Canadian startup news of the week (04/29/17)

Welcome to BetaKit’s startup stories of the week! Here, you will find the week’s most important news, features, and editorials published on BetaKit. If you prefer this update hit your inbox every week, make sure to subscribe to the BetaKit Newsletter using the form at the bottom of this page.

Top Stories of the Week

PM Justin Trudeau tells Vidyard Canadian tech can compete against “any country in the world”(BETAKIT)

“Standing up for Canada’s interests is what my job is, whether it’s softwood or software,” said Trudeau.


theBoardlist launches in Canada to get more women on company boards(BETAKIT)

“When you have women on boards… not only have you diversified your board, you have someone you can talk to about gender policy and how to develop female talent,” said Sukhinder Singh Cassidy.


#ONbudget 2017 invests $75 million in advanced computing, announces Waterloo-based Quantum Valley Ideas Lab(BETAKIT)

The government is also investing $130 million in 5G wireless technology and $20 million for quantum computing.


Techstars’ David Brown says Canada’s entrepreneurial advantage is openness to immigrants(BETAKIT)

“We’ve long felt that it’s sort of silly to have a requirement that you have to move to Silicon Valley in order to build a startup,” said Brown.


Startup Milestones

  • Hootsuite launches $5 million fund to get more devs building enterprise integrations (Read here)

  • Exiger acquires Toronto-based OutsideIQ for AI-based financial compliance solutions (Read here)

  • The Money Finder closes $1.5 million seed round from Build Ventures, Innovacorp (Read here)

  • Peterborough-based biotech startup Noblegen receives $600,000 from FedDev Ontario (Read here)

  • National Bank investing $6 million in Nest Wealth, plans to integrate its robo-advisor tech (Read here)

  • Empowered Homes raises $600,000 to take the customers that Nest can’t serve (Read here)

  • Zymeworks plans to raise $110 million from its IPO (Read here)


Must Reads

Why is your team so angry all the time?(BETAKIT)

Melissa Nightingale says that teams will observe and emulate most things that they see leaders do — good or bad.


PwC MoneyTree report: Q1 deal activity hits 2015 low, while foreign investment heats up(BETAKIT)

Deal activity dropped 25 percent through the quarter from Q4 2016, with deals in Q1 2017 hitting the lowest figure since Q3 2015.


Ask an Investor: Should early-stage companies take investment from strategic investors?(BETAKIT)

Nest Wealth’s Randy Cass shares his experience following the company’s $6 million investment from National Bank.


CANCON PODCAST EP. 65: Apple slaps Uber + Tilt’s VC-funded learning experience


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Amira Zubairi

Amira Zubairi is a staff writer and content creator at BetaKit with a strong interest in Canadian startup, business, and legal tech news. In her free time, Amira indulges in baking desserts, working out, and watching legal shows.

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