The BetaKit Podcast Channel Why Canada doesn't buy Canadian tech
Oct 20, 2025
Raymond Luk, a seasoned entrepreneur and founder of the Source Canada summit, dives into why Canadian tech struggles to gain traction at home. He shares insights on the prevalent mindset encouraging startups to seek markets abroad first and discusses the cultural hesitance from buyers to adopt local innovations. Raymond emphasizes the economic implications of relying on foreign tech and outlines the structure of Source Canada aimed at fostering meaningful deals. His passionate call for cultural change highlights the responsibility of Canadians to support each other.
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The Homecourt Disadvantage
- Canadian founders follow a playbook: get customers and validation outside Canada as fast as possible.
- That creates a 'homecourt disadvantage' where domestic traction lags and companies start internationally by default.
External Validation Slows Adoption
- Many Canadian buyers seek external validation and wait until foreign success before buying domestic tech.
- This cultural bias makes buyers slow to adopt early-stage Canadian innovations compared with other countries.
Sovereignty Risks From Buying Abroad
- Not buying domestic tech harms sovereignty and resilience in crises like COVID.
- Relying solely on foreign suppliers leaves Canada exposed for defense, vaccines, and critical infrastructure.