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In preparation for IPO, Clio nabs Clearco CFO (BETAKIT)
Clio has secured a new CFO from a fellow Canadian unicorn, marking the second exec departure in recent weeks for Clearco. Curt Sigfstead joined Clio at the beginning of this year as the legaltech firm preps for a potential IPO, becoming the latest in a series of executive additions for Clio.
No longer in service: BlackBerry phones come to their end (NEW YORK TIMES)
This week, BlackBerry ended service on its mobile devices. With the move, BlackBerry completes its yearslong shift from making mobile phones to a software-based business model. Meanwhile, a United States judge is allowing a class-action lawsuit claiming BlackBerry defrauded investors by misleading them about the success of its BB10 devices to move forward.
Assent Compliance Canada’s newest unicorn after $446.5 million CAD raise (BETAKIT)
Assent claims, in the last year, it expanded its global workforce by 35 percent, and increased annual recurring revenue by more than 50 percent.
Visual collaboration company Miro valued at $17.5B following $400M in new funding (TECHCRUNCH)
CEO Khusid told TechCrunch he considers the company a “pioneer of visual collaboration,” with its early days as a digital whiteboard.
Hybrid workers are vulnerable to cyberattacks. Here’s how employees can play defence at home and in the office (BETAKIT)
Andrew Milne of cybersecurity analytics company Field Effect explains how employees can partner with their employers to keep sensitive information secure.
Reddit could go public by March, and wants a $15 billion valuation (PROTOCOL)
One of 2022’s most anticipated IPOs appears could be coming soon.
Proposify lays off 25 employees as it fails to hit growth targets (BETAKIT)
Just four months after raising $5 million in Series A funding, Proposify has laid off 25 percent of its staff. The startup’s CEO conceded that in 2021, Proposify “ramped up hiring ahead of revenue to hit some aggressive growth targets” that it failed to realize.
Why Apple’s iMessage is winning: teens dread the green text bubble (WALL STREET JOURNAL)
The iPhone maker cultivated iMessage as a must-have texting tool for teens. Android users trigger a just-a-little-less-cool green bubble: ‘Ew, that’s gross.’
Why Benevity’s new CEO Kelly Schmitt is already thinking about her successor (BETAKIT)
On the #CIBCInnovationEconomy podcast, Benevity CEO Kelly Schmitt explains why she was already thinking about identifying her successor six months into the job.
Traction Guest acquired by US growth equity firm PSG (BETAKIT)
According to PSG, the deal was made in combination with ShieldCo, a PSG V portfolio company that specializes in building the visitor management space.
Reddit files confidentially to go public (TECHCRUNCH)
Reddit has not yet determined how many shares to offer or the price range for its initial public offering.
Findings in SVB’s global healthtech report mirror 2021 trends in Canada (BETAKIT)
A new report from Silicon Valley Bank has identified key insights within the global healthtech landscape from 2021.
Software stocks get punched in the face (again) (TECHCRUNCH)
Some of the most high-flying stocks of the pandemic are struggling in the new year and it’s bad news for tech companies of all sizes.
Wishpond acquires SMS marketing firm Winback.chat for $700,000 (BETAKIT)
With the purchase of Winback, this is the second set of assets Wishpond has acquired from AtlasMind. In August, it also acquired ad management platform Brax.io for $2 million USD.
How Discord, born from an obscure game, became a social hub for young people (NEW YORK TIMES)
Jason Citron created a video game that was going nowhere fast. So he stripped it down to a chatting feature that eventually boomed during the pandemic.