TechTO Quick Takes | Canadian tech news and analysis: Recent Episodes
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Alex and Jason of TechTO discuss the latest in Canadian tech news and what founders, entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors need to know.
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return to breakdown the top headlines of the past week in Canadian Tech.
In today's episode, they chat through an array of topics including:
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The importance of disclosing rejection
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What it means to stand out in your vertical (FinTech specifically)
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Some important raises to highlight in our lightning round
Like and subscribe and make sure you share your takes on the news and trends with us.
For more information about the events mentioned in this episode, visit our events page at: www.techto.org/in-real-life-event
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Today's episode is sponsored by Humi - learn more about their solutions at 15:09
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO are back to break down some top stories from the last week.
In today's episode, they chat about:
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The Billion dollar AI package (all hype or the real deal?)
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DeathTech is in the news (finally)
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Is more privatization coming?
If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts.
#TechTO #QuickTakes #TechNews
More on Eirene:
In today's episode, we discuss Eirene's recent raise and how they are re-inventing the funeral industry through a modern, tech-savvy approach. CEO Mallory Greene spoke at a recent TechTO.
Watch here to learn more
Today's episode is sponsored by Humi - learn more about them and their special offer for the community at 13:17 of this episode
What does Apple and the 'G' in Lasagna have in common? They both move in silence...
In today's episode of TechTO Quick Takes, Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly break down some key headlines from the past month in Canadian Tech, including:
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A big announcement from PocketHealth
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A silent acquisition from Apple
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Breaking news we are very proud of
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Plus a rumor in the ecosystem
If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you watch or listen to your news and podcasts.
Share your takes with on social and let us know what you want us to chat about next.
We spoke in today's episode about PocketHealth and Founder Rishi Nayyar. We had the pleasure to chat with him exclusively for our Founders Journey podcast where we asked about his best lessons for Founders and his journey to building PocketHealth.
Listen to the full episode here to learn more about his inspiring journey
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On this special edition of Quick Takes, Matt Golden of Golden Ventures joined the podcast to chat about the recent announcement for Golden Ventures.
In this interview, Matt shares more on:
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The opportunities they are providing for Founders
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The outlook for the Canadian tech ecosystem
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The full offerings of Golden Ventures and what's new
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What they look for when providing funding and mentorship to Founders
Share your takes with us and let us know who you'd like to hear from next.
QuickTakes #Fundraising #Founders #CanadianTech
Today's episode is sponsored byHumi
As a TechTO community member, you can get access to their exclusive offer: 25% off, with no implementation and base fees – plus 30 days free.
Learn more about Humi and how they can support your business at www.humi.ca/techto
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO are back to break down the headlines from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
Today, the duo chat through:
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A lightning round of deals to unpack
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The future of Techstars Toronto (and why it may have failed)
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Staying Golden with the big news from Golden Ventures
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The bright future of Canadian Tech
The team also calls upon you (our listeners) to share your thoughts on the series. Comment if you'd like to see us put out episodes once a month with more content, or you enjoy our current cadence.
Aside from the takes and headlines of the week, do you want us to dive into other things? More frequently asked questions, US news, industry-specific topics?
LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!
You can also email us at info@techtoronto.org to share your thoughts
You can also register for all upcoming events mentioned here:
Don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening to this series.
Today's episode is sponsored by Humi
As a TechTO community member, you can get access to their exclusive offer: 25% off, with no implementation and base fees – plus 30 days free.
Learn more about Humi and how they can support your business at www.humi.ca/techto
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO are back to break down the headlines from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.Today, the duo chat through:- Two recent rounds and the significance they hold for the community- How new and experienced founders can build and leverage relationships to raise capitalThe team also calls upon you (our listeners) to share your thoughts on the series. Comment if you'd like to see us put out episodes once a month with more content, or you enjoy our current cadence. Aside from the takes and headlines of the week, do you want us to dive into other things? More frequently asked questions, US news, industry-specific topics? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!You can also email us at info@techtoronto.org to share your thoughts
You can also register for all upcoming events mentioned here: www.techto.org/in-real-life-event
Don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening to this series. #TechTO #QuickTakes #TechNews #Analysis #Founders #Podcasts
Today's episode is sponsored by Humi
As a TechTO community member, you can get access to their exclusive offer: 25% off, with no implementation and base fees – plus 30 days free.
Learn more about Humi and how they can support your business at www.humi.ca/techto
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly return to break down the latest stories from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
In today's episode, they break down:
- Two new acquisitions making headlines
- They weigh in on their 2024 predictions and see how they've held up so far
- Spellbook raises a second round in less than a year
- and more on the latest from Beatdapp and what they're doing for the music industry
If you enjoyed today's episode, like and subscribe and leave us a rating or comment. Share your takes with us and what you'd like to hear us chat through next time.
Available wherever you watch or listen to your podcasts - like and subscribe so you never miss an episode.
- Look back at our initial 2024 predictions and compare yours here
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Quick Takes is back!
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly return for the first episode of 2024... and we're offering our predictions (you can hold us accountable).
From AI, to Canadian Venture Funding, to the job market and more - we're weighing in on what we think 2024 will look like for Canadian Tech.
