The BetaKit Podcast Channel (BetaKit Podcast Network)

“If you want to succeed and build an enduring and large business for Canadians, that has to be your focus. Nothing else. If you want to focus on Canada as an additional market or a secondary market, it’s not going to work out.”

Three years after its bold expansion strategy, Revolut has a banking license in the UK, but not much to show in the US or Canada. The company’s former North American Head of Strategy & Operations, Saud Aziz, joins the podcast this week to discuss what went wrong and the lessons he’s taking forward with his new FinTech startup, Vault.

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Google Cloud: scale your startup faster and smarter with the Google Cloud credits, technical training, startup experts, curated resources, plus AI and Web3 specific benefits.

Get up to $350k in cloud credits over two years, plus access to hands-on technical training, mentorship from startup experts, and connections with a thriving community.

Visit startups.google.com/betakit to learn more and apply today!

“So many Canadian organizations today are sending their dollars, their economic capital, to AWS, to Azure, to Google. There really is no Canadian response to this today.”

Tenstorrent senior director of business development Eric Duffy explains why the company’s leadership pedigree and open standard tech have attracted interest from Korean auto manufacturers and consumer electronic companies alike, before discussing the opportunities and gaps before Canadian hardware companies competing with Apple, NVIDIA, and Intel. Recorded live at ALL IN 2023 in Montréal.

Sponsored by Float: Finance on auto-pilot. Originally aired October 22, 2023.

"What happens when the technologists decide what they do is more important than the government and they don't want to play by those rules?

Rob and Douglas hold a post-mortem on the fever dream that was financial innovation and competition in Canada before discussing what Minister Freeland's recent announcements signal about the government's intentions. Your interlocutors then unpack Marc Andreessen's Techno-Optimist Manifesto, its approach and intentions, and how it stands in direct contrast with US President Biden's recent AI executive order.

Sponsored by Float (Finance on auto-pilot) and SAAS NORTH (use the code 'betakit25' to get your tickets).

“If there’s ever been a 12-month period where the connection between online behaviour, online disinformation, and real-world harm, this is it.”

BuzzFeed Media Editor Craig Silverman joins to discuss the losing battle against social media misinformation (and disinformation), and how that's impacting the global fight against COVID-19.

Produced with support from TWG.

"We're very keen to create this global standard for FinTech companies."

Lord Mayor of the City of London, William Russell, joins to discuss his recently completed trade mission to convince Canadian investors and startups that the UK is open for business. Black Swan evaluates the sales pitch.

Sponsored by Cisco Designed. Produced with support from TWG.

"Trust, and Indigenous impact measurement, and the wellbeing of Indigenous families sit alongside risk and return. In fact, in our fund, sit significantly above risk and return as investment considerations."

Raven Capital Managing Partner Paul Lacerte explains how the firm invests in Indigenous impact entrepreneurs in a culturally safe way.

Originally aired September 30, 2021. Sponsored by Diuca.

"Not only was there no time to prepare, we don't even know what are the consequences now of not being compliant."

Luke Vigeant (Inkblot Therapy) and Brett Belchetz (Maple) join to share how their telehealth startups have changed before and after COVID-19.

Produced with support from TWG.

This episode originally aired May 2nd, 2020.

"If we had a bank licence today, I'm confident in saying we'd have the highest savings rate in the country."

Koho CEO Daniel Eberhard joins to explain why the FinTech startup decided to pursue a banking licence, why it necessitates splitting the company in two, and the potential benefits for Canadians living in a culturally reinforced oligopoly.

The CanCon team picks sides in the battle across Canada for the government's $950 million in supercluster funding, and discusses the recent shots fired by Dragon Arlene Dickinson.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "The Big Money" by Rush

"The BetaKit Podcast is very much a pro-dog podcast."

Dr. Theresa Johnson (Airbnb), Harper Reed (General Galactic Corporation), and Neha Khera (2048 Ventures) join for a wide-ranging conversation on shooting particles at satellites (for science!), founder-market fit, working for Barack Obama, when to quit, shutting down your company, angel and early-stage investing, and building jetpacks for dogs (for science!). Recorded in front of a live audience on the main stage of Startupfest 2023.

