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
#Budget2019 makes Global Talent Stream permanent, provides no national data strategy(BETAKIT)
#Budget2019 features fewer significant capital commitments towards Canadian tech and innovation compared to prior budgets, and could be taken as an expansion of previously announced initiatives.
This Toronto startup’s warning about school admissions fraud fell on deaf ears for years(BETAKIT)
“Once we started looking into [fraud], it was like Pandora’s Box. We realized it was a huge industry,” says Kira Talent co-founder and CEO, Emilie Cushman, about the companies attempts to solve university and college admissions fraud.
Atlantic Canada’s First Angel Network shuts down(BETAKIT)
Operations are supposed to halt effective March 31, but at the time of publication, FAN’s website was already down.
Mailchimp’s Shopify integration removed, with both parties citing data and privacy concerns(BETAKIT)
“The data captured on behalf of our merchants belongs to those merchants, it’s as simple as that.”
Global tech talent drawn to Toronto feels warm welcome despite Visa delays(BETAKIT)
Techstars Toronto has attracted talent from across Canada – as far as the Yukon, in fact – but also international startups looking to scale in the Great White North.
Startup Milestones
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Avidbots raises $31.5 million CAD Series B for floor cleaning robots (Read here)
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BC-based Carbon Engineering secures $90 million CAD to address climate change (Read here)
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NexTech AR signs LOI to acquire ecommerce business for $1.85 million CAD (Read here)
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Construction software company Bridgit raises $6.2 million CAD Series A (Read here)
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Endy expanding brick-and-mortar presence with immersive retail showroom (Read here)
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Progressa announces loan milestone, updates plan for IPO (Read here)
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Wealthsimple and H&R Block partner, launching tax refund solution (Read here)
Must Reads
As VC activity increases, can Fredericton build another Radian6?(BETAKIT)
It’s been eight years since Fredericton produced two nine-figure tech exits. What’s in store for the city in 2019?
Ask an Investor: How can I create optionality after I get an acquisition offer?(BETAKIT)
No matter what stage your business is in, optionality is something you can be proactively driving towards before an acquisition comes your way.
Why 2019 will reveal Canada’s new tech darling (CanCon ep. 139)
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