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University of Waterloo quantum expert-led EvolutionQ aims to help orgs “prepare for the quantum age” (BETAKIT)
The Kitchener-Waterloo startup has raised over $7 million CAD ($5.5 million USD) in Series A financing led by Quantonation, a Paris-based, quantum technology-focused VC fund, with support from Toronto’s The Group Ventures, to “scale up” its quantum-safe cybersecurity tech.
CoachHub rounds third, aims for home plate with $200 million in Sofina and SoftBank-led round (TECH EU)
Using a proprietary AI-based solution, CoachHub matches customers with the perfect fit amongst a network of over 3,500 certified business and well-being coaches in 90 countries across six continents in 60 different languages. The new pile of cash is expected to further fuel CoachHub’s explosive growth and expansion plans. To date, the startup has raised approximately $330 million.
Babbly secures $3.2 million CAD to scale speech development software for children (BETAKIT)
Babbly claims that its technology can classify up to three kinds of babbling, in addition to other forms of speech, such as infants’ cooing or crying. The platform is also able to recognize the back and forth interactions between a child and an adult, which the startup refers to as Turn Taking.
AI-powered parking platform Metropolis bags $167M (TECHCRUNCH)
CEO Alex Israel told TechCrunch via email that the proceeds will be put toward product development, expanding the company’s team and expanding into “new mobility adjacent verticals.”
Startup Luxembourg wants Canadian founders to know its country is a gateway to the European market (BETAKIT)
Leaders of Startup Luxembourg, the brand for the country’s tech ecosystem, are on a trade mission to Canada, including a stop at Collision 2022, to entice Canadian founders to launch in Europe through Luxembourg.
Google Suspends Engineer Who Claimed Its AI System Is Sentient (THE WALL STREET JOURNAL)
Google suspended an engineer who contended that an artificial-intelligence chatbot the company developed had become sentient, telling him that he had violated the company’s confidentiality policy after it dismissed his claims.
Maropost acquires Swedish AI startup Findify for over $4.45 million USD (BETAKIT)
Maropost offers a commerce and marketing platform that supports direct-to-consumer companies with audience engagement, customer acquisition, and revenue growth. The company serves customers across multiple sectors, such as ecommerce, retail, media, as well as travel and hospitality.
D-Wave has prototype of next-gen annealing quantum computer (TECHCRUNCH)
The company today made the first prototype of its next-gen Advantage2 annealing quantum computer available in its cloud. This is not the full system, which will feature 7,000 qubits when it launches in 2023 or 2024, but a small 500+ qubit version that is meant to showcase the company’s new qubit design and its Zephyr topology (PDF) with 20-way inter-qubit connectivity.
With Canadian tech IPOs on pause, private markets face a higher bar (BETAKIT)
Last year, we saw many tech companies forgo private capital raises, opting for a public launch instead. After a sleepy decade averaging approximately one tech IPO a year, 16 tech companies with offering sizes larger than $50 million debuted on the Toronto Stock Exchange during this period of explosive activity.
But markets oscillate, and like a pendulum, it has swung the other way, with private market growth capital once again the pathway of choice for tech firms.
Pixellot raises US$161m to further AI streaming and analytics tech (SPORTSPRO MEDIA)
The Series D round was led by private equality firm PSG and saw the participation of existing investors including the Israeli Secondary Fund (ISF).
Pixellot’s technology automatically captures live footage for broadcast and social content, as well as providing detailed data analytics. In addition to producing video content, Pixellot’s platform offers performance analysis options, with built-in tools such as shot charts and heatmaps.
Delphia closes $60 million USD to improve AI-driven investment platform with user-owned data (BETAKIT)
Delphia’s previous funding rounds include a $4 million pre-seed round in 2018 and $15.3 million in seed funding in 2019.
Spun out of public opinion research company Vox Pop Labs in 2018, Delphia provides an AI-driven investment platform that it touts as a way to forecast the growth and profitability of publicly-traded companies, up to seven quarters into the future.