Make sure to like and subscribe wherever you watch or listen to your podcasts and share your takes on our predictions - we love to hear what you think.
New episodes dropping bi-weekly ALL YEAR LONG. Leave us a comment and review and let us know what you want to hear about in 2024!
For the final episode of 2023, Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO team up for one last edition to break down all the news, trends and analysis as we head into the new year.
Today, Alex and Alex chat through:
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KOHO's news and the optimism it brings for 2024
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Are we finally seeing fundraising return for Canadian startups?
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And we run through the hot topics from 2023 and our takes on the trends for the coming year
Thanks for listening and sharing your takes with us this year! Make sure to let us know what you'd like to hear more about in 2024!
Like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening.
We'll see you in 2024!
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Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return with a new episode of TechTO: Quick Takes. In this series, Alex and Alex break down the latest news, trends, announcements, and analysis from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
In today's episode, we discuss:
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How a business can navigate turbulent times
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A new strategic partnership for BetaKit
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Look ahead to 2024
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And the pillars of success for startups in today's market
If you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening. Don't forget to share your takes with us on the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
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Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return with a brand new episode of TechTO Quick Takes. They are breaking down the latest news, trends, and analysis from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
Today, Alex and Alex discuss:
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How to raise pre-product, and what we can learn from the DeepSky raise
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Potential trends for 2024
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Ranking the Canadian banks on the Evident AI Index
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Did too many companies go public on the TSX during the boom?
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Will we see a trend of more tech companies 'delisting'
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And an acquisition we are Certn about
If you enjoyed today's episode, leave us a review. Don't forget to like and subscribe so you never miss out on future episodes. Share your takes with us and let us know what you'd like to hear about next!
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Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return with a brand new episode of TechTO Quick Takes. They are breaking down the latest news, trends, and analysis from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
Today, Alex and Alex discuss:
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How AI and Robotics are helping to solve the housing crisis
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The Hyatt brothers recent investment and why it's significant
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Upcoming community events to attend
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Benefits of capitalizing on the AI chip shortage
If you enjoyed today's episode, leave us a review. Don't forget to like and subscribe so you never miss out on future episodes. Share your takes with us and let us know what you'd like to hear about next!
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Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly return with the latest episode of TechTO Quick Takes. They breakdown the latest news, trends and analysis from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
Today, Alex and Alex chat through:
- Vendasta continues to leverage its distribution advantage to raise and grow
- Procurify lands $50m USD to grow AI tools
- Reviewing Hiive's recent raise in a secondary market and during tough times
Special thanks to our friends at Float for sponsoring today's episode.
Learn more about how Float can support your business and end-of-month process at: www.floatcard.com
Don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening. Leave us a rating and don't forget to let us know your takes on the news from the week.
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Today's episode is brought to you by Float.
Learn more about Float and how they can support you and your business at https://floatcard.com/
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO are back to break down more of the latest news, trends, and analysis from across Canadian Tech.
In today's episode, Alex and Alex discuss:
- Tips for raising in today's market
- What's been working for founders in terms of gaining traction with investors
- How Clearco completely pivoted and showed what it means to be resilient
Like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening and don't forget to share your takes with us!
Follow us across social and subscribe to the TechTO Newsletter to get analysis like this, right to your inbox! www.techto.org/newsletter
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return to breakdown the latest news, trends, and analysis on this brand new episode of Quick Takes.
Today's episode answers burning questions for the rest of the year and offers more clarity and takeaways for the Canadian Tech Ecosystem.
Alex and Alex chat through:
- The biggest topics for the rest of 2023
- Will AI actually take our jobs?
- Should we be worried about the slowdown of acquisition news?
- What can we expect for the rest of the year?
- What startups will emerge on top
Like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening. Subscribe wherever you listen to your news and podcasts.
Connect with the team on LinkedIn or leave us your comments below.
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Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO are back to break down more of the news, trends, and analysis from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
On today's episode, Alex and Alex discuss:
- Why AI startups are thriving
- More on the recent Sun Life acquisition of Dialogue
- How VCs are adjusting to the current market
Plus we chat through our upcoming events and Alex Norman shares his perspective on the current market
Like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening
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Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return to break down the latest news trends and analysis from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
Alex and Alex chat through:
- How the access to tech talent is improving
- How the province, and country plan to retain tech talent
- Why these two companies are facing headwinds after raising large rounds
- A larger-than-normal round of funding news and announcements and what this means for the ecosystem
Don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening
We'll be back again in 2 weeks with more TechTO Quick Takes.
Don't forget to leave us your thoughts and reviews on what you thought of our takes!
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Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return to break down the latest news trends and analysis from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
Alex and Alex chat through:
- A rumour that actually turned out to be true
- Data moats are helping vertical AI companies scale
- Building on someone else platform can lead to success
- And for our Lighting Round they chat through more news and announcements from the past few weeks in tech
Don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening
We'll be back again in 2 weeks with more TechTO Quick Takes.
Don't forget to leave us your thoughts and reviews on what you thought of our takes!
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Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return to break down the latest news, trends, and analysis from the past few weeks in Canadian Tech.
A special guest also joins the podcast today to discuss a recent raise and how it all came together.
Scott Stevenson of Spellbook discusses their recent news and all the learnings and takeaways for the community.
