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Canadian Tech in 100 Words

Maple Bridge Ventures Raises $10M to Back Immigrant Founders

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Ottawa-based Maple Bridge Ventures has closed $10.2 million CAD in its debut venture fund supporting immigrant-led Canadian technology startups. The raise brings the firm halfway to its $20 million target. Founded by former Export Development Canada executive Eric Agyemang, Maple Bridge will invest $250,000–$1 million in pre-seed and seed ventures across agriculture, food, health, and enterprise tech.

Anchor investors include Farm Credit Canada and Realize Capital Partners, backed by the Government of Canada’s Social Finance Fund, alongside the Vancouver Foundation, Fairmount Foundation, and ex-Canopy Growth CEO Mark Zekulin. Forty percent of the fund is reserved for follow-on investments.

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Wealthsimple Hits $10B Valuation in $750M Raise

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Toronto-based Wealthsimple has announced an equity raise of up to $750 million, valuing the company at $10 billion post-money. The round was co-led by Dragoneer Investment Group and Singapore’s GIC, with participation from CPPIB, Power Corp, IGM Financial, ICONIQ, Greylock, and Meritech.

CEO Michael Katchen said the funding reflects investor confidence in Wealthsimple’s mission to redefine financial services. Profitable since 2024, the fintech manages more than $100 billion in assets and continues to expand with zero-commission options trading, gold investing from $1, and an upcoming AI-powered dashboard.

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

Hootsuite Restructures, Trimming Hundreds of Jobs

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Vancouver-based Hootsuite has confirmed it is laying off about 20% of its global workforce, representing several hundred employees. The social media management firm told Business in Vancouver the cuts are part of a company-wide restructuring.

“We made the difficult decision to reduce our global workforce by 20%,” the company said, thanking departing employees for their contributions. The layoffs follow Hootsuite’s recent recognition as a finalist for Anchor Company of the Year at the BC Technology Impact Awards. Chief Customer Officer Tara Ataya previously praised B.C.’s innovation ecosystem.

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

Kepler Appoints Astronaut Hadfield to Advance Space Connectivity

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Kepler Communications has appointed astronaut and author Chris Hadfield as company advisor to support its mission of providing real-time space connectivity. The Toronto-based firm, known for building Internet infrastructure for orbit, said Hadfield will guide customer and partner engagement while advising leadership on communications for human spaceflight.

“Every mission depends on communication as the backbone to keep humans connected, informed, and safe,” Hadfield said. CEO Mina Mitry noted Hadfield’s experience commanding the International Space Station brings invaluable insight as Kepler expands into the crewed missions market and supports the next era of commercial space operations.

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Calgary’s Loon Raises $3M to Build Canada’s Digital Dollar

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Calgary-based Loon has raised $3 million in pre-seed financing to develop a Canadian-dollar-backed stablecoin, positioning itself at the forefront of sovereign digital payments. The round was led by Version One Ventures, with participation from Garage Capital and Canadian angel investors. Loon also acquired the CADC stablecoin from Paytrie, which has processed over $200 million in on-chain transactions.

CEO Kevin Zhang said the goal is a regulated, transparent digital dollar under Canadian oversight. The startup has pre-filed a prospectus with the Alberta Securities Commission, marking an early step toward national regulatory approval.

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

Alexi Empowers 600+ Law Firms with Private Legal AI

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Toronto-based Alexi, founded by Mark Doble in 2017, is redefining legal AI by empowering rather than replacing lawyers. Built for mid-market and enterprise firms, Alexi’s private, firm-owned AI environments connect research, drafting, and workflows within secure, compliant infrastructure.

More than 600 law firms across North America now use the platform to improve efficiency, reduce risk, and drive profitability. With features like Workflow Library and Private Cloud, Alexi helps firms build intelligence that compounds with every case. Doble’s vision: position Canada as a global leader in legaltech innovation and connected legal intelligence.

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

NorthX Launches $6M Fund for Canadian Climate Tech

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NorthX Climate Tech has launched two new Calls for Innovation, offering up to $6 million in non-dilutive funding to accelerate Canada’s low-carbon transition. The 2025 Industrial Decarbonization Call provides $3 million for hard-tech solutions reducing emissions in British Columbia’s industrial sectors.

Eligible firms—Canadian, TRL 4-9, preferably 6-9—can apply for pilots, demonstrations, and system integrations. Another $3 million will back wildfire-resilience technologies capable of detecting, preventing, or recovering from fires with measurable emission impacts. Applications remain open until November 27, 2025, 5 p.m. PST through NorthX Climate Tech’s website.

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

Clio, Svante, and Hiive Among BC Tech Award Winners

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The BC Tech Association honoured ten standout innovators at the 2025 Technology Impact Awards held at Parq Vancouver. Clio claimed Gamechanger | Deal of the Year for its record-setting USD $900M investment, one of Canada’s largest private financings. Other Gamechanger winners included This Fish (Industry Innovation), Animikii (Company Culture), SenseNet (Climate Leadership), and Global Relay (Artificial Intelligence).

In Company of the Year categories, Insporos, Hypercharge, Hiive, Svante, and Apply Digital were recognized for excellence in biotech, EV infrastructure, private-market trading, carbon capture, and digital services. The gala marked 31 years of celebrating B.C.’s innovation leadership.

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

Bank of Canada Approves 300 Fintechs Under New Payments Act

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The Bank of Canada has unveiled its first roster of registered payment service providers under the Retail Payments Activities Act (RPAA)—a major step toward Canada’s open banking future. So far, 300 firms have been approved, including fintech leaders Helcim, ZayZoon, Wealthsimple, Koho, VoPay, and Shopify, among others.

The Act, in effect since November 2023, mandates operational compliance for all providers. Bank of Canada executive Ron Morrow said the RPAA will ensure Canadians gain access to “cheaper payment options and a broader array of services.” Over 1,000 additional applications remain under review.

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

Clio Gains Approval for Landmark $1B vLex Acquisition

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Vancouver-based Clio has received regulatory approval for its proposed USD $1-billion acquisition of vLex, a global legal research platform, paving the way for the largest transaction in legal technology history. CEO Jack Newton announced the milestone during the BC Tech Association’s Technology Impact Awards, confirming all competition reviews are complete.

The deal combines vLex’s database of one billion legal documents across 100 jurisdictions with Clio’s practice management, billing, and collaboration tools. “This is a watershed moment for Clio and the broader legal profession,” Newton said, adding the acquisition will enable “technology that understands the substance of the law.”

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