BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM When Rebekka Grun von Jolk, an economist whose research sits at the intersection of love and behavioral science, spoke with students at Georgetown University recently, she expected a polite Q&A. Instead, when the formal session ended, many students stayed behind. They wanted real answers about modern dating, commitment, and…
The federal government teased the pillars of Canada’s upcoming AI strategy and a new procurement policy for small and medium businesses in the Spring Economic Update. However, there was little else new for the tech industry, prompting criticism from some leaders in the sector who say they were hoping to see more to spur innovation….
London, Ontario’s Appetronix has purchased Vancouver’s Cibotica, another Canadian technology company developing robotics for restaurant kitchens. The financial terms of the strategic acquisition, which was announced Tuesday morning, were not disclosed. Appetronix said in a news release that the transaction expands its tech stack and “fast-tracks” its plans to expand its robot kitchen concepts beyond…
Holding company Tiny is reportedly looking to roll the credits on its ownership of Letterboxd. As the company grows, “it’s natural there will be interest in what we do next.” The Victoria, BC-based serial acquirer bought a 60-percent controlling stake in the film-review app in 2023. Now, Semafor reports in an exclusive that Tiny has…
The Canadian Robotics Council (CRC) has established a committee of banks and venture capital (VC) firms to help draw more capital to the country’s robotics sector. While Canada is strong when it comes to robotics research and early-stage innovation, the CRC says that companies in the sector typically require a lot of money to scale…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Good news: the Southern Ocean is filling with whales again. Humpback populations in Antarctica have nearly returned to pre-whaling levels, a rebound scientists say has been faster than almost anyone expected. Researchers conducting a survey near the South Orkney Islands this February recorded multiple groups of more than 100…
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM “The main benefit of fasting is weight loss,” says Krista Varady, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago and a co-author of related research, and the data supports her. In a peer-reviewed clinical trial at the University of Sydney, “participants practicing intermittent fasting lost about eight…
Three Saskatchewan organizations are receiving millions of dollars—some in the form of interest-free, repayable contributions, some from non-repayable contributions—from the federal government as part of Canada’s continued push to increase domestic defence production and shore up supply chains. On April 24, Buckley Belanger, Canada’s secretary of state for rural development, announced $8.2 million in funding…
Cleantech startup Serenity Power announced today it has closed a $1.16-million CAD pre-seed funding round to validate its remote power technology and expand its employee base. Operating out of both Calgary and Toronto, Serenity Power develops solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that replace diesel and conventional combustion engine generators with lower-emission power. Serenity’s SOFCs can…
The Cayman Islands is cultivating a local tech ecosystem, and it wants Canadian founders to be part of it. Located just a four-hour flight from Toronto and operating in the Eastern Standard Time zone, the Cayman Islands has made deliberate efforts to diversify its economy by attracting global tech companies. “Cayman isn’t about leaving Canada…