Sponsored by Palette Skills.

The team reminisces about 10 years of iPhone, before discussing new offerings from Apple (iOS 11), Google (Google Home), and Amazon (Whole Foods). Dot Health CEO and founder Huda Idrees joins to remind us that the Valley's problems with diversity and sexual harassment exist in Canada.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "She Says What She Means" by Sloan

"Nobody is cheering you on for reaching the top of Everest if you don't make it back down to base camp."

Matt Cohen, Managing Partner at Ripple Ventures and host of the Tank Talks podcast, joins to unpack the complicated spot Canadian startups find themselves in.

Sponsored by Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP. Read the Deal Points Report: Venture Capital Financings.

This week: evaluating Facebook's f8 announcements from boring (more video chat!) to creepy (VR dating?); what might happen at the forthcoming Google I/O, including a streamlined roadmap for its messaging mess.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Nice to Luv You" by 54-40
Ad music: "Dreams" by Joakim Karud

"I don't necessarily know if the government understands what an innovation strategy is."

Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) president Ben Bergen joins to answer listener-submitted questions about: the Canada Innovation Corporation, open banking, SR&ED reform, and why the feds are so behind on so many innovation files.

Warning: listening to this podcast could be hazardous to your health while playing any "innovation policy" drinking games.

Sponsored by Goodlawyer, your one-stop shop for all your corporate, commercial, and IP legal needs.

"We're very social creatures, so human-to-human connection is ultimately what we're craving even if we are working in a digital-by-design or remote-first environment."

Shawn Hewat, CEO and co-founder of Wavy, joins to discuss burnout and talent churn in the new remote & hybrid world, and how tech companies are trying to manage and measure culture.

Sponsored by Osler and Cisco.

On this episode of CanCon, the team compares notes from a busy Canadian Innovation Week, and talks about recent business decisions made by two major Canadian tech companies: Thalmic, and Hootsuite.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Taking Care of Business" by BTO
Ad music: Catmosphere - Candy-Coloured Sky, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA Attribution-ShareAlike license

CanCon interviews BuzzFeed fake news expert Craig Silverman, and Pando Media founder and CEO Sarah Lacy, at True North 2018.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "O Canada" by Calixa Lavallée (English words by Robert Stanley Weir)
Ad music: "Dreams" by Joakim Karud

"I will eat my shirt if they don't."

In celebration (?) of one year of Black Swan, co-hosts Douglas Soltys and Rob Kenedi are joined by producer Kattie Laur to answer listener questions and reflect on what's been learned from a COVID-focused podcast.

Sponsored by Cisco Designed. Produced with support from TWG.

This week: Wavefront goes under, requiring a history lesson on CAIP and government tech funding; Erin lectures on influencer marketing; Matt Roberts of SUV joins to talk with Rob about the 'Canadian Series A round'.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "I will remember you" by Sarah McLachlan
Ad music: "Dreams" by Joakim Karud

"We called it Canada's lost tech IPO boom."

The Globe and Mail technology reporter Sean Silcoff wrote at the beginning of the year that "private is the new public." We invited him on the podcast to explain how 2020 turned into the year of the Canadian tech IPO.

Sponsored by the #CIBCInnovationEconomy podcast. Produced with support from TWG.

This week: does Shaw's stumble kill chances of a Big Four in Canadian telecom? How will Zuckerberg's guilt cleanse change the 'internet' this time? Why is diversity (for white women) our strength?

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Let's Break Up" by Hayden
Ad music: "Dreams" by Joakim Karud

"Canada is three telecom companies in a trenchcoat.”

Public Policy expert Vass Bednar joins to discuss the US approach to regulating Big Tech, Canada's 'good enough' competition policy, and why we're so culturally comfortable with oligopolies. Free Matthew Boswell!

Produced with support from TWG.

"That impact that's being felt in the public markets will start to trickle down to the earlier rounds."

