Why Canadian tech’s rise is built on a stack of Jenga blocks

Today, we talk about Canada’s VC ecosystem, and impacts up and downstream.

It’s a familiar topic for the BetaKit Podcast, but on this episode, we’ll address the topic in greater detail, and with more flare. Mostly thanks to this week’s guest: RBCx’s Anthony Mouchantaf – known to regular listeners as TONY DAGGER – who just wrapped a four article series on the state of Canadian tech and venture capital called ‘all that glitters is not gold.’

“Recognize that we’re going from an unprecedented monetary boom cycle to probably an unprecedented monetary contractionary cycle.”

You see, while Mr. Dagger is optimistic about the current Canadian tech boom, he notes that it’s built on a bit of a precarious foundation – Jenga blocks if you will.

Some examples of those blocks: outsized contributions from federal and provincial governments (the numbers will blow your mind), crossover investments from the US driving up valuations (with a painful bill due on the backend), and some broader macroeconomic trends that I fundamentally don’t understand.

Which is OK, because Tony Dagger does, and explains them in a clear and direct way that I wish most VCs who appear on this podcast would adopt.

This is a meaty episode, but also the best conversation you’ll find on the state of Canadian tech and its future, especially if those Jenga blocks start falling.

Let’s dig in.

Reference articles:
All That Glitters Is Not Gold: State Of Tech & VC, Part 1 of 4
All That Glitters Is Not Gold: Canadian Tech’s Government Bottleneck, Part 2 of 4
All That Glitters Is Not Gold: Of Tigers And Paper Unicorns, Part 3 of 4
All That Glitters Is Not Gold: How Central Banks Have Been Thumbing The Scales For Tech, Part 4 Of 4

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The BetaKit Podcast is hosted by Douglas Soltys & Rob Kenedi. Edited by Kattie Laur. Sponsored by the RBC Ventures and Venture for Canada. Feature image courtesy Piqsels.