In this episode of Tank Talks, host Matt Cohen and John Ruffolo break down the most important stories shaping Canada’s innovation economy, from the upcoming federal budget and its impact on founders and investors, to Canada’s fintech shake-up as open banking finally gains momentum.

The duo dives into AI’s growing legal minefield, including the mounting lawsuits against Perplexity and Sora, and discusses what this means for startups training models on licensed versus unlicensed data. They also unpack Cohere’s rumored IPO, Canada’s AI partnership with the UAE, and what it reveals about the country’s global strategy for data centers and sovereign capital.

From Blue Jays playoff economics to AI data sovereignty, this Rundown is packed with sharp insights, timely analysis, and the kind of candid commentary you won’t hear anywhere else.

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Canada’s Make-or-Break Federal Budget (08:46)

With the federal budget weeks away, John calls this the Liberal government’s credibility test, a defining moment for innovation, R&D reform, and fiscal discipline.

* The state of Canada’s finances and investor sentiment

* Expectations for R&D tax credit and AI policy reform

* Why “good ideas” might not matter if the fiscal hole is too deep

Open Banking Finally Gets Real (12:55)

The Bank of Canada registers 300 new payment service providers, marking a major milestone for Canada’s fintech ecosystem.

* How this could shake up the Big 5 banks’ oligopoly

* Why Wealthsimple, Shopify, and Koho stand to gain

* John’s take on trust, liquidity, and the future of financial competition

Canada-UAE AI Investment Deal (15:34)

AI Minister Evan Solomon signs a non-binding MOU with the UAE on data center investment. Is this a real opportunity or political theater?

* What “non-binding” really means for Canada’s capital strategy

* Mark Carney’s push to diversify trade away from the U.S.

* Why every major country is chasing sovereign data capital

Cohere’s IPO Tease and the AI Hype Cycle (18:11)

Cohere’s CEO Aidan Gomez hints at “going public soon.” Matt and John weigh the risks and timing of an AI IPO in a frothy market.

* Lessons from the Faire America IPO and $16B valuations with no assets

* The pressure of capital requirements in AI infrastructure

* Why timing the public markets almost never works

AI Lawsuits, IP Infringement, and Data Licensing Wars (20:48)

From Reddit vs Perplexity to Hollywood vs. Sora, Matt and John break down the growing AI legal battles over content rights.

* The global IP divide: what happens when China ignores licensing rules

* Why only the biggest players can afford compliance

* The coming “Rule of Three” in the AI data economy

Connect with John Ruffolo on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/joruffolo

Connect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1

Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/

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