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Is Canadian Tech Over-Funded?
Is the Canadian tech ecosystem over-watered?
Four people who've operated inside the system sit down to ask whether government funding has become so pervasive in Canadian tech that it's distorting how companies actually get built.
Featuring Derrick Hunter (Bluesky Equities, Alberta Enterprise Corporation), Graeme Harrison (Augur VC), Michelle Scarborough (formerly BDC Capital), and Cam Linke (Amii), with Philippe Burns moderating.
The conversation works through three zones where government money shapes the ecosystem: grants, venture capital, and the non-profit support organizations that surround them. Along the way: why Canadian VC funds take 12 weeks to make decisions US funds make in 30 minutes; why less than 10% of Canadian VC managers ever reach their carry; and what each panelist would do tomorrow with a magic wand to fix it.
This is the audio version of the Tech Thursday panel originally recorded in Calgary, April 23rd, 2026.
Read the recap on the Calgary Tech Newsletter at calgarytech.substack.com.
Tech Thursday is Canada's largest tech community event series, hosted weekly across Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Ottawa. Sponsored by Boast, Neo Financial, Skip, Motiv, Alberta Innovates, Crestview Strategy, and BLG.
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By Thursday MediaIs the Canadian tech ecosystem over-watered?
Four people who've operated inside the system sit down to ask whether government funding has become so pervasive in Canadian tech that it's distorting how companies actually get built.
Featuring Derrick Hunter (Bluesky Equities, Alberta Enterprise Corporation), Graeme Harrison (Augur VC), Michelle Scarborough (formerly BDC Capital), and Cam Linke (Amii), with Philippe Burns moderating.
The conversation works through three zones where government money shapes the ecosystem: grants, venture capital, and the non-profit support organizations that surround them. Along the way: why Canadian VC funds take 12 weeks to make decisions US funds make in 30 minutes; why less than 10% of Canadian VC managers ever reach their carry; and what each panelist would do tomorrow with a magic wand to fix it.
This is the audio version of the Tech Thursday panel originally recorded in Calgary, April 23rd, 2026.
Read the recap on the Calgary Tech Newsletter at calgarytech.substack.com.
Tech Thursday is Canada's largest tech community event series, hosted weekly across Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Ottawa. Sponsored by Boast, Neo Financial, Skip, Motiv, Alberta Innovates, Crestview Strategy, and BLG.