A networking platform for medical professionals has been acquired by a Toronto mobile advertising agency. The news: Halifax-based The Rounds, which runs a digital network where physicians and healthcare professionals can discuss and learn about medical topics, was acquired by Toronto advertising agency Native Touch in May, CEO Tim Rice confirmed to BetaKit following a…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Paralytic shellfish poisoning, a severe and potentially fatal foodborne illness, has no specific antidote. The neurotoxin responsible, saxitoxin, is classified as a chemical weapon under international law. It causes nausea, tingling, and in bad cases the inability to breathe. Treatment is supportive: oxygen, mechanical ventilation, waiting. For people who…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Electric aircraft startups have been promising a lot for a long time. Two of them are now close enough to matter. Battery-electric and hybrid planes with a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles) would cover a quarter of Europe’s existing flight routes, according to the European Union…
Canadian technology companies are exiting to international buyers “at precisely the moment when scaling becomes more complex and capital-intensive,” according to a new study released today by the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI). “Once you hit product-market fit and you go, it’s time to scale—that’s when the wheels start coming off.” CCI identified four main…
BMO and RBC are selling off Moneris, one of Canada’s largest payment processors, to US-based private equity firm Francisco Partners. The news: The two Canadian banks announced an agreement to sell their co-owned operation for $2 billion CAD on Monday evening. As part of the deal, BMO and RBC will each receive 50 percent of…
For a PhD biochemist who has likely spent a lot of time with his forehead scrunched up over a microscope, Frédéric St-Denis-Bissonnette gets a lot of compliments on his skin. It makes sense; he’s the founder and CEO of BioThera Solutions, a bootstrapped Ottawa startup developing a skincare product based on the very scientific-sounding extracellular…
Toronto-based Theia’s 3D motion-capture technology is playing a key role in a study that could help healthcare workers better avoid a common workplace injury. The tech company announced on Tuesday morning that it’s collaborating with New Brunswick researchers to help evaluate whether a patient-turnover device—which helps caregivers turn patients over in hospital beds—could meaningfully reduce…
Toronto’s Fisent Technologies has raised $4.3 million USD ($6 million CAD) to rapidly grow its software business automation platform. The news: Enterprise AI software startup Fisent Technologies announced on Tuesday that it had raised $4.3-million USD in all equity, all-primary financing led by US-based FinTech investment firm FINTOP. The 16-person company, whose AI software automates…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Sweden announced on July 23 that it will ban per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances from consumer products by January 1, 2028. The list covers clothing, shoes, waterproofing agents, kitchenware, cosmetics, and ski wax. “This is a major victory for human health and for the Swedish environment,” said Minister for Climate…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM You probably already know the feeling, even if you’ve never had a name for it. The way your shoulders drop and relax the moment you step under a canopy of trees. How the breath comes a little easier. The mental noise that slowly melts away, not because of any…