Alex and Alex also chat through:
- A large round from Hostaway and the recovery of the travel industry (Marcus Rader of Hostaway spoke at a 2019 TechTO, watch it here: https://lnkd.in/gWVrdRR8)
- Today's current market
- Events you should keep on your calendar for the coming months
- BenchSci's nearly 100m dollar Series D, and what it means for others
Learn more about Spellbook at www.spellbook.legal
Don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you're watching or listening
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Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return to break down the latest news, trends, and analysis from the Canadian Tech Ecosystem.
On today's episode, Alex and Alex chat through:
- Breaking news as Shopify cuts 20% of global staff
- A raise that "may or may not happen"
- Super.com has a supersized raise
- More bad news (but we promise there's a positive outlook)
- Our takes on the recent announcements out of the ecosystem
Listen LIVE across the TechTO channels, or catch up later wherever you listen to your podcasts. Don't forget to like and subscribe so you never miss an episode!
SPOTIFY: https://lnkd.in/gxWsXrx
YOUTUBE: https://lnkd.in/eD-E5RH
APPLE PODCASTS: https://lnkd.in/gHKrXu2z
TechTO #QuickTakes #TechNews #CanadianTech
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return to break down the latest news, trends, and analysis from the Canadian Tech Ecosystem.
On today's episode, Alex and Alex chat through:
- The new Canadian consolidators club expands
- The benefits of changing trends
- Everything you need to know about a "clean room platform"
- How to spin technology out of Canadian universities
- More raises and announcements making news from the past couple of weeks
Listen LIVE across the TechTO channels, or catch up later wherever you listen to your podcasts. Don't forget to like and subscribe so you never miss an episode!
Today's episode is sponsored by our friends at CPSA:
You’re passionate about your tech solution, we’re passionate about helping you sell it. Learn proven techniques for prospecting, negotiating, pitching and client-relationship to close more business and grow your market share with membership in the Canadian Professional Sales Association.
Start your free trial today (no credit card required).
Plus: Listen to Kurtis McBride of Miovision at a past TechTO event: https://youtu.be/hmoNS4C8oEk
Learn more about Miovision and check out their product demo here: https://youtu.be/sNIxkjWFT_w
Checkout Aspect Biosystems recent conversation at our past TechTO event in Vancouver: https://youtu.be/hg4G3zyzYC0
SPOTIFY: https://lnkd.in/gxWsXrx
YOUTUBE: https://lnkd.in/eD-E5RH
APPLE PODCASTS: https://lnkd.in/gHKrXu2z
TechTO #QuickTakes #TechNews #CanadianTech
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return to break down the latest news, trends, and analysis from the Canadian Tech Ecosystem.
On today's episode, Alex and Alex chat through:
- The return of Funding news, and the revival of the Funding Market
- Tourist investors, the pros and cons
- More raises and announcements making news from the past couple of weeks
- What's coming up for our community
Don't forget to like and subscribe so you never miss an episode!
SPOTIFY: https://lnkd.in/gxWsXrx
YOUTUBE: https://lnkd.in/eD-E5RH
APPLE PODCASTS: https://lnkd.in/gHKrXu2z
TechTO #QuickTakes #TechNews #CanadianTech
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO return to break down the latest news, trends, and analysis from the Canadian Tech Ecosystem.
On today's episode, Alex and Alex chat through:
- The next consolidators in Canadian Tech
- A pandemic pivot gone wrong
- More raises and acquisitions making news from the past couple of weeks
- The glow-up of the travel industry (and why this is great news for you)
- Plus: our projections for acquisitions this year
On today's breaking news episode of Quick Takes - Jared Gordon of TechTO is joined by Andrew Hennigar of BLG, and William Lam of Jeeves to break down what the future looks like after this latest news rocked the tech world.
Don't forget to like and subscribe wherever you are listening to your podcasts.
We'll be back with a brand new episode of Quick Takes next week on March 23.
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Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly are back with a brand new episode of Quick Takes, where they break down the latest tech news, trends and analysis from the past few weeks.
In this series, the team chats through all the happenings, chatter, and updates from across the Canadian Tech Ecosystem.
Today's episode includes:
- GaN Systems Inc. big purchase, and what we can learn from this
- More raises and acquisitions we think are notable
- 2 repeat Founders make more moves with their newest company Barley
- We also chat through the main reasons companies actually get acquired
Like and Subscribe wherever you are watching or listening and catch up on previous episodes wherever you listen to your podcasts or watch your content.
SPOTIFY: https://lnkd.in/gxWsXrx
YOUTUBE: https://lnkd.in/eD-E5RH
APPLE PODCASTS: https://lnkd.in/gHKrXu2z
TechTO #QuickTakes #TechNews
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly breakdown the latest chatter and news from around the Canadian Tech Ecosystem, sharing their perspectives and featuring the shared stories of others from across the industry. You can share your takes with us for future episodes at: alex@techto.org.
Subscribe to our 3x weekly newsletter to get these episodes, and more right to your inbox: www.techto.org/newsletter
DON'T FORGET TO LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE WHEREVER YOU ARE LISTENING
Today the team breaks down: FounderFuels return and what that means, the CIC launches in Canada, more raises from across the ecosystem and Alex Norman makes a prediction for 2023.
