“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. 

“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.

“When you think about that shark American ethos, playing to win … but then also having the Canadian kindness, I think that’s where Canada and Canadians have a really big opportunity.”

Simple Ventures CEO joins to discuss the motivations behind the launch of the venture studio, the power of geographical arbitrage, and the structural, cultural, and economic impediments to Canadian entrepreneurship.

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.

“I think it would be a mistake if we make Canada even less competitive at such an incredibly important moment in time for us to embrace competition and productivity.” 

Michael Katchen (Wealthsimple) and Daniel Eberhard (Koho) join BetaKit editor-in-chief Douglas Soltys for a wide-ranging conversation on Canada’s productivity, entrepreneurship, and competition crises. Financial innovation, open banking, Real-Time Rail, and capital gains taxes might also come up. Recorded live at INNOVATEwest.

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.

“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.

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.

“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.

“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 deeply want to solve the challenges in education. I think what we have is a current educational system is really not working.”

Mobius Math Club co-founder Steven Woods (ex-Eloqua, Oracle, and Benevity) explains how video games are actually a great educational tool, and why taking venture capital won’t help him scale.

Presented by Mastercard Canada: watch Mastercard Canada's Darrell MacMullin and BetaKit’s Douglas Soltys explore emerging tech’s impact on the future of financial innovation in a BetaKit Live fireside conversation.

“The thing that makes noir fiction noir is the detective is presented as an unlicensed cop who goes to the places the cops can’t go and asks the questions the cops can’t ask to solve the crimes the cops can’t solve. But by the end, he is reminded very forcefully that these were in fact places the cops didn’t want to go.”

Canadian journalist and author Cory Doctorow joins to discuss his new tech crime thriller The Bezzle, and how understanding the early Web 2.0 era can show us both where we are and where we’re going.

Sponsored by Mastercard Canada. On March 27, join Mastercard Canada’s SVP of Product and Solutions, Darell MacMullin, for a BetaKit Live fireside conversation to discuss how emerging tech, open banking, and evolving cybersecurity challenges are set to impact the future of financial innovation.

"One of the things that's funniest in tech is the complete and utter lack of self-awareness."

The BetaKit Podcast is off for March Break. If you're anything like us, right now you might need a welcome distraction from the joys of family. Enter comedian and podcaster Alexis Gay, who joins to share her transition from working in tech to creating content that perfectly articulates the absurdities of working in tech.

Sponsored by DiscoveryX Conference—Ontario’s premier innovation event, April 17 & 18. Also sponsored by the Master of Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MEIE) Program at Toronto Metropolitan University—learn how MEIE can help accelerate your career or bring your startup idea to life.

Original air date: October 21, 2022.