Layoffs persist at Canadian tech companies amid bleak outlook for 2023
FreshBooks, Thinkific, Revelate, Bridgit among latest firms to cut staff amid downturn.
SaaS
Shopify’s Ria Bhavnani shares the company’s approach to pricing
“Maybe it’s more relevant in this market, but you should always be thinking about pricing.”
S|W: The SaaS Weekly – The end of an era at Slack
Plus: Wattpad president Jeanne Lam resigns months after being tapped to lead company.
Former Google ad chief’s Neeva launches its ad-free, privacy-conscious search engine in Canada
“We wanted a search engine that was all about users.”
IBM to hire 250 in New Brunswick for new Client Innovation Centre
This week, IBM also awarded $35,000 USD to two Montréal-based startups.
CommerceBear raises $10.5 million USD to modernize outdated furniture e-commerce market
CommerceBear wants to create easy access to channels like Wayfair.
Goloot announces $4 million to improve online advertising for D2C merchants
Backed by former Paysafe leaders, Goloot has amassed a list of customers that includes Lancôme, Keurig, and SSENSE.
S|W: The SaaS Weekly – Inside Mozilla’s bid to enter the metaverse
Plus: Applyboard lays off customer experience employees.
FigBytes secures $14.5 million USD in venture funding and debt
FigBytes’ funding comes as some countries are mandating ESG reporting.
Private wireless network startup Expeto closes $12 million Series B supported by Samsung Next, 5G Open Innovation Lab
Expeto enables large enterprises to extend private networks via any type of cellular connectivity.
Fintel Connect closes $4.8 million CAD to help financial institutions drive cost-effective growth
BankTech Ventures, EDC-backed Fintel Connect eyes US expansion.
Slack founding CEO Stewart Butterfield to depart company in January
Slack’s leader becomes latest to leave the Salesforce organization.
Top Hat acquires STEM EdTech startup Aktiv Learning
Aktiv is Top Hat’s fifth acquisition, and its first outside of publishing.
Wattpad president Jeanne Lam resigns months after being tapped to lead company
Naver Webtoon’s KB Nam has been appointed interim president.
Led by former Ada employees, Lancey secures $2 million to let B2B software buyers “try before you buy”
YC grad Lancey is backed by group that includes Panache, Garage, and Ada’s CEO.