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Canadian Tech in 100 Words

Shopify Slides Despite 32% Revenue Growth

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Shopify’s shares fell roughly nine per cent Tuesday despite quarterly revenue climbing nearly 32 per cent to US$3.74 billion. The Ottawa-based company narrowly missed analyst revenue expectations, while net income rose to US$462 million from US$264 million a year earlier. Investment in Sidekick, its AI assistant for merchants, pressured subscription margins as service costs grew faster than subscription revenue.

President Harley Finkelstein said shoppers are beginning to use AI agents to make purchases, although volumes remain small. The results highlight Shopify’s balancing act between funding AI capabilities and satisfying investors whose expectations increasingly outpace its strong growth.

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Ada Joins Dialpad in $600-Million AI Merger

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Toronto’s Ada is merging with U.S. cloud communications company Dialpad in an all-share transaction valuing the Canadian customer service AI provider at approximately $600 million. That marks a steep decline from Ada’s USD $1.2-billion pandemic-era valuation. The combination brings Ada’s automated voice and chat agents together with Dialpad’s telephony and contact centre infrastructure.

The goal is a broader platform that helps businesses automate customer interactions across channels. For Canada’s technology sector, the deal illustrates how AI capabilities can remain strategically valuable even as the companies developing them face valuations well below their previous funding peaks.

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Cohere Commits to 1,000 New Canadian Tech Jobs

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Cohere has committed to creating at least 1,000 new Canadian technical jobs by 2030 alongside a planned federal equity investment of up to $1.6 billion. The Toronto-founded AI company also plans at least $1.7 billion in additional Canadian computing infrastructure investment by 2030. Private investors participating alongside Ottawa include NVIDIA, Bell, and Schwarz Group.

Cohere will maintain its Canadian headquarters and incorporation, support research partnerships, and provide opportunities for students and graduates. Federal funding will arrive in stages, with reporting against employment and investment commitments. The announcement does not specify where positions will be located or when hiring will begin.

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RBC Blocks Outside AI Agents From Online Banking

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RBC is blocking third-party personal AI agents from accessing its authenticated digital services, including online banking. Canada’s largest bank says autonomous tools could expose customers to fraud, privacy breaches, and actions beyond their expectations. The decision means existing connections through outside AI agents will stop working. Customers can still use RBC’s website, mobile app, and proprietary digital tools.

RBC acknowledges that AI assistants could help consumers compare offers and simplify everyday tasks, but says trust and security must come first. The move highlights the growing tension between autonomous financial tools and banks’ responsibility to protect customer information and account access.

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Finni Health Tops Deloitte’s 2026 Technology Fast 50

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Toronto’s Finni Health leads Deloitte Canada’s 2026 Technology Fast 50, recording four-year revenue growth of 46,574%. The company helps autism care providers launch and operate private practices. This year’s Fast 50 cohort averaged 3,079% growth. For the first time, women CEOs lead half of the top 10 companies.

Vancouver delivery company UniUni topped the Enterprise–Industry Leaders category with 2,143% growth, while Ottawa database developer Turbopuffer led Companies-to-Watch with three-year growth of 65,443%.

Deloitte says the winners continue investing and hiring despite economic uncertainty. Selection relies on revenue growth, with participating companies required to submit audited or reviewed financial statements to qualify.

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Wealthsimple Hits $13.8 Billion Valuation

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Toronto’s Wealthsimple has agreed to an equity round of up to $425 million at a $13.8 billion valuation, strengthening its push across Canadian financial services. GIC leads the financing, joined by Power Corporation, IGM Financial, ICONIQ, CPP Investments, and Inovia. The transaction includes $300 million in primary capital and up to $125 million in secondary share sales, allowing employees to participate in the company’s growth.

New funding will accelerate products spanning business services, everyday spending, chequing, trading, and investing. The deal gives Wealthsimple additional resources to broaden its platform as it competes for more of Canadians’ daily financial activity and savings.

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Alberta’s AI Buildout Could Face 5,200-Worker Shortfall

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Alberta could be short approximately 5,200 construction and skilled trades workers if 80% of its proposed AI data centre capacity gets built within a decade. Research from the Information and Communications Technology Council, commissioned by the province, highlights workforce constraints behind Alberta’s infrastructure ambitions. Extending that buildout to 15 years would reduce the projected shortage to 2,227 workers.

Simultaneous projects could compete with hospitals, transit construction, and oil and gas facilities for talent, pushing wages higher. ICTC recommends stronger trades pipelines, expanded training, and Indigenous workforce pathways, underscoring that delivering AI infrastructure depends on people as well as power and capital.

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Clio Acquires Page to Track What’s Next in Law

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Clio has acquired Kitchener-Waterloo’s Page, adding regulatory monitoring to its expanding legal AI platform.

Page analyzes legislation, regulations, hearings, and other government materials to help organizations identify policy developments relevant to their businesses. Clio plans to integrate its technology into Vincent over the coming months, enabling tailored monitoring and daily intelligence briefings.

The transaction’s financial terms were not disclosed. Page’s entire 12-person team is joining Clio, while existing customers will continue using its current product.

Announced at ClioCon in Boston, the acquisition broadens Clio’s focus from understanding existing law to helping legal teams anticipate new requirements before they take effect.

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DropGenie Raises US$5 Million to Shrink Lab Experiments

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Montréal- and Boston-based DropGenie has added BDC Capital’s Thrive Fund to its seed-plus financing, bringing the round to US$5 million.

Led by Skeleton Key, the financing also includes Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, CQDM, Real Ventures, and Anges Québec.

DropGenie’s technology miniaturizes gene-editing experiments onto a chip, using up to 100 times fewer cells than conventional methods, according to the company. That could help researchers work with scarce patient samples while reducing material costs.

The funding will support commercialization and data partnerships, with the company targeting demand for high-quality biological datasets that can support drug discovery and AI model development.

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North Vector Raises $29 Million-Plus for Counter-Drone Technology

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Calgary’s North Vector Dynamics has raised more than $29 million in Series A funding to scale production of its air-defence technology and expand internationally.

European investor Tech Horizons led the round, joined by ONE9, Garage Capital, CSG, Ripple Ventures, and others. The company’s CM-70 precision-guided interceptor is designed to counter fast-moving drones and integrate with existing defence systems.

Funding will support manufacturing, supply-chain development, hiring, and new offices in the United States and Europe.

The financing follows a strategic investment from NordSpace Ventures and marks a shift from validating Canadian-developed defence technology toward manufacturing it at volume for allied markets.

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