Damien Steel, managing partner and head of ventures at OMERS Ventures, takes umbrage with how valuations - or more specifically, the sticker price placed on funding rounds - are paraded in the media.

Sponsored by Osler.

"Once Apple showed up, BlackBerry had to do everything right and get on it on the double. And they did everything wrong."

"And for whatever reason we thought, oh, there's something to this story that feels funny to us."

Losing the Signal co-author Sean Silcoff and BlackBerry producer and co-writer Matthew Miller join to discuss Canada's former tech darling ahead of the forthcoming major motion picture release.

Sponsored by Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. Read the Deal Points Report: Venture Capital Financings.

“When I heard the news, I was stunned … Absolutely, it is going to be happening in Canada.”

CMD Capital’s Matt Roberts joins for an emergency podcast on the sudden demise of OpenView Venture Partners, what caused it, and the likelihood that Canadian tech will see similar zombie funds north of the border.

Sponsored by Float, Finance on auto-pilot.

"The very heart of the bill, and the heart of the law, you wouldn't know what exactly it's applying to."

Data governance and AI risk management expert Carole Piovesan joins to discuss the future of AI regulation, privacy, and Bill C-27 before it hits committee.

Sponsored by AWS.

This week on CanCon, the team explains why the Internet of Things will ruin everything, and argues whether AI's uncanny valley is aided at all by voice recognition.

Music clip (under fair dealing): "Don't Fear the Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult

"It's not as broken as other things."

VanHack CEO Ilya Brotzky joins to explain what's causing the 4-6 month waiting period for Canadian tech companies using the Global Talent Stream, and shares a new petition to get the government to make necessary changes.

Sponsored by Thinksound.

This week on CanCon, the team discusses Uber's culture problems and treatment of women, and if a Geneva Convention for cyber warfare would help.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Get Some Freedom" by Big Data (featuring Dragonette)
Ad music: Catmosphere - Candy-Coloured Sky, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA Attribution-Share Alike license.

“I think what we're trying to do here is maybe celebrate and acknowledge all pathways into tech. Whatever sparked the inspiration.”

Co-hosts Rob and Douglas peel back the curtain to reveal the gadgets, media, and moments that inspired their love of tech. Come, witness the retelling of their Immaculate Tech Conceptions while reliving your own on this full-blown nostalgia pod!

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Osler, Hoskin and Harcourt LLP. Osler, the leading law firm for startups, high growth companies and investors in Canada, has released its third annual study of 486 anonymized Canadian venture capital and growth equity financings.

"Essentially, Amazon has failed to make this company profitable. It doesn’t make money."

Streamer, YouTuber, and Novo CEO Devin Nash joins to explain the myriad ways Amazon's experiment with Twitch is failing to make money or anyone happy.

Sponsored by GSoft and SAAS NORTH.

This week on CanCon, the team plays a game of Good CEO/Bad CEO, and discusses why we'll never have unlimited data plans in Canada.

Canadian Content music clip: "The Sting" by Nick Diamonds

"This announcement communicated two things: this thing we're getting rid of isn't primary to our mission—it's a side quest, we don't actually care about this; and we have a cultural problem at our company with who we've hired and what they're focused on."

Madeline Stone, retail and e-commerce writer for Business Insider, joins to discuss the future of Shopify's "main quest" after cutting staff and selling off its logistics division. Co-hosts Rob & Doug then take over to discuss whether or not Shopify is the victim of Canada's tall poppy syndrome.

Sponsored by Goodlawyer, your one-stop shop for all your corporate, commercial, and IP legal needs. 

Ilya Brotsky (CEO of VanHack) and Daryna Kulya (co-founder and COO of OpenPhone) discuss Ukraine tech, connections to Canada, and ways to help Ukrainians fleeing war.

