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Canadian Tech in 100 Words

CCI

CVCA Names Bergen CEO Amid Capital Crunch

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Benjamin Bergen, longtime president and CEO of the Council of Canadian Innovators, will become the next chief executive of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association on January 5. Bergen, who helped CCI become a dominant policy voice for Canada’s 175 scaleups, said the move reflects a desire to focus on the investor ecosystem amid shrinking early-stage pipelines and renewed capital shortages.

CVCA, which has been without a leader since May, represents more than 350 VC and private equity firms. Bergen will craft the association’s next three-year strategy as Canada confronts economic headwinds and declining investment activity.

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CCI Urges Ottawa to Make Innovation a Cabinet Priority

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The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) has released A Mandate to Innovate, a policy report urging Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new cabinet to prioritize innovation-driven economic growth. The document offers recommendations to 12 ministries and calls for an independent innovation agency, talent attraction, procurement reform, and innovation in core sectors.

CCI warns that Canada’s economic stagnation and declining productivity demand urgent action. Citing security and sovereignty concerns amid U.S. trade tensions, the report calls on government to become a better customer and champion of domestic innovation. The framework builds on feedback from 150 Canadian tech CEOs.

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