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Canadian Tech in 100 Words

Canada’s Mental Health Crisis Needs More Than Hashtags

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Mental health awareness campaigns dominate headlines annually, but critics argue they fail to address Canada’s systemic care gaps. One in five Canadians face mental illness each year, yet 6.5 million lack access to reliable healthcare, worsening the crisis. Bell Let’s Talk Day is often praised, but allegations of workplace policies contradicting its advocacy highlight concerns over corporate performativity.

Jason Morehouse, CEO of HiBoop, calls for year-round action, including funding, physician recruitment, and digital health solutions. His firm’s AI-powered platform aims to streamline mental health assessments, offering Canadians better access to care beyond hashtags and campaigns.

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

TD TechCon Showcases Innovation and Talent Growth

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TD Bank Group hosted its third annual TD TechCon, an internal tech conference aimed at expanding employees’ skills and fostering innovation. The event, held in Toronto and online, featured keynotes, panels, and hands-on tech demos. Highlights included insights from TD’s Elite Inventor Program, discussions on AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity, and an inspiring speech by Orlando Bowen on unity and leadership.

TD’s Vlad Shpilsky emphasized the bank’s commitment to technological advancement and workforce development. The event’s growing participation reflects TD’s focus on digital transformation and its goal of building the bank of the future.

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

Vancouver’s Opal Launches Ad-Spend Card for Agencies

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Vancouver-based Opal has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding to enhance its SaaS platform for agency back-office operations. Led by Founders Co-op, with backing from Exit North Ventures and fintech entrepreneur Ian Crosby, the round supports the launch of Opal Spend, an ad-spend platform integrating payments, invoicing, and contract management.

Founded in 2024 by Alex Steele, Opal originated from his media firm, Easy Agency, to streamline financial workflows. The Opal Spend card offers virtual issuance, spend controls, and cashback rewards. With 400% growth and top engineering hires, Opal aims to be the leading financial platform for agencies.

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

Hyperlume Raises $17.8M to Advance AI Data Center Tech

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Hyperlume has secured $17.8 million in an oversubscribed seed round to commercialize its high-bandwidth, low-latency optical interconnects for AI data centers and high-performance computing. Led by BDC’s Deep Tech Venture Fund and ArcTern Ventures, the round also saw participation from Intel Capital, LG Technology Ventures, MUUS Climate Partners, and SOSV.

Hyperlume, founded in 2022 by Mohsen Asad and Hossein Fariborzi, uses ultra-fast microLEDs to improve performance while reducing energy consumption. The company aims to scale production for 800G and 1.6T interconnects to meet growing industry demand as AI workloads surge.

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

CIB Loans $194M for Free EV Charging Expansion

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The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is lending $194 million to Jolt, an Australia-based EV charging firm, to deploy 1,500 curbside chargers in Canadian cities. Users will receive seven kWh of free daily charging, funded by advertising on the stations. The project supports Canada’s push to build 40,000 public chargers annually to meet its 2035 zero-emissions vehicle target.

Jolt, which entered Canada last year, is partnering with Telus to add Wi-Fi to chargers. CIB has invested $650 million in 5,500 fast chargers. Jolt’s proposal bypassed procurement but will employ Canadian workers for installation.

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

Canadian Tech Leaders Rally to Defend DEI Values

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Over 200 Canadian tech leaders have signed an open letter urging the industry to uphold diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values amid growing opposition. The letter, dated Feb. 23, warns of a shift toward exclusionary policies, citing Shopify’s recent rollback of DEI initiatives and its brief hosting of Kanye West’s swastika T-shirt store.

Signatories include Arlene Dickinson, Erin Bury, Kayla Isabelle, and Amber Mac. The letter also criticizes the influence of elite business leaders on government policy, referencing the Build Canada initiative backed by Shopify’s Tobi Lütke and others.

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

Temu Expands in Canada with Local-to-Local Sales

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China’s e-commerce giant Temu is strengthening its Canadian presence with a new local-to-local model. Launched in Canada in 2023, Temu became the country’s most-downloaded iPhone app in 2024. Now, it will allow Canadian businesses with local inventory to sell directly to Canadian consumers, aiming to improve delivery speeds and expand offerings.

Globally, Temu’s growth is staggering—ranking #2 in Similarweb’s e-commerce rankings, recording 185.6 million U.S. users in August, and surpassing 900 million total downloads by December. The local-to-local model will also roll out in major markets, including the U.S., the U.K., Germany, and Japan.

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

AI-Powered Agents: Salesforce Integrates Google’s Gemini

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Salesforce and Google have expanded their partnership to provide businesses with greater flexibility in deploying AI-powered agents. Salesforce customers can now integrate Google’s Gemini AI models into Agentforce and deploy Salesforce applications on Google Cloud. This builds on their existing collaboration, which enables seamless data sharing between Google BigQuery and Salesforce.

The move comes as businesses struggle to keep up with rapid AI advancements. Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian emphasized that mutual customers demanded deeper integration, while Salesforce President Srini Tallapragada highlighted the ability to scale digital labor. Wayfair’s CTO praised the partnership’s potential to enhance customer interactions.

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Primus Capital Secures Majority Stake in Fintech Firm Reach

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Primus Capital has acquired a majority stake in Calgary-based fintech firm Reach, marking a major investment to support its growth. While financial terms remain undisclosed, Reach CEO Sam Ranieri confirmed that Primus now holds majority ownership. The firm’s 122 employees will remain under the new structure.

This move signals renewed interest in Canada’s fintech sector, which saw record investment of US$9.5 billion in 2024, according to KPMG. Major deals included Nuvei’s US$6.3-billion take-private transaction and Plusgrade’s US$1-billion funding. Reach, which provides international payment solutions, previously secured $30 million in equity and debt in 2022.

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

Trade War Fallout: Rural Canada’s Internet at Risk

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s abrupt decision to cancel and then reinstate the province’s Starlink contract highlights the stakes in Canada-U.S. trade tensions. Ford initially announced the cancellation in response to Trump’s proposed tariffs on Canada, only to pause after Trump delayed the tariffs.

While urban areas have broadband alternatives, remote regions heavily depend on Starlink. Data from Speedtest Intelligence shows Starlink adoption in Canada has stabilized, with Nunavut at 40% and other territories following. A cancellation could affect 2 million Canadians, particularly those for whom satellite internet is the only option.

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