AS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW: FounderFuel is currently accepting applications for their next cohort. Applications close on March 12, 2023 >> APPLY HERE: https://founderfuel.com/apply/**
Quick Takes is back, with a brand new episode!
Returning on a bi-weekly basis, we launch a new episode every other Thursday featuring the same analysis, news of the week, stories and perspectives you love.
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly breakdown the latest chatter and news from around the Canadian Tech Ecosystem, sharing their perspectives and featuring the shared stories of others from across the industry. You can share your takes with us for future episodes at: alex@techto.org.
Subscribe to our 3x weekly newsletter to get these episodes, and more right to your inbox: www.techto.org/newsletter
DON'T FORGET TO LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE WHEREVER YOU ARE LISTENING
Today the team breaks down: What is happening with D-Wave (and all the rumours), Shopify's latest investment in tech, the biggest raise of the year (so far), and more events and happenings for the ecosystem.
Quick Takes is back, kicking off 2023 with the same run downs, stories and analysis of the latest chatter and news in Canadian Tech.
Returning on a bi-weekly basis, we launch a new episode every other Thursday featuring the same analysis, news of the week, stories and perspectives you love.
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly breakdown the latest chatter and news from around the Canadian Tech Ecosystem, sharing their perspectives and featuring the shared stories of others from across the industry.
You can share your takes with us for future episodes at: alex@techto.org.
Subscribe to our 3x weekly newsletter to get these episodes, and more right to your inbox: www.techto.org/newsletter
DON'T FORGET TO LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE WHEREVER YOU ARE LISTENING
Today, the team breaks down:
Atomicjar's raise and commitment to build teams in Canada (BIG THANKS to Eli Aleyner of Atomicjar for joining us LIVE)
WeCommerce and Tiny join forces
Magnet Forensics attracts Private Equity
Accord raises $10m USD (they're also TechTO Insiders!)
Today's Content:
(0:00) A+A kick off the episode and introduce today's topics
(1:17) Eli Aleyner of Atomicjar joins Alex for a Q&A and to share more news
(15:23) WeCommerce and Tiny join forces. What is the news?
(21:24) Why are the companies merging now?
(26:22) Need a Co-Founder? Email alex@techto.org and tell us what you're looking for
(26:33) Magnet Forensics attracts Private Equity
(29:20) Our take on the transaction
(33:03) Accord raises $10m USD
(34:33) TechTO Events are fast approaching (www.techto.org to learn more and get your tickets)
Learn more about Atomicjar here
Quick Takes is back, kicking off 2023 with the same run downs, stories and analysis of the latest chatter and news in Canadian Tech.
Returning on a bi-weekly basis, we launch a new episode every other Thursday featuring the same analysis, news of the week, stories and perspectives you love.
Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly breakdown the latest chatter and news from around the Canadian Tech Ecosystem, sharing their perspectives and featuring the shared stories of others from across the industry.
You can share your takes with us for future episodes at: alex@techto.org.
Subscribe to our 3x weekly newsletter to get these episodes, and more right to your inbox: www.techto.org/newsletter
DON'T FORGET TO LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE WHEREVER YOU ARE LISTENING
Today, the team breaks down:
- Radical Ventures riding the AI wave
- Web3 news and acquisition struggles
- Nuvei's rapid growth
- TechTO/ Community Events news
(0:00) A+A kick off the episode and introduce today's topics
(1:16) Radical Ventures riding the AI wave
(4:16) Why is radical unique for the ecosystem?
(11:14) Coinsquare backs out of acquisition. What happened?
(18:43) Nuvei growing rapidly. What's the secret?
(26:52) Upcoming events for our community - check them out at www.techto.org
Welcome to TechTO Quick Takes. Alex Norman and Alexandra Reilly of TechTO meet to breakdown the latest new, trends and analysis from the past week in Canadian Tech.
It's Thursday November 17th, 2022 and today we are talking about:
- The new reality for startups and what this normal means
- Some major raises were announced recently, and we breakdown why this is big for the Canadian Tech Ecosystem
Catch up on past episodes wherever you listen to your podcasts.
You can also check out our upcoming events at www.techto.org
It's Thursday September 29th, 2022 - and today we are talking about:
- Avidbots cleaning up with a $70m USD raise
- We discuss, is Real Ventures really refocusing on Montreal?
- And in very exciting news, BDC is putting $500m towards closing the gender gap
To make sure you never miss an episode, like and subscribe on our Spotify and YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Special thanks to the Smith School of Business for sponsoring today's episode. Visit their website at smithqueens.com/aidegree** to learn more about their program
It's Thursday September 15, 2022 and for today's episode, we asked you to share your burning questions!
Alex Norman took the time to give his perspective on everything from the current investment market, what VC's are seeing, and even shared what his favourite hot sauce was.
To catch the full insights, listen here and don't forget to subscribe to us on Spotify and YouTube so you NEVER miss an episode.
Thanks as well to our friends at Voiceform who enabled to us to gather real time audio feedback that we shared LIVE on the show. Check them out at www.voiceform.com
Special thanks to Smith School of Business at Queen's University for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at smithqueens.com/aidegree to get involved in their program!
