intelligence industry

Charlize Alcaraz Jan 19, 2023

Relationship soured last year when Milk Moovement allegedly spilled Dairy’s “trade secrets.”

With Signal 1, Tomi Poutanen is using AI to tackle Canadian healthcare

Josh Scott Jan 19, 2023

…

Funding

After navigating “major” changes to restaurant industry, Notch closes $13.7 million CAD to fuel pivot to FinTech

Josh Scott Jan 19, 2023

CEO: “When you have to pivot in COVID, that’s a challenging place to be.”

François-Philippe Champagne speaking in Kitchener.

A|I: The AI Times – Radical strategies for AI & quantum in Canada

Michael Edgar Jan 19, 2023

Plus: Scale AI cuts 20% of its workforce.

Funding

Volvo backs Waabi to accelerate driverless trucks commercialization

Charlize Alcaraz Jan 18, 2023

Waabi unveiled its self-driving product in November to gear up for road tests.

Layoffs

Hootsuite CEO Tom Keiser replaced amid third round of layoffs

Meagan Simpson Jan 18, 2023

The cuts mark Hootsuite’s third round of layoffs in the last six months.

Acquisitions

Market intelligence startup Klue moves closer to all-in-one platform vision with DoubleCheck Research acquisition

Charles Mandel and Meagan Simpson Jan 18, 2023

DoubleCheck brings research insights into how companies win and lose deals.

What Xero learned after 15 years of building software for SMBs

Stefan Palios Jan 18, 2023

Building for SMBs requires embracing “coopetition.”

Retail

R|T: The Retail Times – Shop Pay vs. ‘Buy with Prime’ begins

Michael Edgar Jan 18, 2023

Plus: TikTok Parent ByteDance’s E-Commerce Volume Surged in 2022.

From Partners

Sorry, no posts were found

BetaKit Podcast

Jim Balsillie speaking at BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall

Physical AI and economic nationalism at BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall

by Douglas Soltys June 8, 2026

Waabi’s Raquel Urtasun and CCI’s Jim Balsillie came to Toronto Tech Week armed with data and predictions.

Listen Now

Evan Solomon at BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall

Events

AI sovereignty & defence tech at BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall

by Douglas Soltys June 1, 2026

Evan Solomon, leaders from Xanadu, Dominion Dynamics, Sentinel R&D got candid at Town Hall.

Listen Now

Events

How Toronto Tech Week became Canada’s largest grassroots tech event

by Douglas Soltys May 22, 2026

Co-directors Julia Konefal and Mell Truong explain how TTW went from experiment to 600 events in just two years.

Listen Now

British Columbia

Harjit Sajjan reports for duty

by Douglas Soltys May 15, 2026

After decades in public service, former defence minister Harjit Sajjan is now a defence-tech entrepreneur.

Listen Now

Defence Tech

Evaluating Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy

by Douglas Soltys April 27, 2026

The DIS adds clarity to Canada’s defence spending commitments, but not their outcomes.

Listen Now