Xatoms and Knead take home top prizes amid strong Canadian showing at SXSW pitch competition
Canada was represented in five of the more than 70 companies pitching.
Impact
An incomplete list of Canadian tech programs and organizations supporting women’s initiatives
An evolving resource for women entrepreneurs.
Ten things worth reading on International Women’s Day
Read, share, and amplify.
DMZ Women Innovation Summit boosts women-led AI, farming, and health startups with $535,000 investment
Cashew, Migranium, Edie Farming, and Metronome emerge from pitch competition with new backing.
Toast wants women to take a radical step this International Women’s Day: rest
#WithoutHer campaign asks men to assume more responsibility for uplifting women in tech.
Facit and OBIO reveal first cohort of women founders working on health and cancer innovation with WeSEED
Program aims to help women-led life sciences startups advance healthcare and homegrown IP in Ontario.
The51 appoints Highline Beta founder Lauren Robinson as managing partner
Women-led investment firm prepares to raise its third fund later this year.
BDC Capital taps Jason Baibokas to lead $100-million Black Entrepreneurs Fund
Baibokas to define investment thesis and criteria of fund announced last June.
Rejecting the rejection of DEIA with AccessNow’s Maayan Ziv
AccessNow’s CEO shares her response to governments, corporations, and fellow tech leaders sending the message that inclusion…
Startupfest doubles down on diversity commitment, announces return of HardtechFest and OceanFest
Montréal-based tech conference offering 90-percent ticket discounts for women and diverse founders.
Non-profit organizations receive nearly $40 million as part of latest AI-focused CanCode program
Federal funding aims to support 22 orgs teach coding, data analytics, and AI skills to 1.5 million students.
DEI rollback is the “wrong direction for Canada,” open letter says
Over 350 tech signatories express support for “Canadian values” of equity and inclusion.
Black merchants disheartened after Shopify guts another Equitable Commerce program
Following end of Build Native, access to Build Black Slack channel locked at start of Black History Month.
Tribe Network among second round of federal 2SLGBTQI+ Ecosystem Fund recipients
Latest round deals $2.8 million across 12 groups and strengthens program support in Northern and Atlantic regions.
Reliant on US materials and production, Canadian consumer goods startups could be caught in trade war crossfire
Pet food company Healthybud says Canada’s retaliatory tariffs will take a bigger bite out of its margins.