Related links:

Stetsenko Foundation

Ukraine to Canada

Harley Finkelstein, Shopify's COO, joins to talk about the company's Unite developer conference. Freelance tech reporter Josh McConnell joins to freak out about Google's Duplex AI demo; old curmudgeon David Crow joins to share his optimism for the Canadian tech ecosystem.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Trust Issues" by Drake
Ad music: "Dreams" by Joakim Karud

On this episode of CanCon, the team investigates the dark side of LegalTech, checks in with Apple's Home, and discusses scaling startups in Canada.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Patio Lanterns" by The Kim Mitchell
Ad music: Catmosphere - Candy-Coloured Sky, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA Attribution-ShareAlike license

“The reality is this government cannot execute.”

Sound the alarm! Matt Roberts (CMD Capital) and Ben Bergen (CCI) join for an emergency #Budget2024 podcast to discuss the capital gains tax increase, Minister Freeland’s Friday meeting with tech leaders, and the level to which politics are intersecting with innovation policy.

On this episode of CanCon, the team wonders how young is too young for Facebook, whether banks own your data, and if Canadians have thoughts on cyber security.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Bobcaygeon" by The Tragically Hip
Ad music: Catmosphere - Candy-Coloured Sky, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA Attribution-ShareAlike license

This week, the team evaluates the AR offerings from two of the largest tech companies, and wonders what Uber's new CEO can accomplish. Plus: when signing code can send you to jail.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "The Hazards of Sitting Beneath Palm Trees" by Hayden

“Part of the magic of the games industry here is that it’s not one thing.”

Canada must diversify its economy. Why not start with gaming? Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC) president and CEO, Paul Fogolin, joins to discuss video games’ $5.1 billion contribution to Canada’s economy and the results of his organization’s latest study on the Canadian gaming industry.

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Float, Canada's complete business finance platform, combining modern financial services and software to help businesses spend, save, and grow. Support Canadian business and switch today at floatfinancial.com.

"Teachers across the board are anxious."

Peekapak co-founder and CEO, Ami Shah, joins to explain how startups are supporting back to school this fall.

Produced with support from TWG.

"Other conferences are phoning it in."

Startupfest's Alistair Croll and Olivia Rossi join to explain how Canada's Original Startup Conference has changed in its major return to IRL and the amount of tech they're building to make meeting people easy again.

Sponsored by Diuca.

"You're seeing folks from Brazil, India, China really consider Canada as an option."

The US has suspended the H1B visa allowing high-skilled tech workers to enter the country. What does Canada have to lure foreign tech talent here? Billboards and the Global Skills Strategy.

Benjamin Bergen, Executive Director, Council of Canadian Innovators, joins to explain.

Sponsored by Cisco Designed. Produced with support from TWG.

“Using Canada as an excuse for why you didn’t get funding, you didn’t get to hire the right person … I think that’s bullshit.”

Shopify president Harley Finkelstein joins for a brand refresh on Canadian entrepreneurship, pushing back against doom-and-gloom narratives before digging into his real issues of concern and offering proactive tips for entrepreneurs looking to scale globally.

Presented by AWS Startups: accelerate your innovative ideas with AWS credits of up to $100,000 through the AWS Activate program.

This week on CanCon, the team discusses the events leading up to the open letter written by the Canadian tech community, and its potential outcomes.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Citizens of Tomorrow" by Tokyo Police Club
Ad music: Catmosphere - Candy-Coloured Sky, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA Attribution-Share Alike license.

"This episode is going to get a little bit SaaS-y."

A highlight of BetaKit's interviews at SAAS NORTH, featuring: Alexandra Sukin (Bessemer Venture Partners), Steve Munford (Trulioo), Irene Zhou (Plaid), Anthony Mouchantaf (RBCx), Tamara Grominsky (Unbounce), and Leo Lax (L-SPARK).

Listen to the full interviews on BetaKit.com or SoundCloud.com/BetaKit.

Sponsored by SVB and Innovate BC.

This week on CanCon, the team evaluates the merits of a Canadian AI supercluster, the perils of unchecked AI, and the value of innovation infrastructure spending.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): “A conversation between two robots” by The Superfantastics
Ad music: Catmosphere - Candy-Coloured Sky, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA Attribution-Share Alike license.

“I think we’re going to build the largest Canadian financial institution. That is a giant opportunity, and our focus on delivering that in Canada has helped us grow way faster.”

