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The results of a new survey highlight tax changes and other challenges faced by Canadian startups — and the need for policies that foster innovation and growth. From massive investments in AI to additional funding for the SR&ED program to changes to the capital gains tax, the recently tabled federal budget touched on many issues of interest for the innovation community. And, to put it mildly, the budget elicited strong reactions. The capital gains tax has become a particular flashpoint for entrepreneurs and investors, with many expressing concern that increasing the inclusion rate on capi ..read more

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Only a fraction of venture capital funding goes to women-led companies. For the co-founders of Noa Therapeutics, finding the right angel investor helped fuel the development of their biotech startup. As co-founders of the Toronto-based biotech company Noa Therapeutics, Serena Mandla and Carla Spina know the odds are stacked against them. “Pharma is a risky business,” says Spina. New therapeutics need years of development — not to mention capital. That risk could pay off for sufferers of inflammatory conditions. Noa is working to develop a new therapy that will address the many factors that ma ..read more

Why transit is a key element in creating a fair and equitable society. When Jennifer Pennell-Ajie set out to help fix Fort Erie, Ont.’s struggling bus system in 2019, she instantly found herself up against a number of formidable obstacles. At the time, the town’s transit network was in undeniable free fall — ridership was down, costs were up — and, though nobody could predict it, the pandemic would soon make the situation much worse. Even the local geography was an impediment. Unlike other municipalities with distinct city centres, Fort Erie is made up of multiple pockets of urban density con ..read more

CEO Vincent Ircandia shares his game plan for turning die-hard spectators into valuable team assets. Just about every entrepreneur stresses the importance of having a winning mindset, but Vincent Ircandia takes that sentiment to heart. The CEO and co-founder of StellarAlgo has a Stanley Cup ring, he was part of the muscle behind a MLS Cup championship win and he has proud memories of representing Canada on the world stage of collegiate baseball. Before launching his AI analytics company in 2016, the Calgary native spent years in the backrooms of some of North America’s top teams, developing t ..read more

MaRS HR expert Daneal Charney shares her insights on how to recruit and retain the right people. Landing the right hires has always been a crucial part of running a successful business, but in the time since COVID was at its height, the challenges involved in attracting talent have evolved. While generous salaries and paid vacation days may once have been enough to turn heads, the number of employees working in hybrid arrangements in Canada has more than tripled in the past two years alone, jumping from 3.6 to 11.7 percent of the workforce. From flexible arrangements to retention incentives a ..read more

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From aquatic Roombas to pollution-zapping gadgets, new tech offers novel ways to tackle pollution in our lakes, oceans and reservoirs. Last summer, a pair of odd vessels could be found patrolling Toronto’s Outer Harbour Marina. They weren’t boats, however. More like supersized aquatic Roomba vacuum cleaners, these autonomous drones were specially designed to suck up trash floating in the water. PortsToronto launched the two drones (named Ebb and Flow courtesy of a crowdsourced campaign) as part of an effort to clean up the harbour and prevent plastic detritus from clogging our waterways. Each ..read more

Private AI identifies sensitive information and anonymizes it, so it can still be used to analyze and solve problems without revealing personal details. Everyone’s excited about the life-changing potential of artificial intelligence. (It can drive cars! Diagnose cancer! Write stories like this one!). But many people aren’t aware of the risks that come with it. Patricia Thaine co-founded her company, Private AI, in 2019 to minimize one of the biggest hazards of AI-based technology: the possibility of it sharing confidential information that violates an individual’s privacy. That chatbot you ju ..read more