It's Thursday September 8, 2022 and here are today's headlines:
- COVID changes seem to stick enabling LumiQ to raise
- On the flip side, not all COVID changes stick as Roblox acquires TriplePlay
- Finally - are embedded tech and e-commerce the future? We discuss
Want to make sure you never miss an episode? Give us a follow on Spotify and YouTube. You can also subscribe to the TechTO newsletter at techto.org/newsletter to get new episodes right to your inbox!
Give us a shout on social or send us a message and let us know your takes on the week in Canadian Tech!
Special thanks to Smith School of Business at Queen's University for sponsoring this episode. Learn more at smithqueens.com/aidegree** to get involved in their program!
It’s Thursday July 28, 2022, and here are today’s headlines:
- We chat through more layoff news as Shopify lays off 10% of staff
- We’ll meet another Insider from the TechTO Community
- And finally, are professional service firms the new acquirers in tech?
It's Thursday July 21, 2022 and here are todays headlines:
- Planned pivots during COVID to emerge with an $18m round
- We’re joined by a TechTO Insider to share more on their culture and hiring goals
- And lastly, are corporate VCs taking the lead?
We also spoke to a TechTO Insider about his current hiring needs at KitchenHub. To learn more about the company and apply for opportunities, visit their careers page here
Discount code mentioned: TechTO10 for 10$ off your first order at kitchenhub.com
It's Thursday July 14, 2022 and here are today's headlines:
- Knixwear defines a category
- PE's love PointClickCare
- We introduce a brand new segment on Quick Takes
- More ways to raise in the current market
With Knixwear making news in this episode, we want to showcase more content from the Founder and CEO of the brand Joanna Griffiths. Check out some of her discussions at past TechTO events:
- How to leverage customer centric design to win faster
- 5-7 things I wish I knew before starting out
We also discuss PointClickCare and Mike Wessinger's Founder journey. He was a guest on our recent Three Comma Club Podcast. You can catch his full episodehere
It's Thursday July 7, 2022 and here are today's headlines:
- With the news of the recent TrackTik acquisition, does this signal the start of vertical SaaS consolidation?
- More layoff news as Clutch rightsizes for the current environment
- And finally with the news of Issac Soeweine joining Pender Ventures, does this signify a change in geographic power in Canada?
It's Thursday June 23, 2022 and today we are talking about:
- Collision week in Toronto
- Funding and Acquisition news
- Shopify adds news features
- How TechTO is supporting our ecosystem
It's Thursday June 16, 2022 and today we are talking about:
The layoffs plaguing the tech ecosystem, so what does this mean for Canada? We'll discuss...
It's Thursday June 9, 2022 and today we are talking about
- Crypto companies continue to raise
- Penny modernizes direct selling
- Is no news bad news for Canadian Tech?
It's Thursday, June 2 and today we are talking about:
- Pine proves that VC’s remain attracted to Canadian FinTech Opportunities
- Introducing our newest podcast series: Three Comma Club
- We look ahead at what’s coming up in real life for our community
It’s Thursday, May 26, and today we’re talking about:
- The Federal Government makes a big investment in the local venture ecosystem.
- Humi proves regulations and taxes can be your friend, and
- Timing is everything for Toronto-based startup, Moves.
It's Thursday May 19 and here's what happening this week in Canadian Tech:
- Tasktop gets purchased to consolidate the digital transformation industry
- Accessibility pays off for Fable
- Forma AI proves that AI can help incentivize sales people
Quicker takes:
- Round13 launches Digital Asset Market fund
- ChargeLab raised $15m USD due to a pivot they made a while ago.
It’s Thursday May 12, 2022, welcome to Quick Takes. Today, we are talking about:
- Dapper Labs investing in growing an ecosystem and demand for its Flow blockchain
- Faire takes the money while the going is good by raising an additional $416m USD
- Certn’s focus on non-technology companies continues to pay off
Lightning round:
- Allen Lau steps down as CEO of Wattpad
- Zero trust results in $100m for Tailscale
It's Friday, May 6 and today we are talking about:
- Neo making waves in Canada
- Shopify officially takes on Amazon
- Bonsai makes difficult lay-offs, looks ahead to the future
It’s Thursday April 21, 2022, and today we’re talking about:
- Breaking the mold when scaling: Sheertex rips a $101m raise
- Who benefits most?: The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan is tripling down on tech
- How to out-execute your competition: Vetster Inc. closes a partnership and a B round
- Quicker take: WonderFi acquires Coinberry for $38.5m
It’s Thursday, April 14, 2022, and today we’re talking about:
- Tech enabled is just as good as technology start-ups: Maverix is making its first deal by investing in Viral Nation.
- Reach for the stars, Canadian start-ups: A16Z’s 2022 Marketplace 100 List includes few Canadian start-ups
- Empowerment & investment: A raise from Uplinq
- New class of shares: A new cap structure at Shopify,
- International Growth: Virtual healthcare company, Dialogue's acquisition.
