Charles Mandel always filed on time
Charles Mandel was short and short-tempered. He was quick to file, faster still with a joke or pun, and always looking for an opportunity to lighten the mood. Charles was cordial to communications professionals and direct with his interview subjects. A senior writer at BetaKit for almost three years, Charles never missed a deadline, even […]
Hopper restructures again following renewal of Expedia partnership
Montréal-based travel booking company Hopper has reportedly made another round of staff cuts in response to the renewal of its once-broken relationship with travel platform Expedia. Hopper’s B2B offering now makes up two-thirds of its revenue. According to Skift, the layoffs affected about 10 percent of its workforce, or 60 to 65 employees; 20 of […]
Nurau raises $1.5-million CAD in seed funding to take AI-powered HR coach to the US
Most Canadian and US workers want to have difficult conversations with their managers, but trust in leadership affects how comfortable employees feel broaching tough topics. Montréal-based artificial intelligence (AI) software company Nurau has secured a $1.5 million CAD seed round to help managers navigate sensitive discussions through its conversational coaching platform. The all-equity financing, which […]
Workers are embracing AI faster than employers can keep up
There is an urgent need for employers to establish clear policies and training to ensure artificial intelligence (AI) is used responsibly and effectively in the workplace, according to new research. A variety of studies produced in partnership with Future Skills Centre (FSC) have explored the adoption of AI in the Canadian workforce, and point to […]
Belgian VC Theodorus relocates to Canada under new name to target early-stage life sciences startups
After four funds over more than 20 years, Belgium’s Theodorus is exiting European investing entirely to pursue North American life sciences companies from its new Montréal headquarters. Under the name Seido Capital, the venture capital (VC) firm will focus exclusively on early-stage life sciences startups in Canada and the United States (US) with its new […]
Shopify calls on feds to “do whatever is necessary” to resolve Canada Post strike before Black Friday
Shopify has released an open letter calling on the federal government to “do whatever is necessary” to get striking Canada Post workers back to work ahead of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) weekend. Open letter claims at least 67,000 Shopify-powered small businesses rely on Canada Post. In the letter addressed to Minister of Labour and […]
WonderFi and Kraken Canada each break $2-billion CAD mark for assets under custody
Two cryptocurrency firms have hit new milestones for client holdings in Canada. Today, Toronto-based WonderFi revealed its Bitbuy and Coinsquare crypto trading platforms have achieved a new record in client assets under custody that surpasses the $2.1 billion CAD mark. San Francisco-based crypto exchange Kraken also announced last week that its Canadian operation has exceeded […]
Montréal-founded FightCamp launches Peloton-style boxing lessons in Canada
Costa Mesa, California-based, Canadian-founded FightCamp has launched its at-home boxing connected fitness platform in Canada. “Our team of former boxers and busy parents hope to add a fun, engaging and effective routine to many households.” Khalil ZaharFightCamp FightCamp was founded by CEO Khalil Zahar, a Canadian entrepreneur who received mechanical engineering degrees from Laval University […]
Practice Better looks to opportunistic growth with $18-million CAD credit facility from CIBC
Toronto-based Practice Better has closed a $13-million USD ($18-million CAD) debt facility from CIBC Innovation Banking. The credit facility, which closed in September, will help Practice Better explore new initiatives and growth opportunities, as well as double down on initiatives the startup believes are working, the company said. To date, it has raised $40 million […]
Interest rate cuts haven’t helped Canadian small business—yet
The start of 2024 looked like a turning point for Canadian small businesses. In the first three months of the year, small businesses were doing notably better across three core metrics—sales growth, late payments, and time to be paid. The Bank of Canada had decided to start cutting interest rates in June, and it wasn’t […]