Ten years in, Wealthsimple is profitable with $50 billion in AUA. How did the company get here and what comes next? Co-founders Brett Huneycutt (CPO) and Michael Katchen (CEO) join for a special birthday podcast.

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Uber Canada. Uber's driving positive change for riders, drivers, and communities across Toronto. Learn more about how Uber is moving Toronto forward.

On this episode of CanCon, the team evaluates Slack's newest competitor (Facebook) and decides where in Canada to build a tech startup.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): “German Polka Medley” performed by Walter Ostanek
Ad music: Catmosphere - Candy-Coloured Sky, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA Attribution-ShareAlike license

This week, the team mounts a defence of coding education, debates the effect of a new CSA judgment on ICOs and cryptocurrency, and continues our evaluation of the hot new phones for the summer.

Canadian Content music clip fair dealing): "If This Dance Catches On" by Mounties

“To be competitive with American startups—or Israeli startups, or European startups—we need that push. That push … comes with a bureaucratic cost, because the government wants to know what's happening with their money.” 

MAIN Executive Director Louis-Felix Binette joins live from Startupfest in Montréal to discuss the state of tech entrepreneurship in the city and province, including Québec Tech’s new name and mission.

Presented by Mantle: next-level equity management, powered by AI. Visit withmantle.com/betakit to get started with your first 12 months free.

This week: Rob provides an Apple history lesson that points to where the company is going next with macOS and iOS; we discuss everything Facebook's done wrong when it comes to privacy.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Everything You've Done Wrong" by Sloan
Ad music: "Dreams" by Joakim Karud

“Regrettably, I don't think we're very good, to be honest, at collaborating with FinTechs, or collaborating with the private sector more broadly on solving for policy issues.”

It's a podcast double feature this week, with two conversations offering a pulse check on financial innovation in Canada. First: Koho’s Daniel Eberhard (CEO) and Peter Aceto (Chief Banking Officer) detail the process of becoming a licensed bank along with the benefits and risks. Second: leaders from Manzil (Mohamad Sawwaf) and Borrowell (Eva Wong) join the Department of Finance Canada’s Julien Brazeau to discuss innovations focused on greater inclusion for Canada’s underbanked. Recorded live at Elevate Festival.

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Uber Canada. Uber's driving positive change for riders, drivers, and communities across Toronto. Learn more about how Uber is moving Toronto forward.

The BetaKit Podcast is also brought to you by The BetaKit Quiz, a new weekly challenge testing your knowledge of Canadian tech. Head to BetaKit.com/quiz every Friday, take the quiz, and see how well you score!

"Did we vet these questions?"

Black Swan producer Kattie Laur joins the gang to help answer some incredibly detailed listener questions about the recent Throne Speech, cleantech investing, and what Hootsuite doesn't understand about 2020.

Sponsored by the A.I. Meets World podcast. Produced with support from TWG.

"We have industrialized grift in a way that is kind of unprecedented in human history."

Canadian YouTuber Dan Olson (Folding Ideas) explains his battle against internet grifts, how his career changed after a viral video on NFTs, and why the metaverse was destined to be a dead mall.

Sponsored by Goodlawyer. Originally aired May 5, 2023.

“The 776 fellowship has connected us to so many opportunities that we would never be connected to [otherwise].”

Xatoms co-founder Diana Virgovicova explains how she uses quantum chemistry, AI, grants from tech leaders like Alexis Ohanian, and celebrity relationships to help solve a global clean water problem. Recorded live at Elevate Festival.

Related link: Xatoms is planning a quantum leap to clean the world’s water

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Shakepay: Canada's easy way to buy and earn bitcoin. Visit shakepay.com/betakit and join over 1 million Canadians shaking for bitcoin.

Also presented by Brampton Venture Zone’s Launch Program: applications for the 2025 cohort are open until November 8th.

"Are we willing to let companies die in Canadian tech?" "Yes."

