Plus: Meta to hire up to 2,500 workers in Canada, open engineering hub to build metaverse.
Welcome to BetaKit’s startup stories of the week! Here, you will find the week’s most important news, features, and editorials published on BetaKit. If you prefer this update hit your inbox every week, make sure to subscribe to the BetaKit Newsletter using the form at the bottom of this page.
Top Stories of the Week
theScore is ready for mobile sports betting to come to Ontario
theScore is betting that its decades-long history with Ontario sports fans will give it a home-field advantage as the province opens up single-game sports betting to licensed private operators on April 4.
Meta to hire up to 2,500 workers in Canada, open engineering hub to build metaverse
The 2,500 hires will include remote and in-office positions, and look across the country for tech talent. The office and large team expands on Meta’s existing presence in Canada, which includes hundreds of employees and labs in Montréal and Toronto.
Following 2021 losses, Thinkific to lay off 100 employees
Vancouver-based Thinkific Labs has announced plans to lay off 100 employees—one-fifth of the company’s workforce. In an interview with BetaKit, Thinkific co-founder and CEO Greg Smith said the layoffs came as an effort to reduce the company’s cost structure amid what has become a difficult and unpredictable capital-raising environment.
Our Lady Peace’s Raine Maida says creators can’t afford “not to take advantage” of Web3, NFTs
At a recent event for BetaKit Patreon supporters, Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida and Horizon Blockchain Games co-founder and chief storyteller Michael Sanders discussed how NFTs could change the world of entertainment.
Government of Canada launches advisory group focused on harmful online content
The panel has been tasked with helping the Government of Canada develop a legislative and regulatory framework to address harmful online content and social media platforms housing it.
TransPod awaits government consent to secure $668.2 million CAD for proposed high-speed line between Edmonton and Calgary
If the Alberta government fails to commit, TransPod’s CEO said he’ll move the project elsewhere.
Latest Funding, Acquisitions, and Layoffs
VAN – Evok Innovations secures first close of $150M for cleantech fund (read more)
VAN – LayerZero Labs – $135M (read more)
AB – ERA commits $50M for low emissions challenge (read more)
CAL – Athennian – $41.5M (read more)
TOR – Manifest Climate – $30M (read more)
TOR – Bonsai – $21M (read more)
TOR – ShopThing – $10M (read more)
TOR – PocketHealth – $20M (read more)
TOR – Citylitics – $6.2M(read more)
TOR – FutureFit AI – $5.7M(read more)
TOR – Spatula Foods – $1.87M (read more)
MTL – Breathe Life acquired by US-based SE2 (read more)
MTL – Telus Health acquires Toronto-based Sprout (read more)
HOW CANADIAN TECH CAN HELP UKRAINIANS
“There’s such a heavy emotional toll of uncertainty and not knowing what’s going to happen with your life.”
Ilya Brotsky (CEO of VanHack) and Daryna Kulya (co-founder and COO of OpenPhone) discuss Ukraine tech, connections to Canada, and ways to help Ukrainians fleeing war.
WHAT IMPACT DO PROVINCIAL BUDGETS HAVE ON CANADIAN TECH?
“Here’s something that I didn’t anticipate when we began doing these conversations across provinces: they don’t talk to each other.”
CCI’s Ben Bergen and Bronte Valk walk through Alberta and BC’s latest budget commitments.
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