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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

Retail

R|T: The Retail Times – Shopify’s strategic investment to solve this supply chain mess

Josh Scott Feb 17, 2022

Plus: Massive “coffeetech” investments are giving startups a jolt.

New report on Canadian venture, private equity landscape shows firms failing when it comes to inclusion side of D&I

Meagan Simpson Feb 17, 2022

Women partners are six times more likely to report harassment or feel opinions not valued.

Funding

Hubdoc co-founders back eState Planner’s $1 million seed round

Charlize Alcaraz Feb 16, 2022

Divorcemate creator Mark Harris also participated in the financing.

SaaS

Pinterest appoints Kristie Painting as Canada country manager

Charlize Alcaraz Feb 16, 2022

Painting joins after Pinterest expanded its Toronto office by 50 people last year.

Markets

Shopify shares drop following decelerated revenue growth, lowered guidance in Q4 2021

Josh Scott and Douglas Soltys Feb 16, 2022

Shopify’s share price has dropped 18 percent following market open.

SaaS

BetaKit Live: Checking in with BC’s SaaS Unicorns, Clio and Trulioo on February 23rd

Raj Dhaliwal Feb 16, 2022

Let’s get SaaS-y with two Best Coast unicorns.

Funding

Alongside closes $8 million Series A to merge its HR tools with CareerBeacon’s jobs site

Josh Scott Feb 16, 2022

Alongside used some of the funding to acquire CareerBeacon in December.

Toronto

Properly begins Canadian expansion with move into Vancouver, Fraser Valley

Josh Scott Feb 16, 2022

CEO says Vancouver is a “great hub” to begin serving Western Canada.

Raquel Urtasun, founder and CEO of Waabi.

A|I: The AI Times – Raquel Urtasun’s autonomous vehicle revolution

Josh Scott Feb 16, 2022

Plus: Toronto tech institute tracking long COVID with AI.

Funding

Cohere closes $125 million USD Series B round led by Tiger Global

Josh Scott Feb 15, 2022

Cohere plans to open new Palo Alto office led by Apple alum.

Funding

Bank of Montreal commits $100 million to launch lending program for Black entrepreneurs

Charlize Alcaraz Feb 15, 2022

Black entrepreneurs can receive loans of up to $250,000.

Acquisitions

LifeSpeak to acquire digital fitness platform Wellbeats for up to $117.9 million CAD

Charlize Alcaraz Feb 15, 2022

Wellbeats would mark LifeSpeak’s largest acquisition to date.

Funding

Paper secures $343 million CAD with US schools drawn to its remote tutoring tech

Meagan Simpson Feb 15, 2022

Paper doubled the number of students on its platform to two million since last year.

SaaS

S|W: The SaaS Weekly – 7shifts staffs up

Josh Scott Feb 15, 2022

Plus: Acquirers are circling Zendesk.

Impact

The many obstacles to inclusion in startups (and one aid from Innovate BC)

Stefan Palios Feb 14, 2022

For startups looking to make positive changes, it’s important to first have a conversation about bias.

From Partners

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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