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Collision

Calgary’s Syzl Wins PITCH 2023 Startup Competition at Collision

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Calgary’s Syzl, founded by Azrah Manji-Savin, emerged as the winners of the 2023 edition of PITCH at Collision. PITCH is a startup competition that showcases early-stage startups.

Azrah, who met a crucial team member at last year’s Collision, is thrilled about the win.

Syzl connects food makers with under-utilized commercial kitchen spaces, revolutionizing the food industry. Their mission is to empower culinary entrepreneurs by providing accessible and cost-effective kitchen solutions, especially for immigrant communities and women of color.

With over 1,000 users and 70 kitchens on the platform, Syzl is making waves in the food gig economy.

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

PitchBook Survey Reveals Shifting Investment Landscape at Collision Conference

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In a survey conducted at the Collision conference in Toronto, data provider PitchBook and event organizer Web Summit found that venture capital (VC) activity is declining amid market uncertainties.

With close to 100 global VC investors participating, the survey revealed interesting findings.

Artificial intelligence dominates investor interest at Collision, with nearly three-quarters of respondents indicating they’ve made investments in the space recently. Last year, fintech and blockchain were selected as the technologies with the most disruption potential.

Investors are now reporting some pull back in investment in response to swiftly rising interest rates and economic uncertainty. Over half of investors believe it will become more difficult to raise capital from LPs in the next twelve months

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

AI Pioneer Geoffrey Hinton Raises Concerns About Technology’s Potential Threats

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Geoffrey Hinton, the renowned “godfather of artificial intelligence,” spoke at the Collision tech conference in Toronto, expressing his apprehensions about the future of AI.

As AI becomes smarter and more prevalent, Hinton emphasized the need to take its potential risks seriously. He outlined the major harms posed by the technology, including bias, joblessness, fake news, and existential risks.

Hinton’s concerns stem from recent advancements in AI, with language models approaching human reasoning abilities.

Despite differing opinions, Hinton believes a proactive approach is necessary to counter AI risks. He called for increased focus on understanding and mitigating potential AI-created situations.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on The Canadian Press. Image: Collision.

Collision 2023 Breaks Records with Global Attendees and Women Founders

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Collision, now in its fifth year in Toronto, has achieved a new milestone with a staggering attendance of 36,378 people from 118 countries.

This year, a record-breaking 30 percent of startups participating in Collision have women founders.

The event boasts a remarkable 41 percent female attendee rate, with 36 percent of the speakers being women.

Over the course of three in-person conferences since 2019, Collision has injected CA$188 million into Toronto’s economy.

With 1,727 startups from 76 countries and 1,426 speakers and media from 42 countries, Collision 2023 has cemented its position as a premier tech conference.

Want to know more? Check out the source code here. Image: Lucky Osunbiyi

Collision, a Global Tech Event, Confirms Toronto as Host City for 2024

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Collision, one of the world’s largest tech events, announced that it will host the 2024 edition in Toronto. The event will gather thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, and journalists from around the globe.

According to Destination Toronto’s projections, Collision 2023 is expected to contribute $49 million to Toronto’s economy. Over the past three years, the event has added a total of $188 million to the city’s economy.

Toronto has seen the establishment of offices and engineering hubs by renowned companies like Google, Netflix, and Cloudflare.

Paddy Cosgrave, Collision’s founder and CEO, expressed gratitude for the support from Destination Toronto and aims to amplify the event’s global impact.

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