Wealthsimple partners with Elon Musk’s X for direct stock trading via social media Stock tickers on X posts will now link to FinTech’s trading platform for Canadian users.

Canadian FinTech Wealthsimple has launched a trading integration with Elon Musk's X platform. Here's how it's stirring praise, and backlash, from some users.

Kepler to lead testing of European Space Agency’s high-speed data network Toronto firm helped architect the first phase of the HydRON project.

Toronto's Kepler Communications has landed another contract with the European Space Agency (@esa.int) for its HydRON ELement 3 project. #CDNtech

Mila teams up with Mozilla to build open-source AI tools | BetaKit The Firefox maker is investing an initial $1 million into the partnership with Montréal's AI institute.

New: @mozilla.org is partnering with @mila-quebec.bsky.social to work on open-source AI projects, with an initial $1 million CAD
betakit.com/mila-teams-u...

OpenText employees report job cuts tied to apparent restructuring | BetaKit The cuts come as former IBM Americas president Ayman Antoun prepares to take over as CEO.

Canadian software firm OpenText $OTEX employees report job cuts tied to apparent restructuring, via @alexriehl.com

betakit.com/opentext-emp...

Montréal computer scientist Gilles Brassard wins Turing Award for quantum discoveries | BetaKit The Université de Montréal professor was honoured alongside US physicist Charles H. Bennett.

Pretty cool news today for Montréal, Québec, and Canada.
@umontreal.ca Gilles Brassard was awarded computer science's highest honour for his quantum breakthroughs, alongside longtime collaborator Charles H. Bennett

betakit.com/montreal-com...

Information commissioner ‘disappointed’ by lack of federal ambition on access reform Information commissioner says most of the complaints her office receives relate to the failure to respond to applications for documents within legislated timelines.

We functionally do not have a legislated Access to Information system in Canada.

Federal departments face zero consequences for simply ignoring the rules. They are effectively allowed to only hand over documents if they feel like it. www.thestar.com/politics/fed...

CCI wants governments to buy more Canadian healthtech | BetaKit The tech advocacy group urges an overhaul of procurement and data management to support domestic companies.

Canadian tech advocacy group CCI argues that governments should take a similar 'buy Canadian' approach to #healthtech as it did for the Defence Industrial Strategy:

betakit.com/cci-wants-go...

Thanks to @dustyweb.bsky.social and Paige Saunders for being so generous with their time!

Can Canada find digital sovereignty in the Fediverse? | BetaKit At FediMTL, advocates say growing the social web is vital to combating Big Tech.

I got to hear from some of the architects and builders of the Fediverse at FediMTL in Montréal yesterday. I learned a ton about decentralized social media and how it's taken on newfound urgency with Canada's push toward digital sovereignty.

betakit.com/can-canada-f...

Can Canada find digital sovereignty in the Fediverse? | BetaKit At FediMTL, advocates say growing the social web is vital to combating Big Tech.

Talking about the Fediverse often feels like it merits a "stop trying to make fetch happen" response.

But at a recent conference in Montréal, advocates said figuring out how to build a decentralized web people will actually use is a must.

betakit.com/can-canada-f... by @madisonmcla.bsky.social

Such a good deep dive into Quebec quantum history

Is Canada's bank for entrepreneurs too big to fail? YouTube video by BetaKit

I joined @trondizzle.bsky.social on the @betakit.com Podcast to talk about an anonymous feedback report on Crown corporation BDC, and why it matters for Canadian tech.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngmk...

Photonic claims “world-first” quantum teleportation across Telus fibre network Quantum company deepens partnership with investor and telecom giant.

BC's Photonic is claiming that it teleported quantum information over 30km of Telus fibre-optic cable, as the company looks to make #quantum business-ready

betakit.com/photonic-cla...

Headline reads: my heart can't bear

The small-town paper in Tumbler Ridge is going to need support. This is its front page right now. Their subscription page is here:
www.patreon.com/tumblerridge...

Haply Robotics raises $16 million to build the “steering wheels” for physical AI | BetaKit How the Montréal startup plans to own the touch layer of robotics.

betakit.com/haply-roboti...

Montréal's Haply Robotics has raised $16 million CAD from Sound Media Ventures, Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, Hanwha Asset Management Fund, Two Small Fish Ventures, and BDC Capital.

The startup is building the "touch layer" of how humans and robots interact.

We read every submission from Canada’s AI task force: here’s what they said | BetaKit Nearly 350 pages of recommendations sketch a fractured but urgent road map for Canada’s AI future.

The federal government used AI to summarize its consultations with Evan Solomon's AI task force. We used a human reporter.

BetaKit's Josh Scott undertook a heroic effort to sort through all 348 pages of task force submissions. Here's his summary.

Resharing some fantastic @washingtonpost.com journalism in the wake of massive cuts there. What’s happening is awful and will certainly erode our information ecosystem.

Ok.

Super interesting interview:

Canadian companies are generating massive returns in the “bioeconomy” | BetaKit Just 84 early-stage biotech companies generated nearly $900 million for Canada’s GDP.

Canadian bioeconomy companies are driving economic returns: 84 early-stage biotech firms generated nearly $900M in GDP over recent years, according to new data from Natural Products Canada.

Alexi escalates legal fight with Clio by filing antitrust claim | BetaKit After being sued for an alleged breach of contract, Toronto-based legaltech startup Alexi has fired back with counterclaims against Clio.

betakit.com/alexi-escala...

Toronto's Alexi has escalated a legal fight with
Clio and its subsidiary Fastcase by filing a counterclaim that includes antitrust allegations.

Alexi claims the litigation has thwarted acquisition interest and forced it to lay off 2/3 of staff. #legaltech

I thought this was pretty cool

Hootsuite could receive up to $2.8 million USD for contract with US immigration enforcement | BetaKit Years after scrapping a contract with ICE, Hootsuite is providing monitoring technology to DHS.

Canadian social media management firm Hootsuite is providing monitoring tech to the US government's immigration enforcement agency. Via @betakit.com reporter Josh Scott and myself. betakit.com/hootsuite-dh...

Mila researchers target “AI psychosis” amid concerns about chatbots’ mental health impact | BetaKit The research hub’s AI Safety Studio hopes to limit chatbot outputs that can feed users’ delusions.

Researchers at Mila in Montréal are tackling one of the most concerning issues in #AI right now: chatbot-induced mental health crises.

It's also, Simona Gandrabur tells me, really difficult to get real-world data.

betakit.com/mila-researc...

Helcim takes aim at “walled-off” payment systems with new extension | BetaKit The Helcim Payment Extension will circumvent “walled gardens,” so businesses can integrate payments into any software.

"There’s a lot of money being invested ... with an assumption of having a walled garden. Ultimately, I don’t think that’s worked in the interest of the consumer."

Calgary fintech CEO @nicbeique.bsky.social on why he sees open finance as the future. betakit.com/helcim-takes...

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