Shopify has authorized itself to buy up to $5 billion USD ($6.9 billion CAD) of its own shares, as it deals with a declining stock price and an activist investor proposal ahead of its annual general meeting later this month. The Ottawa-based e-commerce giant announced on Tuesday evening that its board of directors increased the…
Until the AI boom, the renewable energy transition was perhaps humanity’s most talked about technological breakthrough, positioning clean, electrified tech as the world’s best bet to fend off the existential threat of climate change. But as global powers race to dig up the critical minerals needed to power that energy transition, a renewable revolution might…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Something happens when you follow a physical book with its audiobook running in your ears at the same time. The distractions fall away, and you’re inside the story. The technique has a name now: immersive reading. TikTok’s own data shows it spread fast in early 2026, with searches rising…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Levels of some of the most toxic PFAS compounds have fallen sharply in Canadian seabird eggs, and the reason isn’t complicated. Regulation worked. A peer-reviewed study tracked PFAS concentrations in the eggs of northern gannets on Bonaventure Island, in the St. Lawrence Seaway basin, over 55 years. PFOS, one…
As Canada makes progress on its long-delayed real-time rail (RTR) payment system and stablecoin regulation, ATB Financial vice president of business solutions Brian Ford thinks the latter will “leapfrog” the former. The news: Ford discussed “the battle of the rails” in a panel conversation with Cybrid CEO Avinash Chidambaram and Paytrie chief strategy officer Jason…
Canada is now on the exclusive list of countries and organizations with access to Anthropic’s Mythos AI model, which the company has claimed is too powerful to release to the wider public. The news: US AI company Anthropic expanded the list of 50-odd organizations that have access to its cybersecurity model, Claude Mythos Preview, to…
Mecka AI, which aims to train robots with human data sourced from body sensors and iPhones, revealed Monday that it has raised $60 million USD in funding. The news: The Toronto and New York City-based startup aims to build “the data and deployment layer” for physical AI.Mecka secured this sum across two previously unannounced SAFE…
A top research hospital in Montréal has opened an innovation hub to reduce the gap between lab discovery and patient care across Québec. “It’s making sure we can work together on the ground and test our solution.” Marc Plamondon, Airudi The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and its research arm, The Institute, officially launched the…
US-based stock trading platform Robinhood Markets has officially acquired Toronto-based cryptocurrency company WonderFi. The news: Robinhood’s acquisition of WonderFi closed on Monday, more than a year after the two companies signed the $250-million deal. This marks Robinhood’s official entry into the Canadian market, as well as the exit of WonderFi president and CEO Dean Skurka….
Vancouver-based Version One Ventures has raised $108-million USD ($150 million CAD) for two new funds. The news: The early-stage investor in deep tech startups announced on Tuesday morning that it’s closed $78-million USD for its fifth Version One Fund, and $30-million USD for its third Opportunities Fund. The venture firm said its investment focus has…
