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Canadian Tech in 100 Words

MDA Positioned for Golden Dome Defence Bids

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MDA Space has secured an entry point into a major U.S. defence program after signing an IDIQ contract with the Missile Defense Agency under its SHIELD initiative. The Brampton-based space manufacturer can now bid on future tasks tied to the proposed $175-billion Golden Dome missile defence project, which carries a broader $151-billion task envelope.

MDA said the work could span land, sea, air, cyber, and space defence. Investors reacted positively, sending shares up five percent on Thursday. The contract follows recent Canadian defence wins and continued revenue growth despite prior setbacks.

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

TELUS Moves to Monetize Global Health Unit

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TELUS has engaged TD Securities and Jefferies to advise on monetizing TELUS Health, a fast-growing digital health business reaching 160 million lives across more than 200 countries. The move may include strategic partnerships as TELUS seeks value creation and balance-sheet deleveraging.

As of Q3 2025, TELUS Health generated $1.5 billion in revenue, $258 million EBITDA, and $99 million cash flow. CEO Darren Entwistle called the unit a world-class Canadian asset with expanding AI capabilities. Monetization supports debt reduction targets toward three-times leverage by 2027, reinforcing TELUS’ disciplined capital allocation strategy.

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Ten Calgary Companies to Watch Entering 2026

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Calgary’s startup ecosystem is entering 2026 with renewed momentum as companies across AI, fintech, health, food, defence, and regulation reach scale-ready inflection points. Once energy-centric, the city now produces export-ready technology rooted in local insight and global demand.

The featured startups tackle infrastructure approvals, regulatory compliance, food waste, crop protection, healthcare access, and defence readiness. Several secured major funding, national awards, or enterprise customers in 2025. Collectively, they reflect a shift from promise to performance, with founders focused on execution and commercialization. Calgary’s innovation economy is increasingly defined by practical solutions built for real-world complexity.

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

AI Dominates Canada’s Fastest-Growing Jobs

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In 2026, Canada’s job market is shifting at speed, LinkedIn reports, driven largely by artificial intelligence. More than half of professionals plan to job-hunt this year as workers adapt to change. LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise list highlights AI as the dominant opportunity.

In Canada, AI Engineer ranks first among fastest-growing roles, followed by AI strategist, while machine learning researcher places fourth behind power systems engineer. Technology accounts for three of the top four roles. Other risers include chief product officer, founders, IT support specialists, and database analysts, reflecting digital demand and interest in self-employment nationwide trends.

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

Photonic Raises $180M to Scale Quantum Systems

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Photonic has raised $180 million in the first close of a new funding round, advancing its bid to commercialize distributed quantum computing. The round was led by Planet First Partners, with new backing from RBC and TELUS and continued support from BCI and Microsoft, bringing total funding to $375 million.

Photonic’s Entanglement First™ Architecture combines silicon qubits and photonic networking to enable scalable, fault-tolerant systems. The capital will fund product milestones, hiring, and partnerships. CEO Paul Terry cited growing confidence across finance, telecom, and sustainability. The Coquitlam firm also joined Canada’s Quantum Champions Program.

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

Ten B.C. Startups Signal Strong 2026 Outlook

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British Columbia’s innovation economy is entering 2026 with renewed momentum as a cohort of homegrown startups reaches key inflection points. Spanning cleantech, fintech, AI, agtech, biotech, and food systems, these companies emphasize deployment over hype.

From Baerfell’s plant-based insulation and FireSwarm’s wildfire drones to Fuse Power’s grid-connected EVs and Simuhealth’s healthcare infrastructure, execution defines the group. Several firms posted measurable performance gains, secured major funding, or earned national awards in 2025. Together, they reflect B.C.’s growing strength in applied technologies designed for real-world complexity, resilience, and sustainability across essential industries.

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

Nvidia–Groq Deal Delivers Windfall for Canadian Investors

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Over the holidays, Nvidia struck a $20 billion USD licensing deal with AI infrastructure startup Groq, setting up payouts for Canadian investors. Framed as non-exclusive, the agreement licenses Groq IP to Nvidia, moves executives over, and leaves Groq independent. Critics call it acquisition-like amid Nvidia’s dominant chip position.

Canadian backers include Garage Capital, whose Mike McCauley called it a “fabulous outcome,” and Social Capital’s Chamath Palihapitiya. Groq employs about 90 Canadians, maintains a Toronto office, and supplies chips for Bell data centres, underscoring Canada’s role in global AI infrastructure.

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

Boreal Promises Evidence-Based Artificial Intelligence

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Toronto-based Formic AI has launched Boreal, an explainable language model built for organizations demanding artificial intelligence. Instead of probabilistic text generation, Boreal transforms unstructured documents into a structured knowledge graph. Answers are checked against original sources, with reasoning steps logged end to end.

Chief executive Daniel Escott said trust depends on reviewing conclusions and evidence paths. The system blends neuro-symbolic analysis with generative drafting, blocks unsupported claims, and lowers compute needs through precomputed graph traversal. Boreal supports on-premises, air-gapped deployment and governance over existing tools.

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

TransLink Taps Vancouver’s Spare for Digital Upgrade

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Vancouver-based Spare has secured a contract with TransLink to modernize HandyDART, Metro Vancouver’s door-to-door accessible transit service handling more than 1.2 million annual trips. The deal replaces decades-old systems with a digital platform enabling online booking, real-time tracking, and service updates.

TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn called HandyDART a lifeline central to its Customer-First Plan. Spare’s software unifies registration, dispatch, routing, and reporting, improving oversight and performance. CEO Kristoffer Vik Hansen said technology strengthens rider independence. The partnership may guide other agencies. Spare raised $42 million Series B in 2024.

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

McRock Capital Closes Largest Fund Amid VC Headwinds

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Toronto-based McRock Capital, a veteran industrial technology venture firm, has closed its third fund at more than $120 million, its largest raise despite difficult market conditions. Managing partner Scott MacDonald said disciplined focus and returns to investors drove success. Fund III adds Caterpillar and Autodesk to LPs, joining EDC, BDC Capital, and others.

McRock, with $300 million AUM, backs Series A and B industrial software, targeting $5–$20 million revenue firms and global growth across Canada, the United States, Europe, and Israel, deploying capital cautiously amid tightened fundraising cycles.

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