Do you own your .CA domain? BetaKit didn’t
About a month ago, I typed BetaKit’s name into the address bar on my browser, and then added .CA. It bounced to a newsletter sign-up for another company. “It’s never a bad idea to register both a.CA and .com domain—even just to protect your brand.” Like many startups and small businesses, BetaKit’s former leadership had […]
Rivercity Innovations freshens up with $2 million CAD to further expand cold chain monitoring around the world
Saskatoon-based Internet of Things (IoT) startup Rivercity Innovations (RCI) has secured $2 million CAD in funding as it looks to help more restaurants, stores, and pharmacies in Europe and the Persian Gulf avoid food spoilage. The funding came as part of a round led by Calgary-based StepChange Capital, with participation from returning investors Startup TNT […]
Diagram Ventures beats target to close first ClimateTech Fund at $80 million
Montréal-based venture builder and investor Diagram Ventures has fuelled up to expand beyond its FinTech roots with the final close of its first ClimateTech Fund. Diagram reached its hard cap for the fund after securing $80 million CAD in commitments. With this final close, Diagram has surpassed its $60-million target despite a particularly tough venture […]
Toronto delivers for Uber’s tech team
In 2018, Uber expanded its small but growing presence in Toronto by creating a 20-person tech shop that operated out of a coworking space at Queen and Spadina. Today, the tech hub is housed inside one of the top four floors of Uber Canada’s Toronto headquarters at 121 Bloor Street East, a WELL-certified workplace with […]
Real Ventures launches revamped fellowship program for founder well-being
Québec-based early-stage venture capital (VC) firm Real Ventures is going back to its roots with a fellowship program for aspiring founders that’s meant to help them grow into mentors and leaders. The new initiative is partially modelled on a similar program from a decade ago, in which Real Ventures held a 10-week educational fellowship for […]
‘AI godfather’ Geoffrey Hinton co-wins 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics
Geoffrey Hinton has spent recent years warning against the potentially disastrous effects of artificial intelligence (AI) systems he helped create if left unchecked. Now, the life’s work that spawned his ‘godfather of AI’ nickname has resulted in a Nobel Prize in Physics, one of the most prestigious awards in the scientific field. “He has done […]
Government-backed Montréal innovation hub Ax-C gets boost from private sector
Québec’s forthcoming innovation hub has received a boost from four private sector companies to sustain its operations in the province until at least 2029. Bell, Google Canada, Desjardins, and the Fonds de solidarité de Québec (FTQ) pledged a total of $5.25 million CAD to support Ax-C, an upcoming space in downtown Montréal that aims to […]
Indiegraf to expand independent news solution after raising $2.9 million CAD
Vancouver-based Indiegraf has closed $2.9 million CAD ($2.2 million USD) in funding to expand its platform aimed at helping journalists create sustainable digital businesses. The all-equity, all-primary round, which was classified as seed financing, was led by StandUp Ventures, with participation from Canadian-founded Coralus, formerly known as SheEO, and California-based investor Mucker Capital. It brings […]
Flora Fertility closes $1.5 million CAD to bring individual fertility insurance across North America
Calgary-based Insurtech startup Flora Fertility has raised $1.5 million CAD in pre-seed funding as it prepares to take its fertility insurance platform to market in the United States next year. The all-equity round was led by returning investor Highline Beta, with participation from Silicon Valley-based Cartography Capital, and New York and Los Angeles-based Everywhere Ventures. […]
MaRS CEO lays out reset business model as innovation hub makes more cuts
As its new CEO continues to overhaul MaRS Discovery District’s operations, the Toronto-based innovation hub has made additional layoffs and revamped its advisory model. After laying off 20 staff members in June 2024, predominantly at the leadership level, MaRS told BetaKit it had cut a further 11 people from its team, while moving eight of […]