Meanwhile, in Canada
The first and only time I’ve found myself part of a front-page story in The Globe and Mail was Monday, January 30, 2017. It was the day after a small contingent came together over a weekend to draft and publish an open letter in rapid response to then-President Trump’s travel ban preventing citizens of seven […]
Addressing Canada’s speed of financial innovation
We have a podcast double feature for you this week, featuring two different conversations from the recent Elevate FinTech stage, which was programmed by BetaKit. Combined, I think they provide a pulse check on the state of financial innovation in Canada, and where it intersects with competition, government policy, and the nation’s underbanked. For both […]
TikTok Bans, CEO kidnappings, and Canadian tech’s Fast 50
QUIZ START The post TikTok Bans, CEO kidnappings, and Canadian tech’s Fast 50 first appeared on BetaKit.
‘The world’s biggest problems are not going to be solved with software’: industry leaders unpack Canada’s opportunities in semiconductors and AI
Semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) took centre stage at the fourth HardTech Summit this week, where attendees gathered to network, attend panels, exhibitions, and check in on the state of Canada’s hard technology ecosystem. Markham, Ont.-based VentureLab, which caters to entrepreneurs building hard tech solutions, hosted the event. “It’s becoming clear that the world’s biggest […]
Aron Levitz named co-president of Wattpad as #CDNtech executive turnover continues through the fall
In the latest wave of leadership changes in Canada’s tech sector this year, Toronto-based Wattpad has found a new co-president in one of its long-time leaders: Aron Levitz. Levitz joins from Webtoon Studios, a division of Wattpad’s parent company, South Korea-based conglomerate Naver Corporation, where he has served and will continue to serve as president. […]
Online legal database CanLII sues Caseway AI for copyright infringement
The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) has filed a lawsuit against artificial intelligence (AI) startup Caseway AI, alleging Caseway violated its terms of use and infringed copyright by scraping 3.5 million records from CanLII’s database. The suit follows a failed cease-and-desist letter the institute sent to Caseway last month, demanding the startup delete and end […]
WonderFi CEO Dean Skurka kidnapped, released after reportedly paying $1-million ransom
Dean Skurka, president and CEO of Toronto-based cryptocurrency company WonderFi, was reportedly kidnapped and held for ransom in Toronto yesterday. A Toronto Police Service spokesperson told BetaKit that police were called about a kidnapping in the area of University Ave. and Richmond St. W. just before 6 p.m. on Nov. 6 after suspects forced the […]
Citing national security risks, feds order shutdown of TikTok’s Canadian arm but forgo outright ban
The Government of Canada has ordered social media giant TikTok to wind up its operations in Canada, but refrained from banning use of the short-form video platform outright. In a Nov. 6 statement, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne indicated that with this move, the federal government aims to address “specific national security risks” related to the […]
Lightspeed, Well Health hit new revenue milestones in latest quarterly earnings
Shares in Montréal-based Lightspeed Commerce and Vancouver-based Well Health Technologies both climbed after the companies reported reaching new nine-figure revenue milestones in their latest quarterly earnings. Both Lightspeed and Well posted strong revenue growth in their latest fiscal quarters, with Lightspeed reporting $277.2 million USD and Well reporting $251.7 million CAD, a year-over-year increase of […]
Longbow Capital completes $150-million initial close of second Energy Transition Fund
Calgary-based private equity firm Longbow Capital looks to continue investing in emission-tackling companies after securing an initial close of $150 million for its second energy transition fund. Longbow’s first Energy Transition Fund reportedly raised a total of $181 million. The initial close of Energy Transition Fund II, which has a target of $250 million, is […]