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Over 16,000 researchers, academics, and industry leaders gathered in Vancouver for NeurIPS, AI’s largest annual conference. Once a small academic meeting, the event now draws corporate giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta, eager to unveil breakthroughs.

AI leaders, including Ilya Sutskever and Fei-Fei Li, explored emerging ideas like spatial intelligence and modular architectures. This year’s buzz centered on improving AI evaluations, test-time compute efficiency, and scaling challenges.

The conference also made history with its youngest-ever contributor, 10-year-old Harini Shravan. As AI reshapes the global economy, NeurIPS remains a hub for groundbreaking advancements and spirited debates.

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

Chrystia Freeland resigned as deputy prime minister and finance minister Monday, derailing the Liberals’ fall economic update. Freeland cited a lack of confidence from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and differences over Canada’s fiscal path.

In her resignation letter, Freeland warned of challenges posed by the incoming Trump administration and criticized costly “political gimmicks.” She will remain an MP and plans to run in the next election. Officials delayed the fall economic statement, expected to feature measures boosting business investment, extending tax breaks, and reforming the SR&ED program. The government has yet to confirm its next steps.

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

Canadian startups trail international peers in exits and growth-stage funding, a new report by Charles Plant reveals. While Canadian startups founded in 2014 raised an average of US$30 million—second only to the U.S.—few advanced to Series B funding, with just 8.4% reaching this milestone.

Canada leads in IPO rates at 8.1%, but most were on junior exchanges, raising less than international averages. Acquisitions also lag, with only 10.4% of startups being bought, often out of financial necessity. Plant suggests a “go-to-market” gap, urging reallocation of government funds to support scaling efforts over early-stage R&D.

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

The Canadian government has revamped the Scientific Research and Economic Development (SR&ED) program, allocating $26 billion in tax incentives to bolster R&D. Publicly-traded firms can now claim 35% of eligible expenditures, up from 15%, while refundable credit limits rise from $3 million to $4.5 million.

The changes address long-standing complaints about accessibility and paperwork, but critics highlight increased benefits for large foreign-owned subsidiaries. Ottawa will add $1.9 billion to SR&ED funding over six years, with $4 billion distributed annually. These reforms aim to drive innovation and make the program more valuable for both private and public companies.

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

Canada boasts 71 private tech companies with $100M+ annual revenue, including PointClickCare and GeoComply. These firms represent a new class of profitable scaleups resisting early sell-offs and exploring IPOs amid strong private backing.

While some firms, like Wealthsimple and 1Password, prepare for public markets, others prefer private equity to sustain growth. Critics highlight market volatility and stricter IPO readiness standards, with $300M+ revenue seen as a benchmark for success. Canada’s tech evolution offers a robust future, with leaders aiming to create enduring, generational companies that may reshape public market tech investments.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on The Globe and Mail.