Insider company of the week: https://www.ninjadelivery.ca/
It’s Thursday March 31, 2022, and today we’re talking about:
- Markets turn and growth at all costs stop: Thinkific and Farmers Edge make layoffs and executive changes
- Pivot to monetizing other people’s content leads to a $14.5m round for Bonsai
- Canadian Web3 Council is formed to help shape Canada’s approach to Web3
- and Quicker take: Athennian raises $27m
Insider company of the week: http://www.decklinks.com/
It’s Thursday March 24, 2022, and today we’re talking about:
- Seeing the problem, creating a solution, and dedicating: Validere early pivot pays off with a new $43m USD raise
- The importance of branding: Talent.com rebrand leads to a $120m USD raise
- Massive markets have venture scale opportunities in “niches”: Two bootstrapped companies raise outside financing
- Developing impact of cryptocurrency: Bank of Canada working with MIT on Digital Currency research
- Growth on a larger scale: ApplyBoard makes it first acquisition
It’s Thursday February 23rd, 2022, and today we’re talking about:
- Some scaling points that can generate massive business: Convictional connects with $40m USD
- As if we don't say it enough... Timing IS everything: RideCo. On-Demand Transit drives into $16m USD
- What you need to know about Web3 as a Founder or Employee: The Web3 boom continues
- Why growth is important to valuation: Secondary sales makes eSentire a unicorn
- Travel related start-ups on the rise? Operto raises $12m USD
- RouteThis raises $25m to solve your wifi issues
- Average salaries for Canadians increased by 38%: Our take on the rising tech salaries
It's Thursday, February 17, 2022, and today we are talking about:
- A successful startup needs insights, product market fit and good timing: Paper raises $270m USD to become latest Canadian unicorn
- What it takes for a scale economy business to succeed: Cohere raise $125m USD
- Markets may not reflect the true value of your business: Shopify misses expectations shares crushed but nothing to worry about
- The Importance of good timing in the execution of business: 7shifts raises $80m USD in round led by SoftBank Investment Advisers
- From old times at U of T to the next big raise: ODAIA raises $13.8m USD
- Major key alert: BMO Financial Group commits $100m for black entrepreneurs
It’s Thursday February 10th, 2022, and today we’re talking about:
- Longevity over potential: Quantum proves the allure of possibilities
- How acquisitions help companies expand: Trulioo buys HelloFlow
- How and where to raise capital: DOZR raises money to expand geographies
- Heightened revenue growth during a pandemic: Hopper provides liquidity and increases its valuation
- Benefit of investing in innovation: Corporate Canada invest in ClearEstate
- Crowded crypto market? Newton Crypto raise proves the crypto rush is not done
- And, will Joe Rogan ever join Rumble?
It’s Thursday February 3rd, 2022, and today we’re talking about: Accelerating growth via acquisition: Daylight Automation acquires Proof Data Technology, three large funding announcements: all with similar timing? Coincidence?, Hopper is taking on Airbnb to increase revenue and improve unit economics Blackberry sells patents to legacy smartphone business for $600m.
It's Tuesday, February 1st, 2022, and today we are talking about: KOHO raises $200m+ to become the leading Canadian neo bank.
It’s Thursday, January 27th, 2022, and today we’re talking about: what's happening with funding markets, centralized crypto banking is becoming more competitive in Canada, easiest way to enter new geographies can be via acquisition, SHOPLAZZA raises $150m USD from SoftBank Group Corp., BenchSci raises $50m USD, and Caribou raises $3m USD.
It’s Thursday January 20th, 2022, and today we’re talking about: The Future of Work is getting funded, the secrets behind 1Password’s raise, space tech is blasting off in Canada, temporary tattoo maker Inkbox permanently acquired by Bic, Canalyst raises $70m US, and Shopify enters China.
It’s Thursday, January 13th, 2022, and today we’re talking about: Health tech expanding beyond virtual care, how important is it to be called a “unicorn”?, profitable opportunities exist in Canada-scale - and not just venture-scale - companies, and Crypto exchanges are getting regulated.
It’s Thursday, December 16th, 2021, and today we have a very special episode where we are taking a look back at 2021 and asking ourselves: What were the biggest trends of 2021? Is Alex Norman psychic? The predictions he got right and wrong in 2021. What did the TechTO community read, watch and listen to this year? We’ll reveal the highlights from our best performing content in 2021.
It’s Thursday December 9nd 2021, and today we’re talking about: mastering enterprise network effects with Spare, “Etsy for X” is fundable: GoodGood raises $6.5m, should you raise in secret? Buf finally announces $93M US in funding, and how to take on big tech: Rumble competes with YouTube and goes public.
It’s Thursday December 2nd 2021, and today we’re talking about: Constellation Software Inc. launches a VC arm, Tiger Analytics and Salesforce get a Klue, Spare raises $18m for its mobility software platform, and the end of the road for Roadmunk.
It's Thursday November 25th 2021, and today we’ll be talking about 5 major trends that we see in the Canadian tech ecosystem, across: Funding’s flight to quality, Going public: IPOs and SPACs, Accelerators: More or Less?, Salaries: to the moon?, Distributed teams vs. back to office, Announcing rounds, and Web3.
It’s Thursday November 11th 2021, and today we’re talking about: owl.co breaks the rules on their way to a $30m US raise, Wrapbook brings the gig economy to entertainment and becomes a unicorn, Bolt rides logistics and US expansion plans to a $75m series B, Threekit 3D & Augmented Reality adopts web3 and raises $35m; and a bonus take: Georgian backs Gradient Spaces, a 2S-LGBTQ-IA+ incubator.
