Decoder.ca

Canadian Tech in 100 Words

Canada’s Tech Workforce Hits 1.45M, Study Finds

by

Canada’s technology workforce reached 1.45 million in 2024, according to CompTIA’s State of the Tech Workforce Canada 2025 report. The industry now generates $130 billion, or 6% of Canada’s economy. Tech hubs remain concentrated in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, with Alberta and Atlantic Canada emerging as smaller players.

Employment is projected to grow 1.4% in 2025, adding 27,000 jobs, with long-term sector growth nearly double the national average. Median tech wages sit at $97,000—48% above the national median—reflecting high demand for roles in AI, data analytics, cybersecurity, and software development.

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

Blue J Raises $168M to Scale AI Tax Research

by

Toronto-based Blue J has raised $168 million in Series D financing, just seven months after closing its Series C round. Led by Oak HC/FT and Sapphire Ventures, with participation from Intrepid Growth Partners, Ten Coves Capital, and CPA.com, the round cements Blue J’s status as a leader in AI-powered tax research.

CEO Benjamin Alarie said the investment will accelerate product development and market expansion. Blue J’s generative AI platform delivers instant, source-cited tax answers across U.S., Canadian, U.K., and SALT domains, with strong adoption and revenue growth in 2025.

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

Most STEM Graduates Stay in Canada, StatCan Finds

by

A new Statistics Canada study shows most Canadian STEM graduates remain in the country, even as top talent continues to leave for higher-paying opportunities abroad. Among domestic STEM graduates from 2015–2020, 91.2% filed Canadian taxes in their first year after graduation and 88.9% after three years.

International graduates are more mobile, but retention has improved to 63.6% after three years. Retention is lowest among PhD holders and students from top-ranked universities, highlighting an ongoing “brain drain” of high-achieving talent to the U.S. Economists urge policies that connect graduates with domestic careers to strengthen Canada’s innovation economy.

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

EQT, CPP Investments Acquire Neogov for $3B

by

EQT and CPP Investments have acquired HR software company Neogov in a $3 billion deal from Warburg Pincus and The Carlyle Group. Neogov, which serves public sector organizations, will focus on integrating AI to enhance compliance and efficiency under its new ownership.

The transaction reflects a rising trend of sponsor-to-sponsor exits, which account for 51.3% of U.S. private equity exits year-to-date, according to PitchBook. CPP Investments targets large-scale technology and service deals in North America and Europe, while the acquisition brings EQT X fund deployment to roughly 60-65%.

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

Thomson Reuters Launches CoCounsel Legal With Agentic AI

by

Thomson Reuters has launched CoCounsel Legal, its most advanced AI product, bringing agentic AI to legal professionals through Deep Research and guided workflows. Built on Westlaw and Practical Law content, CoCounsel can generate structured, citation-backed research reports and execute multi-step workflows like drafting policies, complaints, and discovery requests.

Unlike traditional copilots, the platform embeds AI directly into legal work, offering reasoning, planning, and transparency to support law firms and corporate legal teams. Executives say CoCounsel Legal represents a shift from prompt-based tools to enterprise-ready AI teammates.

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

Databricks to Open First Canadian R&D Hub in Vancouver

by

San Francisco-based Databricks is launching a new research and development hub in Vancouver, its first in Canada. Led by Ken Wong—co-founder of Datajoy, acquired in 2022—the team will focus on AI-driven business intelligence, Unity Catalog’s semantic modeling, Databricks Apps, and petabyte-scale analytics.

Vancouver joins a global R&D roster that includes Silicon Valley, Berlin, and Bengaluru. Databricks already supports Canadian clients like Air Canada and TD Bank. The move deepens Canada’s innovation footprint as Databricks, now valued at $62 billion, eyes $3.7 billion in annualized revenue and a future IPO.

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

QScale Eyes $4B AI Data Centre Near Toronto

by

Lévis-based QScale plans to build a $2.5–$4 billion AI data centre in the Greater Toronto Area, pending formal approval from Hydro One this fall. The Ontario facility would be one of Canada’s largest and follows QScale’s Q01 build in Lévis—a 142-megawatt, $1.2B centre powering firms like HPE and Micrologic.

Q01’s success, including free cooling and heat reuse for nearby greenhouses, offers a blueprint for Toronto. With AI workloads skyrocketing, QScale aims to capitalize on demand while advancing sustainable infrastructure.

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

NiaHealth Appoints First CMO, Expands Health Platform

by

NiaHealth has named Candy Lee as its first Chief Marketing Officer, capping a rapid rise for the Toronto-based startup now scaling as a national leader in proactive health. Lee joins amid a major product expansion, including the public launch of continuous glucose monitoring, a tripling of its clinician team, and biomarker testing growing from 50 to 150+ metrics.

The platform integrates CGMs, fitness wearables, and advanced diagnostics, helping Canadians detect health risks early. With nearly 150,000 tests completed and 90% revealing actionable results, NiaHealth is reshaping prevention in Canadian healthcare.

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

eStruxture Secures $1.35B to Expand Canadian Data Centres

by

Montreal-based eStruxture Data Centers has raised $1.35 billion in new financing to accelerate expansion across Canada. The package includes $750 million in asset-backed securities—the country’s first rated, asset-only securitization in the data centre sector—plus a $600 million revolving credit facility.

Backed by Fengate Asset Management and institutional investors including LiUNA, Pantheon, and Partners Group, the deal supports rising demand from AI, cloud computing, and data sovereignty needs. CEO Todd Coleman called the move “a watershed moment” for Canadian digital infrastructure, with ABS notes issued under eStruxture’s new Green Finance Framework.

Want to know more? Check out the source code of GlobeNewswire.

Attabotics Rejected Buyout Before Collapse, Documents Show

by

Calgary’s Attabotics, now in creditor protection, received a US$350-million all-cash acquisition offer from Honeywell in 2020, according to documents obtained by The Logic. The robotics firm, once a rising tech star backed by $200 million in funding and taxpayer support, laid off 192 workers on July 2.

Its vertical robotic warehousing system drew major clients like Nordstrom and Canadian Tire. Though Honeywell remained an investor, its takeover bid was never finalized. Attabotics’ assets are now valued at $31.6 million—against $73.8 million in liabilities. The reason the 2020 deal fell through remains undisclosed.

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