The SaaS Weekly is a weekly newsletter covering major SaaS news from Canada and around the globe.
Subscribe to S|W using the form at the bottom of this page to ensure you don’t miss out on the most important SaaS news every week!
Shopify cuts office staff amid remote work shift (BETAKIT)
Shopify has laid off internal operations staff as the Canadian tech giant shifts to a permanent remote work model, BetaKit has learned.
Join a Landmark Survey on Canadian Innovation
With COVID-19, it has never been more important to understand how Canadian firms innovate. The Conference Board of Canada is publishing an in-depth study on how innovation translates into growth.
Canadian tech firms and ecosystem partners are invited to join the survey. You will be first to receive the full report.
ByteDance in talks with India’s Reliance for investment in TikTok (TECHCRUNCH)
India was TikTok’s largest market outside of China with over 200 million users. ByteDance employs 2,000 people in the country whose fate hangs on the company’s ability to either convince the government to allow them to operate or sell itself.
Online payments group Stripe poaches GM’s finance chief (FINANCIAL TIMES)
The recruitment of Dhivya Suryadevara comes after an 18-month search.
Following pivot and pandemic-fuelled growth, Zoom.ai raises $600,000 in funding (BETAKIT)
Meeting scheduling software platform Zoom.ai has secured $600,000 in a combination of equity and debt financing.
Palantir plans direct listing for late September (BLOOMBERG)
Palantir Technologies Inc. is planning to go public through a direct listing of its shares in late September, according to people familiar with the matter.
Newfoundland’s InspectAR acquired by Cadence Design Systems (BETAKIT)
Newfoundland-based startup InspectAR has been acquired by Silicon Valley-based electronic design automation software Cadence Design Systems.
Fortnite developer Epic Games sues Apple, Google after removal of video game from App Store (CBC)
Apple and Google cited a direct payment feature rolled out on the Fortnite app earlier on Thursday as the violation.
theBoardlist expands platform to support underrepresented men of colour (BETAKIT)
theBoardlist, an online talent marketplace, has expanded its platform to support underrepresented men of colour.
Uber and Lyft must make their drivers in California full employees, judge rules (WASHINGTON POST)
Both companies plan to appeal the ruling, arguing it would upend their business and adversely affect workers. However, the CEO of Uber states that “gig workers deserve better.”
Today in funding: Dapper Labs, FleetOps, Plurilock, Fortai (BETAKIT)
Five Canadian startups have announced fresh funding rounds to fuel their growth. Here’s the latest on who raised.
Airbnb plans to file for IPO in August (WALL STREET JOURNAL)
Airbnb Inc. is close to filing to go public in a move that would underscore a surprising rebound for the home-sharing giant and the IPO market.