Do you remember the moment you realized the world had changed?
Was it ‘elbows up’ or those ‘51st state’ comments? Perhaps the sudden and sharp increase in defence commitments around the globe? Maybe it was Canada’s weak productivity and employment numbers. Maybe you talked to a chatbot about it.
In our small corner of the national discourse, BetaKit has tracked several such pivotal moments. Whatever the trigger, most Canadians now recognize that the Canada they grew up in can no longer be taken for granted.
It’s a challenging moment, but one that presents real opportunity: we have everything we need to build the Canada we want. We can decide our place in the world. We must, or it will be decided for us.
We launched BetaKit Most Ambitious last year to tell stories of bold ambition in Canadian tech. The 2025 edition told more than 70 stories across sectors, from deep tech to space tech and world-saving innovations. This year, you will meet the innovators strengthening Canada’s autonomy, security, and prosperity.
We’re launching this year’s issue on May 25, at the start of Toronto Tech Week, to a packed room at the iconic TIFF Lightbox. If you are interested in attending (and nabbing a free copy!), I suggest securing your ticket as soon as possible. It will be absolute cinema.
BetaKit Most Ambitious is our marquee product, a rallying cry for the country, and an opportunity to tell great stories.
It has never been more important. Canada’s moment to build is now.
Douglas Soltys
Editor-in-chief
NGen’s N3 Summit is where Canada’s advanced industries converge
Join Canada’s innovation leaders on March 31 and April 1 at the Metro Toronto Convention for a policy forum and trade show like none other. Hear from government and private sector leaders shaping industrial policy, meet the companies driving Canada’s advanced industries, and connect with business delegations and corporate investors from around the world.
The N3 Summit is a platform for growth, spotlighting breakthrough Canadian innovations in AI, robotics, automation, quantum, homebuilding, dual-use defence technologies, and more. Your pass includes access to speaking sessions, exhibit hall, networking cocktails, pitch sessions and industry-led workshops.
Tickets are going fast, so secure your spot at N³ today!
Canadian tech leaders to headline BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall
The marquee opening event of Toronto Tech Week returns on May 25 with a focus on Canadian sovereignty.
This year, more than 500 leaders from across Canada’s tech and innovation ecosystem will gather at the iconic TIFF Lightbox for conversations with some of the nation’s most prominent tech entrepreneurs, including Waabi’s Raquel Urtasun, Xanadu’s Christian Weedbrook, and more.
Presented in partnership with Uber, DMZ, and National Bank, all BetaKit Most Ambitious: Town Hall attendees will receive a limited-run print copy of the 2026 edition of BetaKit Most Ambitious.
More details about Toronto Tech Week’s calendar, including its flagship Homecoming event, can be found here.
Montréal computer scientist Gilles Brassard wins Turing Award for quantum discoveries
Université de Montréal professor Gilles Brassard and IBM researcher Charles H. Bennett have been named the co-recipients of the 2025 ACM A.M. Turing Award for their role in establishing the foundations of quantum information science and encryption.
Often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of computing,” the Turing Award is the field’s highest honour.
Feds commit nearly $225 million to advance Canada’s sovereign space launch capabilities
The federal government has committed to a $200-million, 10-year lease to lease a dedicated launch pad at Maritime Launch Services’ spaceport in Nova Scotia, and doled out nearly $25 million to Canada Rocket Company, Nordspace, and Reaction Dynamics to build their rockets in Canada.
These companies “are putting us on the path to launch satellites and payloads from Canadian soil, on Canadian-built rockets, at Canadian-run facilities,” defence minister David McGuinty said at the announcement.
Photonic names former Microsoft Xbox head Don Mattrick CEO
Don Mattrick, a pioneering Canadian video game entrepreneur and one of Photonic’s first investors, has been tasked with helping the quantum company scale its commercial operations as CEO.
After more than six years at the helm, Paul Terry has transitioned to chief product officer, where he will lead Photonic’s product strategy and oversee the development of its commercial offering.
“We’re in a moment in Canada”: Solomon brings AI pitch to Platform Calgary
Federal AI and digital innovation minister Evan Solomon told the crowd at Platform Calgary this week that Canada’s updated AI strategy will have an emphasis on sovereignty and making sure “AI is for all.”
“We have to make sure everyone benefits from this technology, not just a bunch of tech bros,” he said. “Everybody: north, south, east, west.”
Canadian companies make their case at Nvidia’s GTC conference
Several Canadian companies, like Cohere, Telus, and Kepler Communications, used Nvidia’s GTC conference in San Jose this week to highlight their partnerships with the chip giant.
Five Canadian scaleups crack Thrive Top 50 AgTech Companies list
The annual list recognizes “the leading innovators shaping the future of agriculture and food systems.” Canada is represented on the list from coast to coast by companies like 4AG Robotics, BinSentry, Vive Crop Protection, Entosystem, and Milk Moovement.
FEATURED STORIES FROM OUR PARTNERS
Defence and housing take centre stage at N3 Summit
NGENs’ upcoming N3 Summit in Toronto is a flagship event for the advanced manufacturing conference to explore the future of the Canadian industry. It will highlight the focus on integrating technology into the defence and housing sectors, with featured discussions on domestic defence procurement and the use of AI-driven construction to address housing shortages.
How Ontario’s innovation hubs scale startups across the province
Innovation Factory, an Ontario Innovation Hub, uses human networks and reputational exchange to help startups commercialize and scale. Across the province, these hubs overcome geographical limitations by connecting founders with specialized infrastructure, industry partners, and funding across the province.
🇨🇦 Weekly Canadian Deals, Dollars & More
AB – Three Alberta genomics projects land federal funding
CGY – Platform Calgary officially appoints Jennifer Lussier as CEO
CGY – CoolIT Systems to be acquired by Ecolab for $4.75B USD
SK – PrairiesCan dispenses nearly $1 million to SK Startup Institute
TOR – Xanadu set to go public as SPAC deal clears shareholder vote
TOR – YScope closes $3.9M USD to track AI agent activity
TOR – Tailscale’s first acquisition is Vancouver’s Border0
TOR – 1Password debuts new platform to rein in companies’ AI agents
MTL – Boreal Ventures launches second seed fund with $43M first close
The BetaKit Podcast — How to fix Canada’s Start-up Visa
“Speed is of the essence. This is a super dynamic marketplace. Canada is losing entrepreneurs, we’re losing the next generation of founders, and we need to do things, quick.”
More than a decade ago, Canada launched the Start-up Visa program to attract entrepreneurial talent from around the world. After years of complaints of delays, fraud, and abuse, the program was suspended while featuring a whopping 10-35 year wait time. Boris Wertz (Version One Ventures) and Lucy Hargreaves (Build Canada) join to discuss what went wrong and what a functional entrepreneurial immigration program might look like.
Feature image courtesy Harry Spink via Unsplash.