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Canadian Tech in 100 Words

Shopify Merchants Slam Cyber Monday Outage

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Retailers are expressing frustration after a Cyber Monday outage left some Shopify merchants unable to access their stores’ backends for hours during one of the year’s busiest sales periods. Affected merchants, including Super Anime Store founder Allan Lobo, said they could not view or fulfil orders, update inventory, or send marketing emails.

Many complained the company provided little communication throughout the disruption. Shopify declined to comment beyond posts shared publicly by its support account and CEO. Some merchants say they will seek reimbursement for lost sales tied to the outage.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on The Logic.

Katalyze AI Names New Chief AI Officer

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Katalyze AI has appointed scientist and technologist Hannes Bretschneider as Chief AI Officer, strengthening the company’s leadership as it advances agentic AI for life-science manufacturing. Bretschneider, a co-founder of Deep Genomics, brings extensive experience in machine learning, genomics, RNA biology, and regulated computational systems.

His past work includes developing GenomeKit, pioneering splicing-prediction models, and leading machine-learning collaborations at the University of Toronto and Fable Therapeutics. CEO Reza Farahani said his expertise enhances Katalyze AI’s efforts to build autonomous agents capable of real-time decision-making in pharmaceutical production. A phased rollout of new agentic tools is planned.

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New Tool Maps Player Sentiment Across Games

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Vancouver-based Sprung Studios has launched Sonar, a free insights platform designed to help the games industry analyze how online audiences perceive key gameplay features. The tool combines AI-driven analysis with expert review to aggregate sentiment from players, critics, and creators across videos, articles, and community forums.

CEO James Chaytor said Sonar was developed to encourage deeper thinking about player experience and to elevate diverse perspectives. The platform distills positive and negative commentary across 26 standardized features, offering clear visualizations and detailed filters. Sprung Studios, founded in 2005, says Sonar saves developers significant research time.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on Techcouver.

Telus Freezes Dividends, Seeks Health Partner

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Telus has frozen its dividend growth and is seeking a strategic partner to invest in Telus Health, arguing its current share price fails to reflect the company’s long-term growth prospects. The telecom will also discontinue its discounted share dividend program and accelerate asset sales.

Chief financial officer Doug French said Telus aims to integrate recent acquisitions LifeWorks and Workplace Options before securing a partner investment valued between $1 billion and $2 billion, potentially through a joint venture within 18 months. Telus is also exploring partnership opportunities for Telus Agriculture. Shares rose roughly 2.4 percent on the announcement.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on The Logic.

Nova Scotia Health Deploys AI Weapon Scanners

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Xtract One Technologies has secured a province-wide deployment with Nova Scotia Health, which selected the company’s SmartGateway system to enhance hospital security through AI-powered weapons detection. An initial order of 25 units follows a successful 12-day trial in Truro, where SmartGateway screened 7,400 entrants and detected 49 prohibited items, primarily pocket knives and box cutters.

Nova Scotia Health officials said the technology supports efforts to protect staff, patients, and visitors as violence against healthcare workers persists. CEO Peter Evans noted growing adoption across Canadian healthcare networks. SmartGateway offers fast, discreet screening without traditional metal-detector barriers.

Want to know more? Check out the source code here.

Fintech Propel Launching International Bank in 2026

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Canadian fintech Propel has secured regulatory approval from Puerto Rico’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions to establish Propel International Bank. The wholly owned subsidiary is now licensed as an International Financial Entity and will focus on underwriting, compliance, and customer service for Propel’s current and future banking partners.

CEO Clive Kinross said the new bank strengthens Propel’s platform and creates opportunities for market expansion, diversification, and long-term growth. Headquartered in Puerto Rico, Propel Bank is expected to launch in the first half of 2026. Propel’s brands include Fora Credit, CreditFresh, MoneyKey, and QuidMarket.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on Fintech.ca.

New Hub Opens for Vancouver Founders

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North House, an 8,000-square-foot coworking hub for early-stage founders, has opened in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant in a floor previously occupied by Hootsuite. Operated by the League of Innovators, the site offers desks, meeting rooms, phone booths, and programming to support startup formation and growth.

A sold-out launch event drew 200 attendees and featured Eric Ries, Ryan Holmes, and SmartSweets founder Tara Bosch. LOI executive director Rob Ironside said the space fills a longstanding need for centralized support for emerging founders. North House already hosts more than ten startups, with many more waiting.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on Techcouver.

New Agrifood Hub Targets Innovation, Talent Gaps

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Calgary is moving to strengthen its position in agrifood innovation with a commitment of up to $2.75 million from the Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund to launch AgSphere, a new hub connecting producers, startups, investors, and partners. Temporarily based at Stampede Park, AgSphere will feature an innovation centre, event space, national producer network, and career platform.

It aims to support 75 companies and train 450 workers amid a projected 100,000-person labour shortage by 2030. Mayor Jeromy Farkas and OCIF CEO Brad Parry said the initiative builds on Alberta’s agricultural legacy and aligns with Calgary’s broader innovation strategy.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on Calgary.tech.

Canadian Firm to Power New Mexico AI Data Centre

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Vancouver-based Desert Mountain Energy has signed a letter of intent to build a sodium-nickel-chloride battery manufacturing plant to support the forthcoming Roswell Information Park, a hyper-scale AI data centre in New Mexico.

CEO Robert Rohlfing said the company’s experience in helium and natural gas positions it to contribute to the project’s energy supply and sustainability strategy. Plans also call for treating produced water from local operators for reuse in cooling systems, reducing aquifer withdrawals and operating costs. The batteries’ stability and long lifecycle suit data-centre demands. An engineering evaluation is next.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on CleanEnergy.ca.

CVCA Names Bergen CEO Amid Capital Crunch

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Benjamin Bergen, longtime president and CEO of the Council of Canadian Innovators, will become the next chief executive of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association on January 5. Bergen, who helped CCI become a dominant policy voice for Canada’s 175 scaleups, said the move reflects a desire to focus on the investor ecosystem amid shrinking early-stage pipelines and renewed capital shortages.

CVCA, which has been without a leader since May, represents more than 350 VC and private equity firms. Bergen will craft the association’s next three-year strategy as Canada confronts economic headwinds and declining investment activity.

Want to know more? Check out the source code on BetaKit.