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 […]
MedEssist offers pharmacists medication delivery through new partnership with Uber Direct
Toronto-based healthtech startup MedEssist has launched a new integration with Uber’s white-label delivery service to expand access to same-day medication delivery for pharmacies across North America. The partnership between MedEssist and Uber Direct will allow community pharmacies in Canada and the United States to tap into Uber’s network of workers and offer delivery to their […]
Cracking the code with AI
Earlier this year, Mantle faced a common challenge. The next-generation equity management platform had finished the prototype for a new product, and needed to get it ready for production. “We developed an approach that reduced the scope of work by two-thirds and saved months of developer time.” Dwayne Forde, CTO of Mantle They had built […]
Neo Financial snags top spot on Deloitte’s 2024 Technology Fast 50
Calgary and Winnipeg-based FinTech startup Neo Financial has claimed the number one spot in Deloitte’s 2024 Technology Fast 50 rankings. Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 recognizes Canada’s 50 fastest-growing technology companies based on the highest revenue growth percentage over the past three years. According to Deloitte, the average three-year revenue growth of the Technology Fast 50 […]
Meet Christopher Skeete, Québec’s new minister responsible for finishing Fitzgibbon’s work
One of the new ministers responsible for innovation in Québec says that making provincial businesses competitive again in light of Canada’s lagging productivity is a matter of “existential” importance. Christopher Skeete has taken over the innovation portion of Pierre Fitzgibbon’s portfolio after Premier François Legault’s “super minister” resigned as Minister of Economy, Innovation and Energy […]
Manzil acquires Aghaz to expand Halal financial solutions to the United States
Toronto-based Manzil, which offers Halal-certified investment and home financing solutions designed for Muslims, has expanded to the United States (US) through the acquisition of American FinTech firm Aghaz Investments. Acquisition will help Manzil launch ETFs and explore other new investment products. Manzil said the acquisition includes Aghaz’s technology platform and registration with the U.S. Securities […]
Founders of Sysomos, Aislelabs find traction bringing their AI research to AEC
Toronto-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup Workorb has closed $2.6 million CAD in seed financing to advance its automation product for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. The round, which consisted of SAFE agreements that closed over the summer, was led by Greece-based venture firm Metavallon Ventures, with participation from Freedom of Innovation Ventures, and […]
Shopify alums secure $7-million CAD seed round for AI mobile commerce platform Reactiv
Toronto-based Reactiv, which provides an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered mobile commerce platform, has exited stealth with the announcement of a $5 million USD ($6.97 million CAD) seed round. The round was led by Bonfire Ventures with backing from other American VC firms, including Foxe Capital, Anthemis Group, Daher Capital, and Alumni Ventures, co-founder and CEO Ross […]
What keeps Canada’s zombie startups alive?
It’s spooky season at BetaKit and the whole team got into the spirit, but only newsletter subscribers get to see the grim results. I did not don a costume this year, but I’ll do my part by discussing zombie startups: venture-backed businesses making enough revenue to sustain operations, but not enough to justify past valuations […]
Father-son Schwartz duo team up with FinTech founders to launch Exit North Ventures
A family pair of Canadian financial services insiders have teamed up with a group of successful founders to launch new FinTech-focused venture capital (VC) firm Exit North Ventures. Founded and led by Canadian Fintech newsletter’s Tal Schwartz and his father, Canadian Lenders Association (CLA) founder Gary Schwartz, Toronto-based Exit North is raising a $20-million CAD […]