The BetaKit Podcast Channel

“If you want to succeed and build an enduring and large business for Canadians, that has to be your focus. Nothing else. If you want to focus on Canada as an additional market or a secondary market, it’s not going to work out.” Three years after its bold expansion strategy, Revolut has a banking license in the UK, but not much to show in the US or Canada. The company’s former North American Head of Strategy & Operations, Saud Aziz, joins the podcast this week to discuss what went wrong and the lessons he’s taking forward with his new FinTech startup, Vault. The BetaKit Podcast is presented by Google Cloud: scale your startup faster and smarter with the Google Cloud credits, technical training, startup experts, curated resources, plus AI and Web3 specific benefits. Get up to $350k in cloud credits over two years, plus access to hands-on technical training, mentorship from startup experts, and connections with a thriving community. Visit startups.google.com/betakit to learn more and apply today!

“If you're an emerging manager on your first or second fund, you need to find winners. But realistically, the vast majority of funds here in Canada are still emerging managers.” Sand Hill North Partner Ryan Henry joins to share his family office’s unique perspective on deal activity on both sides of the border, before unpacking what feels true for Canadian VCs and founders, and how far those feelings are from reality. Presented by AWS Startups: accelerate your innovative ideas with AWS credits of up to $100,000 through the AWS Activate program.  

The discussion dives into the drastic shift in developer hiring, highlighting a post-pandemic buyer's market. It examines the impact of automation on job roles and the notable decline in junior positions. The conversation also touches on funding challenges faced by clean tech initiatives, particularly with changes to the Alberta investor tax credit. Insights are shared on strategic investments in evolving economic landscapes, as well as the competitive pressures from U.S. funding that affect Canadian startups.

“I deeply want to solve the challenges in education. I think what we have is a current educational system is really not working.” Mobius Math Club co-founder Steven Woods (ex-Eloqua, Oracle, and Benevity) explains how video games are actually a great educational tool, and why taking venture capital won’t help him scale. Original air date: March 31, 2024. Presented by Mantle: next-level equity management, powered by AI. Visit withmantle.com/betakit to get started with your first 12 months free.

“To be competitive with American startups—or Israeli startups, or European startups—we need that push. That push … comes with a bureaucratic cost, because the government wants to know what's happening with their money.”  MAIN Executive Director Louis-Felix Binette joins live from Startupfest in Montréal to discuss the state of tech entrepreneurship in the city and province, including Québec Tech’s new name and mission. Presented by Mantle: next-level equity management, powered by AI. Visit withmantle.com/betakit to get started with your first 12 months free.

"When we unveiled the company and the product to the world, the hope was 'people are going to be excited.' Or maybe we're completely wrong." Can a ragtag team of ex-BlackBerry employees and fanboys bring mobile keyboards back with Clicks? Clicks' Kevin Michaluk (CrackBerry) and Jeff Gadway (BlackBerry) join to explain what prompted them to build an iPhone keyboard in 2024. The answer may surprise you as much as the gadget's target customer. Presented by Float, co-hosts of In the Black: Building Enduring Businesses. Learn what’s top of mind for Canada’s fastest-growing companies, including Xanadu, Wealthsimple, and Float.

Jolt Capital's Jean Schmitt discusses why Canada's tech scene attracted their deep tech PE firm, emphasizing the vast opportunities for investment in the country. The podcast explores the data-driven decision to establish their North American HQ in Montreal, the trend of Canadian pension funds investing in local deep tech firms, and the role of deep tech investments in post-COVID economies. Schmitt highlights the importance of strategic investments, collaborations with local investors, and retaining Canadian talent for global scaling.

“Is this Collision, is this RISE, is this Web Summit? I’m very confused.” Web Summit co-host Casey Lau joins the podcast from the show floor of the last Collision to evaluate its impact, what Web Summit Vancouver will do for the city, and what the reimagined tech conference might look like when it arrives next year. Presented by Mantle: next-level equity management, powered by AI. Visit withmantle.com/betakit to get started with your first 12 months free.

"OpenAI has nothing to lose and Apple had to move. They are the last player in this space, they had to do something." The gang reviews the latest announcements from Apple’s WWDC event, including a major partnership with OpenAI, before handing out grades for Big Tech’s AI progress. Also evaluated: whether or not Apple killed any tech companies this week, 1Password included. Presented by Mantle: next-level equity management, powered by AI. Visit withmantle.com/betakit to get started with your first 12 months free.

CEO of Lightspeed, Dax Dasilva, discusses the company's journey to $1 billion in revenue, succession planning, growth challenges, financial services for SaaS companies, evolving CEO roles, communication strategies, and sustainability initiatives.