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
1Password claims $744 million CAD round is largest in Canadian history
Toronto-based password manager startup 1Password has closed a massive, Hollywood star-studded round of Series C financing at a $6.8 billion USD valuation, more than triple its valuation last summer.
The fresh funding follows a period of growth for the firm, which has increased its B2B business by more than 70 percent year-over-year over the past 24 months, and grown its customer base to more than 100,000 companies.
Shakepay secures $44 million Series A led by QED Investors to roll out more Bitcoin products
To date, the startup has grown to serve over 900,000 Canadian users with only $1 million CAD in venture financing. But over the past year, Shakepay co-founder and CEO Jean Amiouny said the company realized “the opportunity is much, much bigger” than it initially thought.
2048 Ventures bags $67 million USD Fund II for Canada, US investments
United States-based venture firm 2048 Ventures has secured $67 million USD for its second fund, to continue pursuing investments outside of Silicon Valley. The venture firm has been actively investing north of the border over the past couple of years, amassing a Canadian portfolio that includes startups like Nomic Bio, PainWorth, and Eli Health.
Sonder makes Nasdaq debut following close of SPAC deal
Sonder began trading on the Nasdaq after completing its previously announced business combination with California-based SPAC Gores Metropoulos II. The Montréal-founded startup moved to San Francisco in pursuit of international investors, but has sought to expand its presence in Canada once more over the past couple of years.
Emmertech closes $60 million to grow “dominant” Canadian AgTech companies
Emmertech, the AgTech fund Conexus Venture Capital launched last year, has secured an additional $15 million CAD in its final closing, bringing its total fund size to $60 million. The fund’s investments to date include crop management startup Ukko Agro and fertilizer-focused Lucent Biosciences.
Tech sees progress in promoting women to executive roles, but still lags behind other sectors
The review shows that compared to other industries technology companies have the second lowest number of women on boards at 74 percent. In contrast, manufacturing boasts 95 percent.
What jobs at Apple, Xerox, and HP taught Vena Solutions COO Tina Goulbourne about building a startup
On the #CIBCInnovationEconomy Podcast, Tina Goulbourne shared how her previous jobs at global tech giants set her up for success at Vena Solutions.
Latest Funding, Acquisitions, and Layoffs
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VAN – Canalyst – $70M (read more)
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VAN – Ionomr Innovations – $18.7M (read more)
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CAL – Goodlawyer – $1M (read more)
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EDM – Wyvern – $4.5M (read more)
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EDM – PainWorth – $2.1M (read more)
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WAT – Hyivy Health – $1.1M (read more)
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TOR – Maropost acquires Retail Express (read more)
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TOR – Diversio – $8.13M (read more)
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TOR – Funnelytics – $1.85M (read more)
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MTL – XMachina AI acquires Bain Public (read more)
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FRE – New Brunswick Innovation Foundation launches federally-backed AI fund (read more)
RECOMMENDED BY RBC CAPITAL MARKETS
RBC Capital Markets Global Market Outlook 2022
This year’s Global Market Outlook combines the insights of our M&A and Equity Capital Markets experts with the foresight of our Global Economists to determine what will drive deal flow in the year ahead.
A new era of protectionism and the aftermath of the pandemic will put global supply chains in the spotlight in 2022. How can M&A help businesses adapt to a changing world?
Global market perspectives to help you lead today and define tomorrow.
WHAT CAN THE METAVERSE LEARN FROM ACCESSIBILITY LEADERS?
“When you design for the edges, you get the middle for free.”
Maayan Ziv (AccessNow) and Samuel Proulx (Fable) discuss the process of improving accessibility in both the real and virtual worlds.
WHY EVERY SAAS COMPANY WILL BECOME A FINTECH
BetaKit associate editor Meagan Simpson leads a panel conversation with JD St-Martin (Lightspeed) and Joost Ouwerkerk (Hopper) about the desire (or need?) for SaaS companies to offer new financial services.
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