Navigating the Future of International Technology
This week, Y Combinator held its Summer 2019 Demo Day and this time 11 Canadian startups participated in the seed accelerator program. YC’s summer 2019 cohort was comprised of 197 companies overall, which pitched to investors over the course of two days. The 11 Canadian companies mark the second largest group of Canadians to ever…
They say the average person spends five years of their life waiting in line. I’m not entirely sure who ‘they’ are, but if you’ve ever had to wait in line to order at a restaurant in Toronto, it can sometimes feel like an eternity, especially if you’re hungry. The idea for Grabb came to life…
The CanadianFinTechsector is a hot topic, as several Canadian companies have recently launched or raised funding to shift not just the way the financial industry operates, but how we deal with money. Last week on BNN’sThe Disruptors, three such companies, Grouplend, Payso, and Wealthsimple, pitched their attempt at disruption. Recently, Kevin Sandhu, CEO of Grouplend,…
Canadian tech organization #MoveTheDial has decided to pause company operations “for the foreseeable future” as economic pressures caused by COVID-19 continue to grow. #MoveTheDial founder and CEO Jodi Kovitz announced the decision on Wednesday, stating that as of next week #MoveTheDial will be pausing operations in order to preserve the organization in the long term….
Hundreds of CEOsof leading Canadian innovation and tech companies have signed an open letter to various Government of Canada departments, calling for stronger supports for the sector amid COVID-19. “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape – and these same companies need more certainty.” Theletter, developed by MaRS Discovery District, is addressed to Minister of…
COVID-19 is disrupting Canadian business in ways many of today’s founders have never experienced. Startups across the country have been forced to hit the pause button on growth in order to survive this black swan event. “We all are going to get through this. There’s just a lot of tough things you’re going to have…
Toronto-based startupJombone, which offers a digital staffing platform, has secured a $1-million investment from the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to address the hiring needs of companies in the industrial sector. Backed by FedDev Ontario, Jombone said it plans to hire 26 people for “highly skilled” jobs at the startup in…
Toronto-based startupBoxhub, which offers an online marketplace for shipping containers, has raised a $12.4-million Series A round. Early-stage venture fund AlleyCorp led the round with participation from Solasta Ventures, Interplay VC, FJ Labs, and Hum Capital. AlleyCorp partner Susannah Shipton has also joined Boxhub’s board of directors. While there was a shipping container shortage during…
Calgary-based venture studioHarvest Venture Buildersis adopting an artificial intelligence (AI) focus for its new climate and energy vertical. Harvest said the new vertical will focus on the implementation of AI operations for energy infrastructure, with the aim of positioning Calgary as a global hub for “energy AI.” As part of its new energy AI vertical,…
Last week, FinTech and payment startup Helcim unveiled its latest hardware product: a new point-of-sale device called Smart Terminal. The standalone, wireless processor allows small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to accept in-person credit and debit payments via tap, chip and PIN, manage inventory, and issue receipts. The Smart Terminal, which comes preloaded with Helcim’s point-of-sale…