VC Matt Roberts joins for a special episode of the BetaKit Podcast recorded live at SAAS NORTH, answering attendee and speaker questions about the impacts of the current tech downturn, the FTX clustercuss, and Canada's next BlackBerry.

Sponsored by Caravel Law.

“Part of my prediction for 2025 is embracing or acknowledging that chaos reigns.”

AI agents. Political shenanigans. A Canadian tech acquisition that will shock you. And a Big Tech breakup that you might expect. After choosing chalk last year, The BetaKit Podcast adds some spice to its 2025 tech predictions. Let’s dig in!

Have a different take on 2025? Let us know: podcast@betakit.com.

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by ‘Devious Web,’ a Shelley Grandy mystery novel available in digital or paperback formats.

A successful Canadian entrepreneur is offered millions from Silicon Valley for his data analytics business. As CEO Tom Oliver considers the deal, he is targeted by an unknown perpetrator, and his friend, homicide detective Jason Liu, must strive to keep him safe.

If you enjoyed ‘Suits’ and ‘Succession,’ this book is for you. Order your copy today.

"Here's something that I didn't anticipate when we began doing these conversations across provinces: they don't talk to each other."

CCI's Ben Bergen and Bronte Valk walk through Alberta and BC's latest budget commitments before answering two key questions: what impact can provincial governments have on tech, and how do local tech ecosystems impact their governments?

“ Subversiveness is a way of changing the system. And I think what we're seeing right now is that all systems are changing.”

Entrepreneur and Startupfest founding partner Alistair Croll has co-authored a new book, Just Evil Enough: The Subversive Marketing Handbook. Why are Canadian companies so bad with their go-to-market execution and is now really the time to be preaching subversion and disagreeableness? Let’s dig in.

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by The BetaKit Newsletter. Your inbox deserves better, and so do you. Stay informed on all things Canadian tech by signing up for The BetaKit Newsletter today.

“We have really no programming to teach mentors, it’s all tribal.”

Brice Scheschuk (Wind Mobile, Globalive) explains the motivation behind his new initiative to improve the craft of mentorship and create more resilient entrepreneurs, MindFrame Connect.

Sponsored by SVB and Innovate BC.

On this episode of CanCon, the team ponders if BlackBerry is still a Canadian tech company, talks tech gentrification, and about all the new food delivery apps cropping up.

Canadian content clip: "Amelia Earhart" by The Inbreds (under fair dealing)

“The quantum computer itself, the one that we would classify as sexy … has such a huge disruptive potential that we cannot really comprehend how much of an effect it's going to have.”

Fresh off a $20 million fund close, Quantacet managing partner Martin Laforest joins to discuss quantum tech’s “degrees of sexiness,” its path to commercialization, Québec’s commitment to quantum innovation, and why it’s centred in the city of Sherbrooke.

Presented by Mantle: the Canadian-made, AI-powered equity management solution designed for modern founders and operators. Visit withmantle.com/betakit to get started. 

"I think it's hard to beat the optimist out of a VC."

The Globe and Mail's Sean Silcoff joins to discuss whether or not the Canadian tech boom is fizzling out. Public policy expert Vass Bednar joins to discuss which Canadian companies are quietly adopting and emulating big-tech strategies to their benefit.

Sponsored by HardTech, Canada’s biggest hardware event, taking place November 9th.

On this episode of CanCon, the team reunites to evaluate Canada's approach to FinTech, figure out 5G, and discuss VC Roger Chabra's Canadian entrepreneur checklist.

Canadian content clip: "This sentence will ruin/save your life" by Born Ruffians (under fair dealing)

"One of the deepest pieces of why AccessNow exists is to find the thing that shifts a culture into wanting access for everyone. Our bet is that we can use tech to do that."

AccessNow founder & CEO Maayan Ziv joins to discuss why modern tech is still not designed with all users in mind, and what can be done to fix it.

Produced with support from TWG.

“The government doesn't have a great way of being able to kind of parse through and say, ‘this is bad and this is good.’ And, this is, I think, a key part of the problem.”

