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Canadian Tech in 100 Words

Bell Anchors Sovereign AI Push

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Bell Canada’s Merritt, B.C. data centre will anchor a new sovereign AI partnership with Cohere, Hypertec, and BUZZ High Performance Computing. The deal combines Bell’s data centre and network assets, Cohere’s enterprise AI models, Hypertec’s Canadian-built AI and high-performance computing servers, BUZZ HPC’s sovereign cloud platform, and NVIDIA accelerated computing.

The partners say the goal is to give governments and enterprises access to advanced AI infrastructure located, operated, and governed in Canada. Bell says Merritt will provide capacity and connectivity, while BUZZ operates the AI-native cloud layer and Cohere runs foundation models for secure public- and private-sector deployments in Canada.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on DataCentre.ca.

CPP Investments Deepens India Data Bet

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CPP Investments is committing up to $1 billion to a new Indian data centre partnership with CtrlS Datacenters, expanding its digital infrastructure footprint in one of the world’s fastest-growing data economies. The Toronto-based investment manager will invest $588 million to acquire an 8.2 percent stake in CtrlS, and up to $441 million into a joint venture to develop hyperscale campuses across India.

CPP Investments will hold 48 percent of the venture, with CtrlS owning 52 percent. The partnership targets demand from hyperscalers, cloud providers, AI applications, and enterprises as India’s digital economy scales and data infrastructure needs substantially accelerate ahead.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on DataCentre.ca.

Workers Still Wary of AI

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A Salesforce survey of more than 1,500 desk workers found American employees are 43 percent more likely than the global average to describe themselves as AI skeptics. The concern is not just job loss. Workers pointed to generic outputs, insufficient training, and low trust as the top reasons AI pilots fail.

Salesforce argues the fix is less about selling AI’s promise and more about building better conditions for adoption: secure tools, stronger data foundations, role-specific customization, and training. Among workers who successfully moved beyond pilots, 76 percent became AI advocates and 63 percent now use AI daily.

Want to know more? Check out the source code here.

Nuvei Buys Payoneer for $2.75B

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Montreal-born payments company Nuvei is acquiring New York-based Payoneer in a $2.75 billion all-cash transaction, a deal aimed at creating a broader global financial infrastructure platform. Nuvei will pay $7.40 per share for Payoneer, whose cross-border payouts, banking network, same-day and real-time settlement capabilities complement Nuvei’s payment acceptance business.

The combined company says it will help businesses accept payments, send funds, issue cards, manage treasury and foreign exchange, and access embedded financial services. The boards of both companies have approved the transaction, which is expected to close in mid-2027, subject to customary conditions, with Goldman Sachs serving as lead advisor.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on Fintech.ca.

Nesto Hits $1.5B Valuation

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Montreal fintech nesto has raised $302 million in Series F financing, pushing its valuation to approximately $1.5 billion. The round, made up of primary and secondary capital, included La Caisse, Fidelity Investments Canada, PICTON Investments, Endeavor Catalyst, Portage, Diagram, NAventures, National Bank of Canada, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, and Fondaction.

Founded in 2019, nesto says it is profitable and now manages more than $80 billion in mortgages under administration nationwide. The new funding will support faster partner and client onboarding while accelerating development of Nesto Cloud and Maestro AI, its platform for modernizing mortgage operations across Canada’s lending sector today.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on Fintech.ca.

Canada Targets AI Talent Gap

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Canada’s new AI for All strategy aims to turn the country’s artificial intelligence research strength into jobs, skills, and economic growth. Announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney, the five-year plan targets $200 billion in additional economic growth, 250,000 new AI-related jobs, and up to 90,000 youth jobs and placements.

Ottawa wants to boost AI adoption from just over 12 percent today to 60 percent by 2034. The plan includes AI literacy training for students, upskilling for workers, support for SMEs, sovereign compute infrastructure, and continued investment in Canada’s AI institutes and talent pipeline.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on Techtalent.ca.

RBC Expands Vancouver Tech Hub

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RBC is expanding its Vancouver banking and innovation hub, with plans to grow to 1,000 jobs across British Columbia by 2029. The downtown hub opened last November and currently employs 350 people, with plans to reach 600 by year-end. The expansion includes roles in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, data science, and commercial banking.

RBC said the hub builds on its Vancouver Borealis AI presence and supports its goal of generating $700 million to $1 billion in AI-driven enterprise value by 2027. The bank cited Vancouver’s talent base as a strategic advantage.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on Techtalent.ca.

Saris Raises $28.8M for Banking AI

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Montréal and San Francisco-based Saris has raised US$28.8 million in Series A financing to expand its automation platform for banks and credit unions. The round was led by 8VC, with participation from Audacious Ventures, Homebrew, Btech Consortium, and Service Ventures.

Founded by former Oohlala Mobile entrepreneurs Danial Jameel, Alice Dinu, and James Dang, Saris builds AI agents for back-office tasks in lending, compliance, and operations. The company says workflows can automate up to 70 percent of lending tasks and reduce costs by 35 percent. Funding will support integrations and growth.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on BetaKit.

ApplyBoard Faces Growth Reckoning

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ApplyBoard faces renewed scrutiny as Canada’s international education market contracts and former employees describe cultural strains behind its rapid rise. The Kitchener company connects students with schools worldwide and grew into a unicorn before policy shifts pressured its model.

Reports have tied recent layoffs to changing rules across major study destinations, while The Logic says former workers cited intense expansion demands and workplace concerns. ApplyBoard still promotes access to more than 1,500 institutions and 150,000 programs globally, but its challenge now is rebuilding confidence amid market, valuation, and culture questions.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on The Logic.

Drone Data Powers Physical AI Push

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Vancouver-based Spexi Geospatial has partnered with Niantic Spatial to convert drone imagery into large-scale 3D intelligence for physical AI. The collaboration gives Spexi customers access to Niantic’s reconstruction technology, producing high-fidelity 3D models through the Spexi World platform. Spexi will also serve as a preferred drone imagery provider for training Niantic’s real-world foundation models.

The partnership combines Spexi’s aerial data network with Niantic’s expertise in spatial computing, supporting applications in simulation, mapping, and AI training. Executives said the deal advances the use of real-world spatial data for intelligent systems.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on Techcouver.com.