The BetaKit Podcast Channel

"We just don't have the clout to be able to successfully push policy on top of these platforms without cooperation or partnership from other countries." Former Google Canada and Twitter Canada exec Rory Capern joins to discuss the ongoing US Big Tech antitrust cases, the state of social media and digital advertising, and what recourse (if any) Canada has to move forward effective regulation. The B...

"The development of AI is racing ahead from most large corporations' ability to keep up with it. What does that mean? There's a nice gap there. There's a beautiful gap to create products and go fill that gap." Founders and government capital convene to discuss the go-to-market and scaling realities for AI companies in Canada. Featuring Dwayne Dulmage (BDC), Hongwei Liu (Mappedin), Sarah Legendre-B...

"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 BetaK...

"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...

"This is a technology that now is directly impacting society every day and is impacting people's lives. And if we're going to help continue its development in a positive way, we actually need to be involved—not just on the technical side, but also on the policy and the societal impact side as well." Elissa Strome, executive director of the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy at CIFAR, jo...

"This was mine. This was done. I was going to be the next Steve Jobs, I was going to be rich—everything was happening. And now they took it away." As the young co-founder of Ottawa-based Gymtrack, Pablo Srugo had one goal: "become insanely rich." Now a partner at Mistral VC, he joins the podcast to share what went wrong and caution founders against becoming their own worst hypebeast. The BetaKit P...

"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...

"Verticalized AI applications right now are available, right now accelerating industry after industry." AI is moving so fast it can be hard to keep up. The BetaKit Podcast has you covered with vantage points on AI from: Dr. Sasha Luccioni (Hugging Face), Reid Robinson (Zapier), Solon Angel (stealth startup), Darian Shirazi (Gradient Ventures), Joella Almeida (MedEssist), Chris Walker (Untether AI)...

"The world is loopy. Everything is a cycle. Everything is a product of compounding changes." Summer is almost over, so hear from these Canadian tech leaders as you prepare to get back to work in September. Featuring insights from Michael Katchen (Wealthsimple), Daniel Eberhard (Koho), Dax Dasilva (Lightspeed), Stuart Lombard (Ecobee), and Tobi Lütke (Shopify). Presented by AWS Startups: accelerate...

"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 Coin...

"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 o...

"If you're an emerging manager on your first or second fund, you need to find winners. But realistically, the vast majority of funds here in Canada are still emerging managers." Sand Hill North Partner Ryan Henry joins to share his family office's unique perspective on deal activity on both sides of the border, before unpacking what feels true for Canadian VCs and founders, and how far those feeli...

"It was a seller's market during the pandemic … They were staffing up in the anticipation of growth that never actually materialized. It's now a buyer's market." For our 350th episode (!) of The BetaKit Podcast, the gang once again attempts to survive an overstuffed mailbag of listener-submitted questions regarding: the fediverse, federal cleantech tax credits, disappeared Alberta investor tax cre...

"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. Original air date: March 31, 2024. Presented by Mantle: next-level equity mana...

"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...

"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...

"In Canada today … if you look at the inventory of 20,000 great technology companies, 60 percent of those have never met an investor. Because they're really busy at meeting customers." Jolt Capital managing partner Jean Schmitt joins to discuss why he made Montréal his deep tech private equity firm's North American HQ, and the opportunities for investment he sees across Canada. Presented by AWS St...

"Is this Collision, is this RISE, is this Web Summit? I'm very confused." Web Summit co-host Casey Lau joins the podcast from the show floor of the last Collision to evaluate its impact, what Web Summit Vancouver will do for the city, and what the reimagined tech conference might look like when it arrives next year. Presented by Mantle: next-level equity management, powered by AI. Visit  withmantl...

"OpenAI has nothing to lose and Apple had to move. They are the last player in this space, they had to do something." The gang reviews the latest announcements from Apple's WWDC event, including a major partnership with OpenAI, before handing out grades for Big Tech's AI progress. Also evaluated: whether or not Apple killed any tech companies this week, 1Password included. Presented by Mantle: nex...

"Fiscal '25 is the year we turn 20, and it's the year we cross a billion in revenue and we become a profitability story." Once again back in the CEO chair, Lightspeed's Dax Dasilva discusses why he stepped down, then returned, as the company he founded approaches its 20th birthday. The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Innovate BC: a Crown Agency of the Province of British Columbia. Visit  innovateb...

"We're not in the business of selling food, we're in the business of behaviour change." New School Foods founder Chris Bryson joins to discuss his plans to commercialize a pet R&D project into a Canadian plant-based meat competitor. Can he do the impossible better than... Impossible? The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Innovate BC: a Crown Agency of the Province of British Columbia. Visit innovate...

"We've been offered or at least suggested, 'Why don't you move your headquarters to the US?' The only way we'll move our headquarters outside of Toronto or Canada is if I get fired." Christian Weedbrook, CEO and founder of Xanadu, joins to discuss his optimism in building a quantum unicorn in Canada, his hope of raising an all-Canadian round, and how it will help him get one step closer to a quant...

"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...

"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 Bus...

"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....