TMU senior research associate Stein Monteiro and former NACO CEO Yuri Navarro join to discuss the successes and failures of the Start-up Visa program in relation to its predecessor, and how improving the program might be difficult without the right data.

Sponsored by Float, Finance on auto-pilot.

On this episode of Cancon, the team wonders if Canada should act a lot more like China, and discusses the merits of shorting startups.

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "True Patriot Love" by Joel Plaskett
Ad music: Catmosphere - Candy-Coloured Sky, available under a Creative Commons BY-SA Attribution-ShareAlike license

"We have a solution and they're not paying attention to this. You have zero acknowledgement from this government. Zero."

BookJane CEO and founder Curtis Khan explains why Ontario's vaccine rollout has been so bad, while expressing frustrations over the lack of support from the Ford government.

Sponsored by Xero. Produced with support from TWG.

“I think it's really important for Canadians to speak to their public officials and remind them that this is an important industry. They should be taking it seriously. They should be putting in the time to speak with industry and learn about it.”

Live from the Blockchain Futurist Conference, award-winning BetaKit reporter Josh Scott moderates two important conversations: a year in review with Coinbase Canada CEO Lucas Matheson; and a Canadian Web3 regulation check-in with Dan Nuñez Cohen (Crypto.com), Kunal Bhasin (KPMG), Morva Rohani (Canadian Web3 Council), and Suzanne Lasrado (CIRO).

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Google Cloud: scale your startup faster and smarter with the Google Cloud credits, technical training, startup experts, curated resources, plus AI and Web3 specific benefits.

Get up to $350k in cloud credits over two years, plus access to hands-on technical training, mentorship from startup experts, and connections with a thriving community.

Visit startups.google.com/betakit to learn more and apply today!

Bloomberg tech/politics reporter Gerrit De Vynck joins to discuss whether global tech companies are too big to fail (or be regulated). Plus: Canadian video games are driving tech innovation. No, really!

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Lollipop (Ode to Jim)" by Alvvays

Matt Roberts (SUV) and Chris Plunkett (Communitech) join to discuss the federal government's tax walk back, the boon of Alphabet investing in Toronto, and the shame of Canadian cities pitching for Amazon's HQ2. Plus: 3 tech questions with Patrick O'Rourke (MobileSyrup).

Canadian Content music clip (under fair dealing): "Killbear" by Hayden

"What’s it like when an app doesn’t just connect you to a doctor… it’s the medicine?"

A4i's Amos Adler and Dr. Sean Kidd join to discuss the difference between telemedicine and digital therapeutics, supporting complex mental health challenges with an app, and the struggles of Canada's healthcare system.

Sponsored by Cisco.

This week, CanCon features a power-packed guest panel ready to discuss the impact of #Budget2017 on Canada's tech ecosystem.

Canadian Content music clips (under fair dealing):
"Money City Maniacs" by Sloan
"If I Had $1,000,000" by Barenaked Ladies

“I think that there are two types of investors right now. There are ones that are being thoughtful about it and steering clear of investments that could cause harm. And then there are some that are wading into them and don't care at all.”

General partner Darian Shirazi joins to identify the AI moat, match the progress of AI with other tech eras, and differentiate Gradient Ventures from AI VCs who “don’t care at all.”

Presented by Mantle: the Canadian-made, AI-powered equity management solution designed for modern founders and operators. Visit withmantle.com/betakit to get started. 

"We're not a business that a lot of Canadian VCs found sexy."

Willful CEO Erin Bury, who longtime listeners might remember as a regular guest on BetaKit’s CanCon podcast, joins to explain what COVID-19 has made easier, and more difficult, for a business built to grapple with death.

Produced with support from TWG.

"I like to think that Peloton is the equivalent to Facebook."

Wheelhouse co-founder and CEO Kyle Gibson shares how his small company plans to take on giants with a hybrid fitness approach, and the switch from a lifestyle to a venture-backed business.

Sponsored by SVB and CLOUDSEC 2021.

"There's an administrative burden to being a public company that I think most private companies don't necessarily appreciate."

Will Shaw, partner and leader of the Toronto Emerging Technology practice group at Fasken, explains the process of going public for Canadian tech companies.