It’s Thursday November 4th 2021, and today we’re talking about: Momentum fundraising: Tiger Global Management invests $37M in Float, No momentum yet? Be a repeat founder: Practice raises $10m US, Scaling hardware is hard: ecobee sells to Generac Power Systems for $770M. Lightning takes: Uvaro raises, and AlayaCare goes shopping.
It’s Thursday October 28th 2021, and today we’re talking about: On Deck launches a $100m USD accelerator, Hopper continues its transformation by acquiring PlacePass, IP-Oh Canada: Sharethrough, Magnet Forensics, Hootsuite, Propel Holdings, D2L and Q4; and in the lightning takes: CalendarHero acquired by Vendasta, Fellow.app raises $24m USD; and Council of Canadian Innovators | Conseil Canadien des Innovateurs launches board training.
It’s Thursday October 14th 2021, and today we’re talking about: Tiger Global Management pounces on ResQ. Rose Rocket drives into a new round, FreshBooks and Paystone use their funds just like they said they would; and in our lighting round: IPOs for Q4 and D2L; CostCertified raises $8.5m, and Alida is alive with a new raise.
It’s Thursday October 7th 2021, and today we’re talking about: AutoLeap drives into a $18m US round, Dapper Labs buys Lil Miquela, Klass Capital schedules $28m in Coconut Software; and a lighting round: Sandpiper Ventures makes first close on its new fund, and Interac Corp. acquires the rights to SecureKey Technologies Inc in Canada.
It’s Thursday September 30th 2021, and today we’re talking about: Semios harvests $100m USD to eat up agtech, Salesforce acquires LevelJump.io, Kira Systems spinout Zuva raises $20m, and a lighting round: Conexiom raises $130m from Warburg Pincus LLC, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company rolls into Gatik, and Convictional raises $6.7m.
It’s Thursday September 23rd 2021, and today we’re talking about: Rewind and Dapper Labs both raise additional capital, FormHero raises an A and rebrands to Daylight, Opendoor enters Canada via the Skylight; and a lighting round: Inovia Capital’s SPAC, Foxquilt series A, and Copperleaf Technologies goes public.
It’s the first Thursday in September, and today we’re talking about: National Bank of Canada makes $100m+ bet on Flinks, VICE Media is too much to handle for SPACs and raises $85m, and Top Hat continues to stock its shelf.
It’s Thursday August 12th, and today we’re talking about: Southwestern Ontario team up to launch Health Innovation network, FreshBooks now contain a $1b valuation and is looking to expand globally and due diligence is completed as Kira Systems is acquired by Litera.
It’s Thursday, July 29th, 2021, and today we’re talking about: The Maple Syrup Mafia invests in 1Password, Deep Genomics raises $180m US led by SoftBank Group Corp., Paystone engages with private equity to raise $30m. Notch rebrands and raises $10m US, and Shopify announces more earnings and more investments.
It’s Thursday, June 24th, 2021, and today we’re talking about: Q4 tells investors to wait for their IPO, AlayaCare brings home $225m for home care.
Portage gets ready to SPAC, and Golden Ventures doubles down with 2 new funds.
It’s Thursday, July 8th, 2021, and today, we’ve a got special episode discussing the key questions facing the Canadian tech scene in the second half of 2021: Is this the end of easy money? How bad is the tech talent shortage? What trends will accelerate - or reverse - as vaccination rates rise and Canada re-opens? And quick takes on FightCamp’s raise, Ritual.co’s acquisition, and SoftBank entering Canada with an investment in Clearco.
It’s Thursday, July 15th 2021, and today we’re talking about: Is Canada’s brain drain over? In other news, Float raises $4m to launch a Canadian SMB credit card. Further, Canadian companies go on a shopping spree, and Algolux sees a $18.4m USD raise.
Read the full report on Canadian tech talent here: https://www.cbre.ca/en/research-and-reports/Canada-Scoring-Tech-Talent-2020
It’s Thursday, July 22nd, 2021, and today we’re talking about: Properly raises a proper Series B, Allocadia is acquired by BrandMaker,
Auvik Networks Inc. sells a majority stake for $250m US - and if these takes weren’t quick enough, we’ll do some even quicker ones in our lightning takes round: Shopify is thrown for a Loop; Think Research is on an acquisition spree; and Untether AI tethers to a $125m US raise.
It’s Thursday June 10th 2021, and today we’re talking about: Sequoia Capital makes a high end investment in SSENSE. Waabi drives into $83.5m from Khosla. Lightspeed HQ continues its shopping spree. Trulioo identifies $394m USD; and this week in early stage funding: Poka Inc., Kepler, and VRScheduler.
It’s Thursday, May 27th 2021, and today we’re talking about: PartnerStack stacks up $35M with new partners, and Ledn raises $30M to expand its crypto offerings. This week in early stage funding: Tenstorrent Inc., Novisto, 7shifts: Restaurant Scheduling, and Rumble. Also, Canadian startups hit record levels of VC funding in Q1; and today we break down the numbers, and discuss what that means for you.