Sponsored by Xero. Produced with support from TWG.

“ I'm sure if there's one takeaway here is that we can all trust Enron to solve the world's energy problems.” 

“With a mere human-sized egg.”

A cleantech crisis? The end of VCCI? The rise of centaurs? FinTech IPOs? Quantum leaps? BetaKit reporters Madison McLauchlan and Josh Scott join to review 2024’s biggest tech questions before offering a fresh set for 2025.

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by The BetaKit Newsletter. Your inbox deserves better, and so do you. Stay informed on all things Canadian tech by signing up for The BetaKit Newsletter today.

"League of Innovators is trying to solve this problem of how we identify and accelerate young entrepreneurs."

LOI Venture founder and GP, Ryan Holmes, discusses investment in youth entrepreneurship, the changing eras of Canadian tech, and life after Hootsuite.

Sponsored by the University of Toronto and Venture for Canada.

“How do we collect data so that we give it in the hands of the government in an efficient way? We’re in a democratic country. Isn’t this data supposed to inform the government?”

Raesetje Sefala, research fellow at The Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR), joins to discuss her work analyzing the impacts of South African apartheid using computer vision techniques and satellite imagery. Recorded live at ALL IN in Montréal.

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Motion: one of Canada's fastest-growing tech companies. Motion is hiring, so check out its careers page. And read The Comeback, a three-part series on how the team’s early experience taught them the importance of solving the right problems, and helped Motion close a $30-million USD financing round.

"When we unveiled the company and the product to the world, the hope was 'people are going to be excited.' Or maybe we're completely wrong."

Can a ragtag team of ex-BlackBerry employees and fanboys bring mobile keyboards back with Clicks? Clicks' Kevin Michaluk (CrackBerry) and Jeff Gadway (BlackBerry) join to explain what prompted them to build an iPhone keyboard in 2024. The answer may surprise you as much as the gadget's target customer.

Presented by Float, co-hosts of In the Black: Building Enduring Businesses. Learn what’s top of mind for Canada’s fastest-growing companies, including Xanadu, Wealthsimple, and Float.

"When we look at companies today, I'm reminded of what it was like - just how bleak it was - in that summer of 2000. You can play through that as an investor and an entrepreneur."

Mark McQueen, President & Executive Managing Director - CIBC Innovation Banking, compares 2022 with past downturns to track what's changed and remained constant.

Sponsored by Diuca.

“SaaS was around, ‘How do you automate business processes in order to empower humans?’ AI is about, ‘How can a machine do the process so that you need less [human] involvement?’”

David Appel (Sage Intacct), Bryan Watson (Venbridge), April Hicke (Toast), and Stephanie Lipp (MycoFutures) talk AI, the changing role of the CFO, leadership and hiring, cleantech tax credits, and how to make leather from mushrooms (seriously). Recorded live at SAAS NORTH.

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Uber Canada. Uber's driving positive change for riders, drivers, and communities across Toronto. Learn more about how Uber is moving Toronto forward.

“I’m using failure with intent today, because I don’t want to be ashamed of saying ‘failure.’"

Marie Chevrier Schwartz, founder and former CEO of Sampler, explains how her company lost product-market fit after a decade in business. Recorded live on the BetaKit Keynote Stage at SAAS NORTH 2024.

The BetaKit Podcast is presented by The BetaKit Quiz. Think you're up to date on the world of Canadian tech? Test your knowledge with The BetaKit Quiz, proudly sponsored by GoDaddy.

“I think ambition is a problem… Canada is a go-for-bronze culture, and that sucks.”

Kinda. Presenting BetaKit chair Satish Kanwar’s fireside chat and AMA with Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke at the BetaKit Town Hall. The pair discuss the state of Canadian innovation, government and policy, and what comes next. With special guests from CDL, Ada, Knix, and Version One Ventures.

Presented by the Master of Business Administration in Technology Leadership (Tech MBA) at Schulich School of Business. Gain a Competitive Edge. Design the future with Schulich’s Tech MBA.