It’s Thursday May 20th 2021, and today we’re talking about: Knixwear gets intimate with the TZP Group for $53M USD, Relay Financial relays $15m into their bank account and a Lighting round: BuyProperly raise, Wingocard raise and Unbounce acquisition Snazzy AI.
It’s Thursday May 13th 2021, and today we’re talking about: Ada chats up investors for $130M, Xanadu may or may not have raised $100m from Bessemer Venture Partners; and this week in early-stage funding: raises from Sports IQ Analytics, Curbie Cars, Railz.ai, and Relay Platform.
It’s Thursday May 6th 2021, and today we’re talking about: Wealthsimple raises the largest Canadian private round ever, Sonder is checking-in to a SPAC, BuzzBuzzHome moves into a new build with Zonda, and this week in early stage funding: AgTech is sprouting, with raises from Precision AI and Carrot Ventures.
If you haven’t already tried out Wealthsimple, they are a proud supporter of the TechTO community and you can use the link to get started with a special offer: wealthsimple.com/promo/techtotrade
It’s Thursday April 29th, 2021, and today we’re talking about: Toronto-based Alphawave who develops “semiconductor intellectual property core”, Thinkific, who topped a $1bn market cap in its trading debut on the TSX and Burnaby-based, Clio, raised a $110m USD Series E round co-led by T. Rowe Price.
It’s Thursday April 22nd 2021, and today we’re talking about: Clearbanc evolves into a double unicorn named Clearco, Waterloo's Axonify trains a US private equity firm to invest in them, Calgary-based Absorb Software is absorbed by another US private equity firm for over $500m USD, and Pay attention to these payment players: Victoria-based MazumaGo and Plooto.
It’s Friday April 16th 2021, and we’ve got a trio of 9-digit deals to cover from the past week: Loopio accepts a proposal for $200M USD, Perpetua needs to perform for $250M USD, and goeasy and LendCare unite in a $320M deal
Photo of a young Adam Epstein and the TechTO x Tab Payments Tromba Tequila bar at TechTO in 2015: https://youtu.be/2_jXnFhebTE?t=889
It’s Thursday April 1st 2021, and today we’ll be talking about: Clutch fills up the tank with $60m, The Ontario Securities Commission cracks down on crypto, Dapper Labs runs it back with $305M, and Getty Images takes another dip into Canada with Unsplash.
Photo of a young Alex Norman and Dan Park drinking a beer at TechTO in 2015: https://youtu.be/8iQYZ26gx60?t=90
It’s Friday March 26th 2021, and today we’ll be talking about: Think Research thinks it can end COVID (featuring Sachin Aggarwal, CEO of Think Research), Thinkific and Maple tapping the TSX, Hopper is in the Capital One Wallet, and Beanworks sells their beans to Quadient.
It’s Thursday March 18th 2021, and today we’ll be talking about: KOHO and Brim Financial reload their cards with new rounds (featuring Rasha Katabi, CEO & Founder of Brim), Revolut finds Canada revolting, Lightspeed HQ adds Vend to their cart, Inovia Capital raises $450M USD for its growth fund, and Greensoil PropTech Ventures has a first close of $50M.
It’s Thursday March 11th 2021, and today on TechTO Quick Takes we’ll be talking about: Wealthsimple focuses on Canada, Dialogue dials up an IPO, Wrapbook wraps up $27m from A16Z, Snapcommerce snaps up a large round, Shopify women back BIPOC founders with Backbone Angels, and Shopify invests in Pipe.
It’s Thursday March 4th 2021, and today on TechTO Quick Takes we’ll be talking about: Clearbanc sprouts wings with its new $100m ClearAngel fund, Vancouver-based Dooly sells investors on a $20m investment, and Canadian gambling tech wins big: Score Media, Rivalry, Torstar
It’s Thursday February 25th 2021, and today we’ll be talking about: Vancouver’s Dapper Labs shoots some hoops to raise $250m, Toronto based Borrowell raises $25M to acquire Kelowna BC-based Refresh Financial, and Diligent acquires Vancouver based Galvanize for $1 billion.
It’s Thursday February 18th 2021, and today we’ll be talking about: Are we at peak Shopify?, Dye & Durham raises $500M, and YC-darling Convictional partners with Lightspeed.
It’s Wednesday February 10th 2021, and today we’ll be talking about: The “Proptech in Canada” report, Calgary-based Symend raises $43M, Shopify’s deal with Facebook and Instagram, and Why we don’t talk about small raises.
It’s Thursday February 4th 2021, and today we’ll be talking about: $100M for Quebec Venture Funds, Longtime Toronto startup darling Hubba shuts down, and Snowflake, a giant cloud company, is opening an office in Canada.
It’s Thursday January 28th 2021, and today on TechTO Quick Takes we’ll be talking about: University of Waterloo brain drain?, Tealbook raises US$14.4-million, and Torstar acquires ShipperBee.
It’s Wednesday January 20th 2021, and today on TechTO Quick Takes we’ll be talking about: Wattpad sold to South Korean internet giant Naver, Bold Commerce raises $35m led by Omers Ventures, Rewind.io raises $19m series A, and Navdeep Bains steps down as Minister of Innovation.